Your source for the highest quality young plant liners. Featuring 130 new varieties, MYP exclusives, trialed-and-true favorites, and solutions for growers.
2025 Trial Garden Results & Data
Table of Contents
2025 MYP TRIAL GARDEN RESULTS 4 TOP VISITOR FAVORITES 6 TOP GARDEN PERFORMERS 11 BEST OF THE BEST 16 TOP COMBINATIONS 22 AAS TRIAL AREA STANDOUTS 26 YOU ASKED, WE TRIALED: 2025 FEATURE TRIALS 28 KIENTZLER TRIAL VISITOR FAVORITES 34 MYP EMPLOYEE COMBO WINNER 34 VISITOR & EVENT HIGHLIGHTS 35
Mast Young Plants’ trial garden is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The 2025 summer trials featured more than 1500 varieties, 500+ uniquely handcrafted hanging baskets and planters, 115 new items displayed in both sun and shade, the All-American Selection trial grounds, and our 2025 trials: fertilizer, irrigation frequency, and Kientzler.
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2025 MYP Trial Garden Results
Top 10 Visitor Favorites 1. Tradescantia Pink Paradise - Collection 2. Colocasia Royal Hawaiian® Waikiki - Collection 3. Lantana Bandolista™ Pink Lemonberry Syngenta Flowers 4. Petchoa SuperCal® Blue Eyed Rose - Sakata 5. Begonia Hybrid iCandy™ Sunset - Syngenta Flowers 6. Canna Cannova® Gold Leopard - Ball Ingenuity 7. Lantana Gem™ Red Topaz - Danziger 8. Bracteantha SunBrero Orange - Kientzler 9. Philodendron Jose Buono - Collection 10. Petunia Surfinia® Heavenly Cashmere Pink - Suntory Top Performers Based on Staff Evaluation 1. Petunia Surfinia® Heavenly Cashmere Pink - Suntory 2. Lantana Bandolista™ Pink Lemonberry - Syngenta Flowers 3. Calibrachoa MiniFamous® Uno Double Light Pink 26 Selecta 4. Petunia Sanguna® Sunshine - Syngenta Flowers 5. Petunia Cloud Purple - Kientzler 6. Petunia Veranda Little Picasso - Kientzler 7. Vinca Rosea Nirvana® XDR Apricot Splash Syngenta Flowers 8. Dorotheanthus (Aptenia) Golden Cascade - Kientzler Dorotheanthus (Aptenia) Golden Cascade Kientzler Best Heat-Tolerant Perennial: Echinacea Guatemala™ Gold - Danziger Best Pollinator-Friendly Annuals: Gomphrena Globosa Fireball Pink - Kientzler Lantana Gem™ Red Topaz - Danziger Portulaca RioGrande™ Red - Ball FloraPlant Verbena Temari® Trailing Bright Pink - Suntory Best Pollinator-Friendly Perennials: Agastache Beelicious™ Pink - Monrovia Gaillardia Barbican™ Yellow Red Ring - Monrovia Rudbeckia Rising Sun® Chestnut Gold Green Fuse® Botanicals Best Overall Performance Annual: Phlox Gisele® Hot Pink - Selecta Best Overall Performance Perennial: Leucanthemum Lucille™ Grace - Danziger Best Overall Cut Flower: Eucalyptus Pulverulenta Baby Blue Bouquet Collection 9. Jamesbrittenia Jammin Pink - Kientzler 10. Bracteantha SunBrero Orange - Kientzler Best of the Best Best Heat-Tolerant Annual:
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Top 10 Visitor Favorites The people have spoken! Visitors vote for their favorite new varieties and we tally their votes all summer long. Introducing our visitors’ top 10 new varieties!
1. Tradescantia Pink Paradise Collection
2. Colocasia Royal Hawaiian® Waikiki Collection
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3. Lantana Bandolista™ Pink Lemonberry Syngenta Flowers
Variety Name Breeder
4. Petchoa SuperCal® Blue Eyed Rose Sakata
Variety Name Breeder
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5. Begonia Hybrid iCandy™ Sunset Syngenta Flowers
6. Canna Cannova® Gold Leopard Ball Ingenuity
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Variety Name Breeder 7. Lantana Gem™ Red Topaz Danziger
Variety Name Breeder 8. Bracteantha SunBrero Orange Kientzler
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9. Philodendron Jose Buono Collection
10. Petunia Surfinia® Heavenly Cashmere Pink Suntory
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Top Performers BASED ON STAFF EVALUATION
1. Petunia Surfinia® Heavenly Cashmere Pink Suntory
2. Lantana Bandolista™ Pink Lemonberry Syngenta Flowers
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3. Calibrachoa MiniFamous® Uno Double Light Pink 26 Selecta
4. Petunia Sanguna® Sunshine Syngenta Flowers
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Variety Name Breeder 5. Petunia Cloud Purple Kientzler
Variety Name Breeder 6. Petunia Veranda Little Picasso Kientzler
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7. Vinca Rosea Nirvana® XDR Apricot Splash Syngenta Flowers
8. Dorotheanthus (Aptenia) Golden Cascade Kientzler
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Variety Name Breeder 9. Jamesbrittenia Jammin Pink Kientzler
Variety Name Breeder 10. Bracteantha SunBrero Orange Kientzler
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Best of the Best
Best Heat Tolerant Annual Dorotheanthus (Aptenia) Golden Cascade Kientzler
Best Heat Tolerant Perennial Echinacea Guatemala™ Gold Danziger
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Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Gomphrena Globosa Fireball Pink Kientzler
Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Lantana Gem™ Red Topaz Danziger
Best Overall Performance Perennial Leucanthemum Lucille Grace Danziger Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Verbena Temari® Trailing Bright Pink Suntory
Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Portulaca RioGrande™ Red Ball FloraPlant
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Best Pollinator Friendly Perennials Gaillardia Barbican™ Yellow Red Ring Monrovia
Best Pollinator Friendly Perennials Agastache Beelicious™ Pink Monrovia
Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Rudbeckia Rising Sun® Chestnut Gold Green Fuse® Botanicals
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Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Scabiosa Focal Scoop™ Lilac Danziger
Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Ageratum Monarch Magic Ball FloraPlant Best Overall Performance Annual Phlox Gisele® Hot Pink Selecta
Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Echinacea Guatemala™ Papaya Danziger Best Overall Performance Perennial Leucanthemum Lucille™ Grace Danziger
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Best Overall Cut Flower Eucalyptus Pulverulenta Baby Blue Bouquet Collection
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Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Ageratum Monarch Magic Ball FloraPlant
Best Pollinator Friendly Annuals Echinacea Guatemala™ Papaya Danziger
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Top Combinations
Hanging Basket #29 Kwik Kombo Blueberry Twist Mix Syngenta Flowers Petunia Dekko™ White Petunia Shortcake™ Blueberry Verbena Lanai® Lavender Star
Hanging Basket #43 Confetti Garden Bel Air Red Dümmen Orange
Calibrachoa Aloha Kona Hot Orange Petunia Potunia® + Red Verbena Empress® Flair Peach
Hanging Basket #162 Angelonia AngelFlare™ Black - Ball FloraPlant Petunia Surfinia® Heavenly Blackberries & Cream - Suntory Lantana Trailing Lavender - Collection
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Hanging Basket #171 Calibrachoa Candy Shop™ Grape Splash Westflowers Calibrachoa Candy Shop™ Candy Bouquet Westflowers Geranium Calliope® Cascade Violet Syngenta Flowers
Deco Pot #115 Helianthus Sol Seeker™ Honey - Danziger Coleus Down Town® Greenville - Dümmen Orange Calibrachoa Aloha Kona Orange Zest - Dümmen Orange Ipomoea Spotlight™ Black - Ball FloraPlant
Deco Pot #123 Grass Ornamental Carex Red Rooster - Collection Coleus FlameThrower™ Chili Pepper - Ball FloraPlant Bidens SunDrop™ Compact Double Yellow Ball FloraPlant Verbena Firehouse™ Red 26 - Ball FloraPlant Scaevola Blue Brilliance - Ball FloraPlant
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Deco Pot #147 Eupatorium Elegant Feather - Kientzler Nematanthus Koi™ Red - Danziger Coleus Down Town® Santa Monica - D ümmen Orange Alternanthera Burgundy Threadleaf - Collection Petunia Flower Shower Pinkermint - Westflowers
Deco Pot #208 Helianthus Sol Seeker™ Bronze Burst - Danziger Bidens Popstar Red - Kientzler Coleus Main Street Wall Street - Dümmen Orange Verbena Empress® Flair Burgundy - Dümmen Orange
Window Box #2 Asparagus Fern Sprengeri - Collection Lysimachia Goldilocks - Collection Tradescantia Nanouk - Collection Tradescantia Pink Paradise - Collection
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Window Box #18 Dipladenia Madinia® Deep Red Syngenta Flowers Petchoa SuperCal® Premium Caramel Yellow Sakata Verbena Lascar™ Orange Lava - Selecta Calibrachoa Callie® Deep Orange Syngenta Flowers
Window Box #20 Bidens Popstar Red - Kientzler Osteospermum Besties™ Inspiring Orange Danziger Calibrachoa Cabrio™ Yellow Syngenta Flowers Petchoa SuperCal® Premium Sunset Orange Sakata
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Our annual AAS Trial proved again that these are outstanding performers. Our AAS judge, Melissa Winchester, scored the entries and will be submitting her results to the committee. These trials are held around the country and the next round of AAS Winners will come from the combined ratings of these countrywide judges’ scores. AAS Trial Area Standouts
Petunia Dekko™ Maxx™ Pink Syngenta Flowers
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Celosia Flamma Orange Ball FloraPlant
Begonia Viking™ Explorer Rose Sakata
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You Asked, We Trialed 2025 FEATURE TRIALS
Each year our staff selects issues of interest to our customers and trial garden visitors for our annual feature trials. The 2025 feature trials were designed to address several questions and growers and gardeners have posed to our trial garden staff: How much fertilizer do you use? Are water storing polymer granules effective for gardeners who aren’t able to consistently water their plants? Feature Trial: Fertilizer Trial
The most common question trial garden visitors ask us is why our plants appear healthier and more vibrant than those they grow at home. As growers and home gardeners know, consistent and well-balanced feeding produces more uniform high-quality plants. But what specifically does “consistent and well-balanced” mean? We first set out to quantify the impact of different feed strategies in our 2024 Fertilizer Trial. We learned so much, and it also led us to part 2 -- the 2025 Fertilizer Trial! This year’s trial compared plant growth and performance using several types of controlled-release fertilizer treatments and liquid feed options, with the goal of further identifying how different fertilizer strategies can help growers and gardeners achieve strong, resilient plants that maintain their quality well into the season. Trial Layout We selected sixteen varieties for this trial based on their known fertilizer requirements, ranging from those that require high fertilizer input for strong performance to those that need significantly less. For each variety, three pots were placed into five different fertilizer treatments, which varied by fertilizer type and irrigation method.
Application Method
Treatment
Fertilizer Type Product & Rate
Irrigation
17-5-17, 300 ppm N (June–Aug), 150 ppm (after) 17-5-17, same as above 17-6-12 (Harrell’s), 5–6 month, 7 lbs/ cu yd 17-6-12 (Harrell’s), 3–4 month, 5 lbs/ cu yd
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Liquid Feed
Daily
Fertilizer in water
Clear water on non- feed days
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Liquid Feed
Once Weekly
Controlled Release Fertilizer
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Mixed Media
Clear water
Controlled Release Fertilizer
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Mixed Media
Clear water
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Control
None
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Clear water only
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Results Treatment 1/Daily feed: Fertilizer applied daily produced the best overall growth, with these plants showing larger size and well-rounded, controlled habits across varieties.
Petunia Bee’s Knees
Verbena Lanai Red
Lantana Bandana Cherry Sunrise
Calibrachoa MiniFamous Uno White
Treatment 2/Weekly feed: Once a week fertilizer applications supported moderate growth in light-feeding varieties such as coleus and begonia, but heavy feeders like calibrachoa showed significant reductions in vigor, with stunted growth and yellowing foliage. For much of the season these two treatments appeared similar, but differences became more pronounced after several heavy rains flushed nutrients from the once a week fed pots.
Coleus Main Street Ruby Road
Begonia Birthday Bash Cream Puff
Calibrachoa Cabaret Pink Improved
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Treatments 3 & 4/CRF: The two controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) treatments provided growth and vigor comparable to the daily liquid feed across most varieties. Although plant habit was slightly less uniform compared to liquid-fed plants, CRF still produced strong, healthy crops with good color and flowering. Petchoa Enviva White Coleus Talavera Sienna
Both CRF formulations performed similarly, though the 3–4 month product is expected to decline soon, as its release period is nearing completion (trial pots were planted in mid-May). Importantly, these results show that while daily liquid feed produces the very best performance, CRF still allows growers to achieve excellent results, far superior to providing no fertilizer at all. Treatment 5/Clear Water: Plants receiving only clear water had the poorest performance overall, with weak growth, pale foliage, and little to no flowering. Petunias and verbena in particular declined rapidly, turning almost completely yellow within a month. Petunia Cosmic Purple Verbena Beats Purple + White
Coleus Talavera Sienna
Even coleus, which tolerated the lack of fertilizer better than most, showed poor shape, and significant color changes such as Talavera Sienna expressing an entirely different color pattern without fertilizer. While most varieties performed poorly without fertilizer, three stood out with moderate success despite the lack of nutrients: Begonia Adora Velvet Rose, Coleus Main Street Ruby Road, and Coleus Talavera Sienna.
Begonia Adora Velvet Rose
Coleus Main Street Ruby Road
These varieties maintained attractive foliage and some flowering longer than expected, but still fell far short of the quality achieved with any fertilizer treatment.
