Plant Development Services, Inc. Inspires as Color Innovations Take Center Stage
March 13, 2025 | 6 min to read
At the upcoming 2025 California Spring Trials, Plant Development Services, Inc. will unveil an exciting array of vibrant new plants designed to enhance landscape creativity. Highlights include the color-changing Autumn Kiss® Encore® Azalea, the dramatic Purple Charm™ Loropetalum, and the nostalgic Blast from the Pastel™ Hydrangea. Each plant promises exceptional performance and adaptability, allowing gardeners to achieve bold designs. The event runs from March 25-28, 2025, at the Santa Barbara Polo Club in Carpinteria, CA.
Carpinteria, CA – Plant Development Services, Inc. is excited to debut a vibrant new collection at the 2025 California Spring Trials (CAST), March 25-28, 2025. This year’s introductions spark creativity and bring brilliant color innovations to tried-and-true landscape performers. With consumers embracing bold and imaginative design more than ever before, these new releases empower individuals to express their personal style through vibrant colors, from a multi-hued Encore® Azalea that would be right at home in a maximalist garden to a near-black loropetalum distinguished by its dramatically hued foliage.
Paired with exceptional performance in a range of habits and settings, these releases prove that even the most ambitious garden designs are achievable:
Available through Encore® Azalea:
Autumn Kiss® Encore® Azalea – A 2025 trade release showcasing unique, color-changing blooms. Semi-double flowers feature vibrant pink edges fading to soft pastel and white centers, offering continuous spring, summer, and fall color against lush evergreen foliage. Thriving in full sun, USDA Zones 6-10, this 3-4’ tall and wide azalea is ideal for specimen, hedge, or border plantings. Autumn Kiss® will debut to the consumer market in 2026.
Available through Southern Living® and Sunset® Plant Collections:
Purple Charm™ Loropetalum – Adding depth and drama to the color story, this compact, low-maintenance shrub delivers year-round, deep purple foliage. Dense, near-black leaves form a rounded, 2-3’ high, 3-4’ wide shape, requiring minimal pruning. Spring brings spectacular red-fringed flowers for striking contrast. Ideal for specimen, border, or container plantings, Purple Charm™ thrives in full sun to part shade, USDA Zones 7-10, offering consistent bold color and texture for landscapes. Purple Charm™ will debut to trade in 2026.
Blast from the Pastel™ Hydrangea delivers an enchanting spectacle of pure white, star-shaped blooms delicately brushed with unexpected yellow and pastel hues. For those who crave a touch of nostalgia with a modern twist, these unique, flower-filled panicles will evoke a sense of vintage charm while offering contemporary appeal. Its robust growth and soft blooms make it a standout choice for adding nuanced color to any landscape. This 4’x5’ beauty thrives in Zones 5-9 in full sun to part shade spaces. Blast from the Pastel™will debut to trade in 2026.
Stop information:
March 25th – 28th, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Santa Barbara Polo Club, 3300 Via Real, Carpinteria, CA 93013
Tuesday, March 25, 2025: 8 AM – 5 PM
Wednesday, March 26, 2025: 8 AM – 5 PM
Thursday, March 27, 2025: 8 AM – 5 PM
Friday, March 28, 2025: 8 AM – 5 PM
To contact during the event, please reach out to Janet Sluis at janet@plantdevelopment.com, 949-230-4138.
About Plant Development Services Inc.
Plant Development Services Inc. was founded in 1996 by Greg Smith of the third-generation, family-owned Flowerwood Nursery, Inc. Plant Development Services owns and/or licenses more than 300 patented plant properties and boasts these top-ranking plant brands: Encore® Azalea, the Southern Living® Plant Collection, the Sunset Plant Collection®, Better Boxwood®, and Butterfly Candy®. To learn more about Plant Development Services Inc., visit plantdevelopment.com.