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Dr. Alan Stevens
Horticulture
Extension Publication
Prairie Star
Annual flowers
Bedding plants
Bedding plant field research trials
PRAIRIE STAR
A Collection of Annual Flowers, K-State Research Proven For Our Prairie Climate
Prairie Star annual flowers are those varieties that are best adapted to our ever-changing, never-boring, always-challenging prairie climate. Planting varieties in the prairie Star Collection is the best way to assure the “wow, look at those flowers” appearance we all hope for. They are the annual flower varieties that have exhibited superior performance for two years or more in the Kansas State University bedding plant research trials. Prairie Star flowers are the best of the best, flowers that grow like crazy and bloom like crazy under lazy gardener care.
Kansas State University flowering plant research is headquartered at the K-State Horticulture Research & Extension Center in Olathe with other flower trial sites in Wichita, Hays and Colby. The research trial sites encompass two USDA cold hardiness zones (5, 6) and two American Horticulture Society heat tolerance zones (7, 8). All varieties on the list grow well across the state, east to west and north to south.
Plants are rated for vigor: how fast and how strong do they grow, how much substance do they have. They are also rated on floriferousness, the total overall visual impact of the flower display. Large numbers of large size flowers are important. Also important is how the flowers are borne on the plant. Flowers that hang down where you look at their backside are not as pretty as those you see in profile. The most floriferous flowers are those borne on the plant so that they look up and smile at you. Ratings for floriferousness are a combination of the number of flowers, the size of the flowers and how the flowers are borne on the plant. Both vigor and floriferousness are rated on a scale of one to seven. 1 = almost dead or no flowers; 4 = acceptable, not so good as to make us happy, but not so bad to make us unhappy; 7=excellent, so good that nothing should have the right to be that good. All plants on the list have scored a 6 or higher for both vigor and floriferousness combined at all trial sites. Plant height and width are of a mature plant measured in mid August.
Flowering plant varieties in the research trials are submitted by or collected from plant breeders and distributors from around the world. All varieties on the list are available from retail garden centers or mail order plant companies. Due to the vulgarities of the commercial world, no greenhouse, garden center nor nursery should be expected to carry all varieties on the list. They will grow and offer for sale the varieties their seed or cutting suppliers have in their product mix. The list is not a commercial brand or product line. Gardeners will need to look for the specific variety on the list, i.e. not the generic geraniums but Rocky Mountain Dark Red Geranium. Not all geraniums grow well here on the prairie, the specific varieties on the list are truly superior.
The most recent up to date list and full color pictures of each flower can be found on the internet at www.prairiestarflowers.com The website also contains the Prairie Bloom list of K-State research proven perennial flowers. A link to reports containing the entire set of research data can also be found at the website.
Alan Stevens is a research & extension specialist for floriculture and leader of the K-State landscape flowering plant research program.
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Flower Cultivar/Color Planting Location Preference Height (inches) Width (inches) Angelonia Serena (White) sun 14 15 Ageratum High Tide Blue sun 18 18 Begonia Ambassador Pink sun or shade 9 11 Begonia Brandy (Pink/Dark leaves) sun or shade 11 11 Begonia Doublet Series (All Colors) sun or shade 11 12 Begonia Olympia Rose sun or shade 10 12 Begonia Olympia White sun or shade 10 12 Begonia Party Pink (bronze leaf) sun or shade 14 10 Begonia Vodka (Red/Dark Leaves) sun or shade 10 11 Begonia Whisky (White/Dark Leaves) sun or shade 11 10 Canna Tropicana (Verigated Leaves Orange Bloom) sun 18 70 Celosia Cramer’s Amazon (lavendar) sun 49 26 Celosia Flamingo Feather Purple sun 47 27 Celosia Fresh Look Red sun 18 13 Celosia Hi-Z (Purple) sun 46 25 Celosia New Look Red sun 19 13 Celosia WATCH (Hot Pink) sun 13 15 Coleus Aurora Black Cherry sun or shade 19 17 Coleus Kaleidoscope Mix shade 11 16 Coleus Stained Glassworks Kiwi Fern (Purple Green Red) shade 19 21 Coleus Stained Glassworks Rose Explosion shade 27 23 Coleus Rainbow Mix shade 30 27 Coleus Wizard Scarlet shade 25 20 Cosmos Cosmic Orange sun 15 13 Cosmos Cosmic Mix sun 19 18 Cyperus Papyrus King Tut sun 50 24 Dianthus Amazon Neon Cherry sun 20 15 Dianthus Amazon Neon Purple sun 23 13 Euphorbia Diamond Frost (White) sun 14 18 Gaillardia Plume Series (All Colors) sun 16 15 Gaillardia Torch Series (All Colors) sun 17 15 Geranium Americana Series (All Colors) sun 12 16 Geranium Charmant (Salmon) sun 12 15 Geranium Colorcade Coral Pink sun 10 14 Geranium Eclipse (Rose Splash) sun 12 13 Geranium Fireworks Cherry sun 11 16 Geranium Galleria Frost Fire (Pale Pink Bi-color) sun 14 16 Geranium Grand Prix (Red) sun 14 18 Geranium Illusion Series (All Colors) sun 16 25 Geranium Nobelesse ‘99 (Bright Salmon/Orange) sun 11 16 Geranium Patriot White * sun 12 15 Geranium Patriot Bright Red sun 12 16 Geranium Patriot Watermelon sun 14 16 Geranium Rocky Mountain Series (All Colors) sun 13 17 Geranium Schoene Helena (Salmon) sun 14 17 Geranium Showcase Light Lavender sun 12 15 Geranium Showcase Salmon sun 13 14 Geranium Twist 2001 (Salmon/Rose) sun 12 12 Geranium Vulcan 2001(Red-Orange) sun 13 17 Geranium (seed) Pinto Series (All Colors) sun 14 17 Geranium (seed) Ringo 2000 (Lavender) sun 12 13 Geranium Cascade / Ivy Barock ‘99 (Red) sun 11 17