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Across all varieties, the daily liquid feed treatment consistently produced the most vigorous, attractive, and long- lasting plants, but CRF provides an excellent alternative and ultimately, any fertilizer is far better than none. These results confirm the critical role of fertilizer in producing high-quality plants that thrive throughout the season. For home growers, this trial highlights the importance of consistent feeding, ideally through a fertilizer injection system or daily liquid feed to achieve healthy, colorful, and full plants. For retailers, the study underscores the value of educating customers on fertilizer use, as plant performance and customer satisfaction with their investment in their plants directly tied to proper nutrition. Feature Trial: Irrigation Frequency Trial Water management is always a key concern when growing plants. To address this, we conducted a trial testing water storing polymers in the soil for reducing irrigation frequency. These polymer granules absorb and slow release water within soil to extend time between waterings, and we wanted to evaluate their effectiveness in improving watering efficiency and supporting plant performance. Trial Layout We chose to use a diverse mix of 16 Syngenta Patio Playbook combinations. Plants were arranged in two rows within the garden: • First row received regular irrigation • Second row received reduced irrigation to assess water-use differences Each row contained three pots of every combo, with each pot representing a different polymer granule rate: • Control (0 oz/pot) – no water storing polymer granules added • Full rate (1 oz/pot) – recommended application rate of water storing polymer granules • Half rate (0.5 oz/pot) – half the recommended application of water storing polymer granules Water storing polymer granules were incorporated one week after planting. Five holes were dug into each pot, approximately 3 inches below the soil surface, close enough to reach the root zone but offset from the plant center to avoid damage. The granules were placed into the holes and then covered with soil. Results & Conclusions Pots grown under reduced irrigation generally showed smaller growth habits compared to those receiving regular irrigation. While overall growth differences were not dramatic, some observable effects were noted.
Love to Share Mix - week 31
First to the Punch Mix - week 31
Make Your Move Mix - week 31
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In particular, comparing the 0.5 oz water storing polymer granule rate/reduced irrigation to the control/regular irrigation revealed very similar growth in several combos. This suggests that these polymer granules can help offset the impact of less frequent watering, making them a potentially useful tool in situations where water is limited or irrigation is inconsistent. Within each irrigation row, comparisons between the control, 1 oz, and 0.5 oz rates revealed mixed results. In many cases, the 0.5 oz rate performed as well as or slightly better than the control, while the 1 oz rate showed reduced growth, possibly due to excess water retention affecting root development.
Starvana Blush Breakaway Mix - week 31
Queen of Hearts Mix - week 31
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Queen of Hearts Mix - week 31
Starvana Blush Breakaway Mix - week 31
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0.5oz
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0.5oz
Moonlight Pep Rally Mix - week 31
A Gift for Mom Mix - week 31
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0.5oz
Overall, results were not significant enough to recommend water storing polymer granules as a universal input for all potted plants, particularly given the added cost and time required. However, the trial did show some advantages at the 0.5 oz rate, especially under reduced irrigation. Cascade Dreams Mix - week 31 United We Bloom Mix - week 31
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For home growers , this suggests that these water storing polymer granules may be worthwhile in specific scenarios such as reducing the frequency of watering during hot, dry periods or in situations where daily watering is not feasible. For commercial growers and retailers , the takeaway is similar: while water storing polymer granules are not a replacement for consistent irrigation, they may provide small but useful benefits under water-stressed conditions , and could be positioned as an optional add-on product for consumers who struggle to keep up with regular watering.
Melissa Winchester Innovating Manager
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Kientzler Trial Visitor Favorites What new varieties should we consider adding from the breeder Kientzler? This trial allowed us to evaluate some varieties we don’t currently carry from this breeder. We asked garden visitors to vote for the varieties they’d like to see in our program. They voted, and we’re excited to add these top vote-getters to our 2026 program!
1. Coleus Terrascape Pink Ribbons
2. Calibrachoa Unique Sangria Fizz
MYP Employee Combo Winner
Linda Jantz, Grower Dracaena Marginata Magenta - Collection Petunia Double Veranda Compact Peppermint - Kientzler Petunia Double Veranda Compact Sugar Plum - Kientzler Dichondra Silver Falls - Collection
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Visitor & Event Highlights Trial garden season gives us the opportunity to welcome industry friends and experts as well as the general public to our garden. The 2025 trial garden offered visitors the opportunity to learn about exciting new plant genetics being introduced to the marketplace next year, gain inspiration for retail greenhouse or backyard combination planter designs, and to connect with people within and beyond the greenhouse industry.
Over 950 visitors 183 unique greenhouse businesses 12 broker offices 13 internationally known plant breeders Hosted the Home Garden Seed Association Retailer Night in the Garden
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See you next
year!
MAST YOUNG PLANTS 6564 Peach Ridge Ave NW Grand Rapids MI 49544 616 784 0583 mastyoungplants.com
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