As North America’s leading horticultural distributor, Ball Seed consistently seeks out new innovations and exclusive partnerships through its Ball Ingenuity team to keep greenhouses on the trending edge. This year, the latest introductions from Ball Ingenuity promise greenhouse growers varieties to help them reach new markets in 2021. The following Ball Seed products offer opportunities to appeal to the modern gardener.
Camellia sinensis Brew-Tea-Ful is the first full-sun camellia for the North American market and it gives homeowners the ability to produce five types of tea from one plant. It is reliably hardy to USDA zone 7 but can also be grown in containers and brought under cover during winter in colder areas.
“The rise in ‘plants-with-a-purpose’ makes Brew-Tea-Ful one of those special plants that appeal to today’s DIY or project gardener,” says Kelsey Minalga, product manager for Ball Ingenuity. “It is not only a beautiful and easy-to-care-for plant, but it lets the consumer explore their creative side.”
Philodendron Shangri-La is a new form of the popular split-leaf variety. Consumers get a more elegant and well-kept looking plant that’s perfect as a houseplant for indoor décor, or for landscape use when protected outdoors. Shangri-La’s habit is uniformly dense and clumping and will not vine. Years of trialing has perfected its genetics before its market debut.
Cyclamen Metalis series is bred by Ball Ingenuity partner Morel Diffusion (France), and offers silver foliage that contrasts beautifully with its green-heart center. There’s a range of six bloom colors in a midi habit size, perfect for key holiday sales such as Christmas, New Year’s, Valentines, and beyond.
“Ball Ingenuity excels at partnering with breeders worldwide, large and small, to bring unique plants to market,” says Joan Mazat, head of New Product Development for Ball Ingenuity. “We encourage breeders to submit their plants to help them take their inventions to the next level in North America.”
