Wilsonville, Oregon – An expert panel of judges selected Mesa de Maya Southwest Oak™ (Quercus x undulate ‘Mesa de Maya’) as the Best in Show winner at the 2017 Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase. The New Varieties Showcase is one of the premier forecasts for new plant material that will impact the horticulture industry in coming years.
Mesa de Maya was just one out of 40 outstanding new selections that were displayed at the Farwest 2017 and available from at least one show exhibitor. The show was held August 23–25, 2017 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.
“Farwest has a long legacy of showcasing the best new selections the horticulture industry has to offer, and our 2017 show continues that proud tradition,” show director Allan Niemi of the Oregon Association of Nurseries said.
Mesa de Maya Southwest Oak™ was selected from seedlings grown by Dr. Allan Taylor, oak explorer and expert, in Boulder, Colorado. It is part of the curated program of Western adapted oaks branded as Southwest Oaks™, released by Heritage Seedlings & Liners of Salem, Oregon.
Mesa de Maya Southwest Oak™ has large blue-gray leaves which hold their color late into autumn. The foliage lacks most prickles and to many doesn’t look like oak foliage. The tree, reaching 25 feet in height at maturity, will be a stunning contrast to most background colors. Because it is grafted onto very adapted rootstock, it will have a very broad range of application from Washington to Colorado, to West Texas over to California. In the West and the Southwest it will thrive in arid and drought-prone plantings but it will also fl ourish in irrigated sites. Suitable for use as a specimen and in commercial plantings. It enjoys full sun, and adapts to drought and high pH soils, but also thrives in irrigated landscapes. This grafted form will grow with a single stem to 25 feet tall with a 20-foot spread. It could also be branched low and grown as a multi-stemmed tree, as is common to its wild sisters.
In addition of the Best of Show award, three Awards of Merit were given by the judges. They were as follows:
First Editions Sweet Tea™ Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides ‘PIIGA-II’ PP27258) — Introduced by Bailey Nurseries, this new, reblooming double gardenia has fragrant tennis-ball-sized fl owers. Sweet Tea™ is more upright and larger than Double Mint and is more winter hardy. It survived 4–6° F in 2013–2014 in an aboveground container with no injury and is currently being tested for Zone 6 hardiness. Blooms on new wood. Requires partial shade and medium water with soil pH of 5.5–6.5. Growth habit is compact and rounded, reaching 3½ feet tall and wide.
Burgundy Lace Hazelnut (Corylus avellana ‘Burgundy Lace’ (OSU 954.076) PPAF) — Introduced by Heritage Seedlings and Liners and selected from seedlings at Oregon State University from crosses made in 1998. Zones 4–8. Attractive in spring and early summer with lacey red foliage, and in winter, when its catkins stand out against gray skies. Resistant to Eastern fi lbert blight. Moderately sized and easily managed even in smaller yards. An edible ornamental tree with edible nuts held in ornamental red husks. The only European hazelnut combining three special traits: cut foliage, red leaf color and genetic resistance to European fi lbert blight. Works well as a specimen, a smaller street tree, or large shrub. Some drought tolerance once established. Moderately fast grower, with a mature height of 35 feet and spread of 30 feet.
Corydalis Hillier ‘Porcelain Blue’ (Corydalis ‘Porcelain Blue’) —Bred by Hillier Nurseries in the UK and introduced by PlantHaven International and Skagit Horticulture. Zone 5. Most Corydalis selections are summer dormant, whereas ‘Porcelain Blue’ blooms from early spring through fall. Strong growth habit. Produces masses of electric-blue fl owers, with profuse repeat fl owering. Attractive cut blue-green foliage. Works well in pots and containers, as a garden border and in modern landscapes. Grows best in well-drained soil. Tidy, clumping growth habit reaching 10 by 12 inches.
Show attendees select favorites for People’s Choice Awards
During the Farwest Show, people in attendance were able to vote for their favorites. The votes were tallied, resulting in the selection of three People’s Choice Awards that were announced on the fi nal day of the show.
Black Diamond® Purely Purple™ Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica ‘#18 Li’ PPAF) was chosen for the People’s Choice Best in Show award. Bred by Jim Berry of J. Berry Nursery. An aesthetic standout with dramatic dark foliage and stunning purple blooms. Performs in the most challenging landscapes due to its sun and drought tolerance. Can be pruned to tree form, shrub form, perennial form, and is stunning as an annual in a patio container or landscape for zones 5 and below. It features black foliage from spring until fi rst frost, along with masses of purple blooms from early summer until frost. Takes full sun and is drought tolerant once established. Intermediate habit with a mature height of 10–12 feet tall and width of 8 feet.
In addition to the People’s Choice Best in Show award, two People’s Choice Awards of Merit were also announced as a result of the voting:
Strait-Laced™ Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ‘SNR1292’ USPPAF) — Developed by Ken Tobutt and Fiona Wilson in the United Kingdom and introduced by Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrubs. An amazing narrow, upright variety that takes up only a few square feet of ground. Feathery black foliage covers broomstick-straight stems that shoot upward in a narrow column. Early summer brings hundreds of pink fl owers to contrast with the leaves. Hardy and easy to grow. Columnar habit offers many landscape uses. Dead wood should be removed in early spring. Any errant shoots can be pruned out to the ground as needed. Plant in full sun for best color and shape. Not recommended for warm climates. Grows in part sun to sun. Grows 6–8 feet tall and 3–4 feet wide.
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Miss Saori’ PP26657 — Bred by Ryoji Irie from Japan and introduced by Concept Plants. Presented as a debutant at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, winning “2014 Chelsea Plant of the Year” because of its vivid colors and special qualities. Double-petaled, sterile fl owers have deep-rose margins. This color softens to white in the center and forms a nice contrast with the dark foliage that turns burgundy in spring and autumn. ‘Miss Saori’ has a long fl owering period that starts in June. Flowers even on fi rst-year wood. Ideal location is in full sun or semi-shade. Beautiful in borders or containers, but also excellent as a cut fl ower. Matures to 40 inches tall and wide. Available as 4-inch liners from Silver Falls Nursery
More information on the winners and all of the New Varieties Showcase selections is available at www.FarwestShow. com and www.diggermagazine.com/nvs-winners-2017/.
The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), based in Wilsonville, represents more than 800 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture industry is one of the state’s largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $909 million. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; nearly 80 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit www.oan.org or call 503-682-5089. The Farwest Show, the largest green industry show in the West, is produced by the OAN, a trade organization that represents and serves the interests of the ornamental horticulture industry. Any revenue realized by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations. For more information about the 2017 Farwest Show, visit www.FarwestShow.com or call 503-682-5089
Source: The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN)
