Terra Nova Nurseries, a plant breeding technology company, has announced an impressive suite of accolades for a selection of its best-of-breeding varieties at the 2024 Penn State Flower Trials, Aris Trial Gardens, and University of Georgia (UGA) Trial Gardens.
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At the 2024 Penn State trials, Terra Nova took home 27 awards, including eight “Best of Show,” 12 “Best of Species,” and seven “Director’s Select” honors. This year’s results highlight the breeder’s continuous strides in plant innovation, building on a successful 2023 performance, when Terra Nova’s varieties also achieved multiple “Best of Show,” “Director’s Select” and “Best of Species” accolades.
Among the top honors at the 2024 Penn State Flower Trials, Terra Nova’s Echinacea ‘Prima Lime’, Echinacea ‘Sundial Zenith’, Geum ‘Tempo Coral’, and Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Frost’ (2022) received both “Best of Show” and “Best of Species” distinctions. These trial entries achieved perfect 5.0 scores, recognized for their remarkable traits and visual appeal.
Heuchera ‘Forever Midnight’ and Heuchera ‘Changeling’ from Terra Nova were also recognized with “Best of Show” and “Best of Species” in both sun and shade exposure location categories, earning perfect 5.0 ratings as well. The two Terra Nova heuchera varieties demonstrated outstanding adaptability and performance across diverse growing conditions, making them distinguished selections in this year’s trials at Penn State.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see our varieties receive such remarkable recognitions across multiple, prestigious trials this year,” says Chuck Pavlich, Director of New Product Development at Terra Nova Nurseries. “We’re inspired by the honors and look forward to continuing our work in bringing groundbreaking plants to the industry.”
Further honors for Terra Nova at the Penn State trials included “Director’s Select” awards for Echinacea ‘Kismet Pink Lemonade’ and Penstemon ‘Nova Twilight’ as well as a “Best of Species” award for Polemonium ‘Hurricane Ridge.’ Penstemon ‘Nova Pearl’ was also a top performer, receiving both “Best of Species” and “Director’s Select” honors.
Several 2022 entries from Terra Nova continued to excel in their final year at Penn State’s in-ground trials. Dicentra ‘Amore Titanium’ earned “Best of Species,” while Echinacea ‘Cara Mia Sands’, Echinacea ‘Dark Shadows Mystic’, and Pulmonaria ‘Silver Scimitar’ achieved “Director’s Select” status. Kniphofia ‘Rocket Jr.’ was recognized for both “Best of Species” and “Director’s Select,” further highlighting Terra Nova’s commitment to long-lasting, resilient varieties.
Terra Nova’s varieties also made an impact at the 2024 Aris Trials, where Echinacea ‘Prima Berry’ received a “Top Performer for 2024” accolade and was recognized as a “Top Performing First Year Variety.”
Six other Terra Nova plants showcased at the Aris Trials received overall ratings of 4.0 or above, including:
- Echinacea ‘Kismet Raspberry’
- Echinacea ‘Kismet White’
- Geum ‘Tempo Coral’
- Heuchera ‘Black Forest Cake’
- Heuchera ‘Changeling’
- Leucanthemum ‘Mt. Hood’
The global plant breeder’s success also extended to the 2024 UGA Trial Gardens, where Heuchera ‘Peach Smoothie’ was awarded the prestigious “Plants of Distinction” honor for its exceptional shade tolerance and flawless foliage.
