Posted: February 10, 2025
Searching for exceptional plants that perform well in south central Pennsylvania? View our 2024 Trial Garden Annual Report with the results of the flower trials conducted by Penn State Master Gardeners of Cumberland County at the Trial and Idea Garden in Carlisle, PA.
Trial Garden, Carlisle, PA
The chart below summarizes the performance of the 25 cultivars that were included in the evaluation process from June through at least August. For those that were evaluated in September, a second score is listed. For those plants that thrived into September, the score for the June through August period was similar to their score for the June through September period, usually within one percentage point of each other. In some cases, the earlier score is higher, whereas, in other cases, the later score is higher. View the complete 2024 Trial Garden Annual Report
2024 Trial and Idea Garden Consolidated View of Ratings
| True Trial | Botanical Name | Common Name and Cultivar | End August Rating |
End September Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Agastache aurantiaca |
Hyssop 'Betterbuzz Amber' |
75 |
74 |
|
tt |
Angelonia angustifolia |
Angelonia Alonia™ Big Grape |
99 |
98 |
|
tt |
Angelonia angustifolia |
Angelonia Archangel™ Ruby Sangria |
87 |
86 |
|
tt |
Argyranthemum frutescens |
Marguerite Daisy Grandaisy® Dark Pink |
93 |
|
|
|
Bidens ferulifolia |
Bidens Brazen ™ Red Flare |
94 |
94 |
|
tt |
Canna x generalis |
Canna Lily Cannova® Golden Leopard |
90 |
91 |
|
tt |
Catharanthus hybrid |
Vinca SOIREE® Flamenco Salsa Red |
91 |
90 |
|
tt |
Celosia spicata |
Celosia Kelos® Fire Orange |
93 |
94 |
|
tt |
Coleus scutellarioides |
Coleus Down Town™ Santa Monica |
97 |
96 |
|
tt |
Cuphea hyssopifolia |
Purple Cuphea 'Mexican Heather' |
87 |
|
|
tt |
Cuphea procumbens |
Cuphea Sweet Talk™ Lavendar Splash |
82 |
|
|
tt |
Lantana camara |
Lantana 'Passionfruit' |
95 |
96 |
|
|
Lantana camara |
Lantana Bandito™ Orange Sunrise |
94 |
95 |
|
|
Lobelia hybrid |
Lobelia 'Rift Blue' |
97 |
|
|
|
Melampodium paludosum |
African Zinnia Jackpot Gold™ |
96 |
97 |
|
tt |
Pelargonium interspecific |
Geranium Mojo™ Dark Pink |
74 |
|
|
tt |
Pelargonium interspecific |
Geranium Mojo™ Cranberry Splash |
84 |
|
|
tt |
Pelargonium zonal |
Geranium Presto™ Pink |
91 |
|
|
|
Petunia hybrid |
Petunia Crazytunia® Frisky Purple |
86 |
|
|
tt |
Plectranthus scutellarioides |
Coleus Talavera™ Moondust Coleus |
94 |
95 |
|
tt |
Salvia officinalis |
Salvia Salgoon® Lake Como |
85 |
87 |
|
|
Scaevola hybrid |
Scaevola Surdiva® Blue Violet |
99* |
|
|
|
Sutera cordata (Bacopa) |
South African Phlox Safari® Sky Jamesbrittenia Hybrid |
89 |
|
|
|
Thunbergia alata |
Black-eyed Susan Vine Thunbergia Sunny™ Lemon Star |
100 |
100 |
|
|
Verbena bonariensis |
Verbena Meteor Shower® |
95 |
|
* Scaevola Surdiva® Blue Violet was included only in five of the seven evaluations during the summer period of June through August.
