The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world who are together united by one essential goal – promoting the place of plants in people’s lives.
AIPH hosts several conferences, webinars and events such as the International Grower of the Year award throughout the year. Read about these along with the latest news about the association’s activities.
AIPH’s key aim is to stimulate demand for ornamental trees, plants and flowers worldwide. We are committed to supporting growers in achieving this by protecting and promoting the interests of the industry.
Starway to Heaven Japanese Snowbell wins People’s Choice balloting at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase
Nursery industry professionals attending the 2024 Farwest Show chose Styrax japonicus (Japanese Snowbell) ‘Starway to Heaven’ as their favorite new plant in the New Varieties Showcase (NVS). That made it a clean sweep for the new tree, which also won the NVS Judges Choice’ Best in Show award earlier in the week.
The reblooming tree, with foliage that emerges red and turns a deep green, was discovered by Chris and Josh Robinson at Robinson Nursery in Amity, Oregon from amongst a group of trees grown from seed. They noticed immediately it looked different from other snowbells, with petite, five-petalled flowers that resemble a galaxy of stars. Each flower has a shimmering, almost metallic effect that sparkles in the landscape.
“I had no idea Styrax could look like that,” Chris Robinson said. “It looks like a spiral staircase going up.”
The Robinsons watched the seedling grow for several years before deciding to introduce it into the marketplace. They turned to Spring Meadow Nursery in Grand Haven, Michigan to introduce and market the plant. It’s being propagated from tissue culture in the lab at Knight Hollow Nursery Inc. in Middleton, Wisconsin. It is available as bareroot and container-grown liner trees from Farwest exhibitors Proven Winners, Robinson Nursery, and Ekstrom & Schmidt Nursery.
The introduction of ‘Starway to Heaven’ marks the completion of the dream for the two Robinson brothers, who grew up on the nursery their parents, Rick and Roxanne, founded. “When we were kids, it was our dream to have an introduction that was successful, or different enough to attract attention,” Josh said.
‘Starway to Heaven’ is one of 25 outstanding new selections that were on display at the 2024 Farwest Show, held last week at the Oregon Convention Centre between 21-23 August.
“The quality of plants in this year’s showcase was once again high,” Oregon Association of Nurseries’ event coordinator Jamie Moore said. “People love to see the next dazzling plants that are going to shake up the marketplace and beautify landscapes.”
Three others plants won Awards of Merit according to the final voting tally:
Hibiscus ‘Cookies&Cream.
SUMMERIFIC® Rose Mallow (Hibiscus hybrid ‘Cookies and Cream’ PPAF CPBRAF). Hybridised by Proven Winners and introduced by Proven Winners. It offers a night and day combination of matte black foliage and pure white flowers. Like other dark-leaved hardy Hibiscus, full sun is necessary to bring out the deepest foliage colour. Compared with older varieties of herbaceous Hibiscus, ‘Cookies and Cream’ is exceptionally compact and sturdy. Despite the smaller habit size, this selection does not lack for flowers. Blooms will appear the length of the stem, for top to bottom flower coverage, causing ‘Cookies and Cream’ to bloom both earlier and longer than traditional varieties. Hardy to zones 4–9. Available as 2-gallon containers from Walla Walla Nursery Co.
Cercis canadensis Hearts a’fire.
Hearts A’fire® Redbud. (Cercis canadensis ‘JN100’ PPAF). Seedling discovered by Cindy and Ray Jackson in Tennessee and introduced by Garden Debut/Greenleaf Nursery Co. A unique small tree that bursts into colour in spring with dark pink flowers and heart-shaped leaves that are multiple colors of burgundy-red, tangerine and gold. Leaves turn reddish-green in summer. It reaches a mature height of 10–15 feet and spread of 10–15 feet. Available as bareroot liners and 5-gallon containers from Hans Nelson & Sons Nursery, Heritage Seedlings, and Bountiful Farms.
Skyward Lilac Veronica.
Skyward™ Lilac Long-Leaf Speedwell (Veronica longifolia ‘Balskywac’). Introduced and hybridised by Darwin Perennials. Veronica Skyward Lilac boasts dramatic lilac-coloured spikes on a dense, naturally compact habit with sturdy stems. It has a high flower count and continuous blooming which makes it an excellent pollinator plant. It is also powdery mildew resistant. It reaches a mature height of 14–18 inches and spread of 14–17 inches. Available as unrooted cuttings and liners from Ball Seed.
Earlier in the week, NVS judges chose Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicus ‘RNI-Rixred’ PP35353) as their top pick. Three awards of merit were also chosen — Cleopatra Flame Violet (Episcia cupreata ‘Cleopatra’), Lime Zest™ Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘HakBri2’ PPAF) and Paisley Pup™ Doghobble (Leucothoe fontansiana ‘Smnlfgrv’ PPAF).
The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), based in Wilsonville, represents more than 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 $1.22 billion. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; more than 75 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 organisation that represents and serves the interests of Oregon’s nursery, retail, and greenhouse industry. The show was founded in 1973, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, and is now poised to help green industry professionals “Meet the Future.” Any revenue realized by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations. For more information about the 2024 Farwest Show, visit www.FarwestShow.com
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