International interest blooms at California Cut Flower Trials 2025

California's summer cut flower trials once again drew global attention this August, with visitors attending from across the floral industry. Attendees hailed from California, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Florida, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Maine, Oregon, and Washington state, marking the third consecutive year of growing participation.

The trials showcased a vibrant array of new genetics and cultivation techniques across greenhouse, tunnel, and open field environments, with companies presenting their latest innovations. Among the exhibitors were Danziger, Evanthia, InFlora Cut Flowers, PanAmerican Seed, Sakata, and Syngenta Flowers, each contributing to a dynamic and diverse display of floral potential.

A standout feature of this year's trials was the collaboration between InFlora Cut Flowers and Green Valley Floral, which resulted in the largest trial site, featuring over three hundred varieties. Genetics from Danziger, Evanthia, PanAmerican Seed, Sakata, Syngenta Flowers, and several private breeders were grown out in a comprehensive showcase with comparison trials.

Key crops included: Celosia, Dahlias, Delphinium, Matthiola, Rudbeckia, Scabiosa, Snapdragons, and Sunflowers. In addition to these focus crops, there was a strong emphasis on fillers and foliage, reflecting the industry's growing interest in bouquet components that add texture and volume.

Company highlights
Danziger: The new Sunflower Sunova impressed with its multi-branching habit, each plant produced 4-6 high quality stems suitable for bouquets. Limonium Superta Yellow showed remarkable resilience, delivering bright, pastel yellow color and excellent branching that made it ideal for cut flower production. Meanwhile, the Scabiosa Focal Scoop series captivated with its unique texture and rich coloration, thriving in the coastal climate and proving to be a reliable focal flower for growers and designers alike.

Evanthia: Matricaria Cameron stood out with its uniform growth, abundant flowering, and strong stems, making it a reliable filler with excellent post-harvest potential. Sunflower Solano impressed with its bold, bright blooms and consistent head size, while maintaining excellent stem strength. Snapdragon Toulon showed its claims to fame as a true group 4/5 with thick, strong stems across five commercial and five additional precommercial varieties in the trial…uniform spikes held up well in outdoor conditions. Matthiola StoX® also proved reliable in the summer months and a good choice for fitting into year-round programs.

Syngenta Flowers: Many Syngenta Flowers varieties demonstrated exceptional performance, reinforcing their value for professional growers. The Dahlia Karma Collection delivered stunning, richly colored blooms on strong stems. Penstemon Arabesque impressed with its vibrant flower spikes, and consistent branching, proving to be a reliable and eye-catching filler. The new Nicotiana Whisper selections showed strong adaptability and flower production, with elegant blooms and added something new to discuss with customers.

© Express Seed CompanyDahlia Karma Collection in the front row; Blue Lagoon, Amora Scarlet, and Naomi were top performers. Pentstemon Arabesque was a unique spike bouquet filler; thrives in the heat and an alternative for Stock or Snaps in bouquets.

InFlora Cut Flowers: In their outdoor trial in Salinas, several standout varieties from InFlora Cut Flowers demonstrated exceptional performance and commercial promise. The new Dahlia Dezign™ series impressed with its extended vase life, pastel color offering, and long stems. This new series is a collaboration between InFlora Cut Flowers, Florensis Cut Flowers, and a private breeder in the Netherlands. Grower trials have proven high productivity and 10-14 days vase life, which is a big leap forward for this crop. Dahlia Dezign is available in six colors for 2026 with another four in pre-commercial trials. The team was also awed by three Rudbeckia Sunbeckia® varieties (Juliana, Maya, Sarah) for their high productivity, long stem length, large flowers, and good vase life.

Sakata: Sakata's cut flower trials in Salinas, California showcased a strong lineup of varieties grown in both greenhouse and open field conditions, emphasizing versatility and performance across environments. Among the top performers was the Aster Azumi XL, which delivered large, vibrant blooms with excellent stem strength and uniformity. The Delphinium Candle Series once again proved its reliability, with tall, elegant spikes and consistent flowering that held up beautifully in outdoor conditions; of the three delphinium series trialed, it was the best rated. A highlight of the trials was the introduction of the new Snapdragon Snapstar series (Group 1,2), which showed double flowers, and an on trend pastel color range—ideal for early-season production.

PanAmerican Seed Company: PanAmerican Seed's cut flower trials in Santa Paula, California displayed a diverse and high-performing portfolio grown under both open field and tunnel conditions, with additional vase displays highlighting stem quality and longevity. Among the standouts were the Improved Snapdragon Monaco (Group 2,3) series, which delivered improved uniformity, vibrant colors, and stronger stems ideal for commercial production. Also making a strong impression was the new Lisianthus Collage, which is a collection of varieties featuring elegant blooms with excellent vase life and a refined color palette.

© Express Seed CompanyUpcoming Introduction Lisianthus Collage 2 Champagne. Race Higgins and Mark Gross of PanAmerican Seed show Express Seed Company the new breeding in Snapdragons Monaco, Early Potomac, and Potomac

Students from University of California Davis, SCOPE project (Student Collaborative Organic Plant breeding & Education) visited the trials and walked with the plant breeder representatives to learn more about the needs of cut flower growers. They also evaluated their Zinnia lines in the trial with InFlora Cut Flowers.

This year's trials not only celebrated floral innovation but also reinforced the importance of collaboration and global exchange in the cut flower industry. With increasing attendance and expanding trial diversity, California continues to be a vital hub for floriculture development.

For more information
Express Seed Company
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