West Grove, PA — Star® Roses and Plants is known for its extensive trial program. Every year, roses are trialed on both coasts before the top 10-15 varieties are selected to move onto more rigorous national trials. Because this intensive process helps select the best roses, many of the company’s introductions have gained recognition and won awards at trials and formal judging events.
“Only a limited number of roses perform well nationally. Roses are best categorized by region, meaning that some varieties perform better in one area of the country over others,” says Jacques Ferare, Vice President of License and New Business Development at Star® Roses and Plants. “Conducting national trials allows us to determine the regional performance of each rose.”
Here are some recent accolades and notable awards given to roses from Star® Roses and Plants:
Two roses were among the first winners of the new American Garden Rose Selections testing program: Dee-Lish®, for best fragrance; and Look-A-Likes® Phloxy Baby, a Regional Winner in four out of six geographical regions in the U.S.
Drift® Roses were named as Super Plants at the LSU AgCenter Research Station in Baton Rouge. They stood the test of heat and humidity, all the while remaining compact, disease resistant, and free flowering.
Apricot Drift® was one of six roses that made the top 10 list this year at The University of Georgia Trial Gardens. Others included: Look-A-Likes® Phloxy Baby, White Out™, Thrive!®, Peppermint Pop™, and Tequila Gold™.
Accolades for Drift® Roses continue beyond university trials at events such as The Rose Hills International Rose Awards and The Biltmore International Rose Trials, where Sweet Drift® won best groundcover rose.
The Biltmore International Rose trials produced two winners this past spring. Francis Meilland® was awarded the Pauline Merrell Award for Best Hybrid Tea, and Tequila Supreme™ won the Edith Wharton Award for Best Floribunda.
A 2015 introduction, Icecap™ won Best Shrub Rose at the Rose Hills event in Southern California, which is held each fall.
Beyond roses, perennials from Star® Roses and Plants are also starting to gain recognition and accolades. Caryopteris Good As Gold™ was named as a top performer for the 2013 season at The LSU AgCenter. Perovskia Little Lace™ was named as a Top Performer at GreenLeaf Plants in 2014. Finally, Tradescantia Amethyst Kiss™ was identified as a top-performing perennial at the Metrolina Greenhouse test gardens in 2014.
To learn more about Star® Roses and Plants introductions, visit starrosesandplants.com.
About Star® Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle: From the Peace rose to the revolutionary Knock Out® and Drift® roses, Star® Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle has been a pioneer in the field of plant development and introduction for more than 100 years. Founded in 1897 as a retail mail order firm specializing in roses, the company has evolved from a wholesale container nursery to a leading genetics company involved directly in breeding roses, perennials and woody plants, and introducing plants from other breeders around the world. To learn more about Star® Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle, please visit: http://www.starrosesandplants.com.
Source: Star® Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle