Test PB Collection: FTE

Rosa Drift Coral in April with heavy show of blooms. Photo: SK Reid. One of three Drift roses in the trials this year, Coral, Pink, and Red, this one had perhaps the splashiest floral display but combined with the greatest susceptibility to powdery mildew.

Rosa Drift Red in April 2016 in full bloom. Photo: SK Reid. Red Drift showed good disease resistance and good tolerance of the thrips damage common to all the roses grown in our field, flowering on and off from April to October (Table 11).

Ruellia Mayan Pink typical appearance in Oct. 2016; here on 60% of ET0. Photo: SK Reid.

Ruellia Mayan Purple in May 2016 on 40% ET0, blooming quickly after emergence. Photo: SK Reid.

Ruellia Mayan White at peak of bloom in July on 20% ET0. Pale leaves mostly gone. Photo: SK Reid.

Eucomis Leia on 20% ET0 in August 2016. Photo: SK Reid. This flowering bulb showed excellent pest and disease resistance at all irrigation levels (Table 5).

Sambucus Black Tower in May 2016 showing blooms at 80% ET0. Photo: SK Reid. This is a striking, columnar form of elderberry with very dark foliage. Although it bloomed in May, this was not a main feature of the plant in our trials.

Azalea Autumn Embers in December 2015, at the end of its first year in the ground. Photo: SK Reid. Mortality for this azalea on the two lowest irrigation treatments was 33% for 20% of ETo and 17% for 40% ETo.

Azalea Autumn Royalty blooming in April 2016, before irrigation treatments began. Photo: SK Reid. This cultivar of Encore Azalea was slightly hardier than the orange one and grew larger to an average width of 20 (50.9cm) and average height of 16 (40.8cm).

Mahonia Soft Caress in April 2016. Photo: SK Reid. Soft Caress is a long, thin-leaved form of this Mahonia species. Heading it after blooming can help it acquire a dense, lush form, rather than becoming leggy, leaning, and non-uniform as it did in some cases in the trial.