PORTLAND, USA: Styrax japonica ‘Nightfall Snowbell’ was chosen by voting attendees as the People’s Choice winner in the 2022 Farwest Show’s New Varieties Showcase. That makes it a sweep for the introduction from J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. also won the New Varieties Showcase Best in Show award from Farwest’s professional judges. It also won a Retailer’s Choice Award at the show.
‘Nightfall Snowbell’ was one of 61 outstanding new selections on display at the 2021 Farwest Show and available from at least one show exhibitor. It was bred by Oregon Nurseries’ Hall of Fame member Keith Warren for JFS, which is based in Boring, Oregon.
The show opened Wednesday, 24 August and continued through Friday, 26 August, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.
“The many great attributes of this weeping tree caught the attention of our attendees and judges alike,” said Heather Cyrus, event and education manager for the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which produces the show.
‘Nightfall Snowbell’ combines the deep purple foliage of ‘Evening Light Snowbell’ with the gratefully weeping form of green-leafed cultivars such as ‘Fragrant Fountain’. It features emerging purple leaves with green undertones, which contrast with pearly white flower buds in spring. They open to reveal creamy white, bell-shaped blooms. The leaves darken as the season continues. It is available from J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. (Booth 19026) as ten containers and multiple bare root sizes.
In addition to the People’s Choice award, the runners-up in the voting received Awards of Merit as follows:
- Cercis canadensis ‘Midnight Express’, introduced by Upshoot LLC. It boasts velvety-looking, deep burgundy foliage, which stands out amongst other dark-leaved redbuds with its upright habit, straight trunk, fast growth and dark colour. It has the typical pink, pea-shaped spring blooms to compliment the healthy foliage and appealing shape and has a straighter trunk. The plant is available in bareroot and potted liners from Robinson Nursery (Booth 18028), Hans Nelson & Sons Nursery Inc. (Booth 17056), Blue Heron Farm (Booth 20057), Arrowhead Ornamentals (Booth 8025), Ekstrom & Schmidt Nursery (Booth 16015), and Proven Winners (Booth 8055).
- Hibiscus SUMMERIFIC™ ‘Edge of Night’, introduced by Walters Gardens. It offers late-season colour and large (7–8-inch) bubblegum pink flowers with darker pink veining, and the shrub has a large, mounding habit with jet black foliage. The plant is available in two-gallon containers from Walla Walla Nursery Co. Inc. (Booth 8051).
- Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria Velveteeny ‘Smokebush’, introduced by Sidhu & Sons Nursery. It is a compact selection half the size of its parent (‘Royal Purple’) with the same beautiful, rich foliage, making it ideal for patio planters and small spaces in yards. The plant is available as 6cm liners, quart liners, and #1, #2, and #3 pots from Sidhu and Sons Nursery Ltd. (Booth 19047).
The Farwest Show serves professionals engaged in the nursery industry and related trades, including retail nurseries, wholesale growers, landscapers, landscape designers, and others involved in the green industry. For more information, visit www.farwestshow.com
The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), based in Wilsonville, represents nearly 700 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture industry is one of the state’s largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $1.1 billion. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; nearly 80 per cent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit www.oan.org
The Farwest Show, the biggest green industry trade show in the West, is produced by the OAN, a nonprofit organization representing and serving the interests of Oregon’s nursery, retail and greenhouse industries. Any revenue realised by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations.
