b'systems. It comes in varying heights, widths, bloom sizes and petal arrangements. The companys Whitecap Shasta is frost tolerant as well.Breeding for SuccessIn developing the new cutting edge ornamentals with height-ened resilience to stress, both conventional and novel molecu-lar techniques are being employed by breeders, as noted by agroup of geneticists from several public institutions in India in their 2024 book Molecular Breeding in Ornamental Crops: Current Trends and Future Prospects in the Genomic Era. This team explains that as the floral industry dynamically responds to market demands, it unveils substantial potential for diversify-ing the spectrum of ornamental plants. This is partly because ornamentals have an inherent heterozygosity that enables sig-nificant variation in first-generation crosses. Showy milkweed.PHOTO: DON TIPPING.Among the approaches ornamental breeders are now using to develop heat/cold tolerance and other traits are mutation breeding (using both chemical and physical agents) and molecu-lar approaches involving CRISPR-Cas9, TALENs and other gene editing tools. Marker-assisted selection, GWAS and QTL mapping and virus-induced gene silencing are also effective, report the Indian scientists, to enhance overall ornamental plant perfor-mance and enhance specific visible traits such as petal size.Murgiano says Syngentas ornamental breeders are using multiple traditional and newer techniques ranging from induced mutations to molecular marker-assisted breeding, as much as ornamental sales can support (that is, the breeding budgets for field and horticulture crops are much larger). Breeding for ornamentals also has an added dimension in that when we present a new product, we need to present a line of colors in order to make it relevant, Murgiano explains. Its like a TV show. You cant just produce one episode but need a whole season.Syngenta senior breeder Todd Perkins and his colleagues are carrying out testing of new hardy ornamental selections at mul- Dekko MAX Pink Petunias. PHOTO: SYNGENTAtiple locations with high temperatures both day and night, low relative humidity and high solar radiation. Murgiano says select-ing under extreme conditions and making directed crosses withMediterranean species like lavender and sage, but also succu-these selections produces the best-performing plants, but thelents and many others indigenous to North Americacannot breeding team also works on specific aspects related to toler- be ignored. Indeed, theyve seen a surge of popularity in recent ance to extreme conditions such as root development.years from homeowners who want to use less water and ferti-An interesting trial we did a few years ago was on evapora- lizer, while also supporting local pollinators.tion of several of our crops, he says. Within a crop, we did findPrairie Moon Nursery in Winona, Minnesota, offers the largest significant differences between selections and varieties. But100%-native species collection for retail sale in the United States. our main insight was that there are certain crops, like pelargo- The company sells seed in packages ranging up to a pound in nium, that have overall much lower evaporation rates (a muchweight, and also sells some potted plants. better water efficiency) than even the most efficient petunias.Many homeowners have dry soil, or a sunny, hot part of their Combining these insights with the actual tests under extremeyard where not much will grow, Prairie Moon Nursery director conditions result in higher-tolerant plants to serve market needsof marketing, sales and service Becky Klukas-Brewer says. More for the future. consumers are looking at native plants for these conditions. They are extremely versatile and able to survive in harsh conditions. Native Plants We do not breed them to be hardier as they are naturally hardy. In any discussion of climate-friendly plants, native plants If you allow native plants to reproduce under natural conditions, 10/ SEEDWORLD.COMFEBRUARY 2025'