Ageratum - Spring 2005

Flower Color, Plot Development Over Time, Data and Comments

Data and pictures will be added as time allows.
 

Vinca
GCREC-HOME

TRIALS FRONT PAGE

 ORNAMENTALS RESEARCH PROGRAMS BACK to CURRENT TRIAL

Vinca

Botany
Family: Asteraceae
Scientific names:  Ageratum houstonianum Mill.
Common names: Ageratum, blue billygoat-weed, and flossflower [The Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)].
Native habitat:

This plant is considered to have a pantropical distribution (GRIN).
View maps related to habitat and other topics from this link to the National Geographic MapMachine: .

Pests
Common plant arthropods (insects/other)/other:   Reported arthropod symptoms in literature: Heliothis virescens (Featured Creatures.  University of Florida.).
Arthropod symptoms observed in past trials and in this trial: In spring 2001, aphids caused severe foliage distortion in one plot. Leafminer damage was very minor; in spring 2002, ageratum was more severely attacked by worms (primarily a small unidentified looper-like species). Twospotted spider mites [Tetranychus urticae Koch (Arachnida: Acari: Tetranychidae)] were a problem all season, and their combined affect with whitefly later in the season resulted in unacceptable levels of damage for some cultivars, consistently in all plots. The looper adult and pupa may be seen on our pests web page under “Arthropod Pests” and “Worms – Lepidopterous Larvae and Adults”.
Common plant diseases/other:   Reported disease symptoms in literature: [species other than A. conyzoides] Alteraria sp., (collar rot), and Pythium sp. (root rot), Sclerotinium rolfsii (southern blight).
Diseases symptoms  in past trials and in this trial: None observed on foliage or flowers in past trials.
Commercial control:  Greenhouse. Feld/shade house.
Arthropod information: Pests identified on crops.

Search the Arthropod/Host Plant Database.

 Florida pest facts and images.

Featured Creatures
Disease information: Plant Disease Facts (Pennsylvania State University)

Ornamental Plant Disease Fact Sheets

 The American Phytopathological Society

Search Common Names of Plant Diseases
More Links and Information
Performance evaluations: Trial reports and other publications.
More resources: Additional information.

RATINGS
Honors:                     Best-of-class (BC).  We select the best performer in each class, based on the "overall performance rating".  This rating may not be high, if the class does not perform well (indicating a possible need for improvement in the class).  The rating  may be significantly different from one or more members of the class. If two or more members of a class received the same highest overall performance rating, we used another rating (such as overall foliage/flower rating or flower average rating) to determine BC.  If only one cultivar was entered in a class, it automatically becomes uncontested BC.  BC is evaluated in future trials against the performance of new entries in the same class.  Refer to a report in "Articles, Papers & Reports" for detailed information. In addition to BC, other "honors" received for these cultivars may be added to BC at a later date, time permitting.  Seed companies may forward these honors (awards) to Rick Kelly. 
Rating System: The rating is a 1 to 7 scale: 7- all foliage and flowers free from defects; 4- average foliage and flower condition, minimal plant defects or pest damage to tissue, but  still acceptable; 1- foliage and/or flowers with severe defects and/or severely infested with pests and damage unacceptable, making plant undesirable.  Plant death due to soilborne pests may be factored into the overall performance rating, if it is a significant problem.  Refer to a report in  "Articles, Papers & Reports" for details.  If listed, ratings with an "a" are the best in a class.  If cultivars share the same letters, those ratings are considered to be similar to each other.  If there are no letters, there is only one cultivar in a class or all the members of a class have similar ratings.
 
American Takii Ball Seed Bodger Seeds Floranova Plant Breeders Goldsmith Seeds Grimes Seeds & Plants Kieft Seeds Holland E. Benary Seed of America PanAmerican Seed Sahin Sakata Seed America Syngenta Seeds
 

        All the cultivars qualified for display in our best-of-class public gardens with foliage/flower ratings > 4.5 and overall performance ratings > 5.0 and will be added to our Best of the Best-of-class spring list.
 

Scroll down the page or click on the color of choice to view individual cultivars within a color class:

Blue class

White class

Winter

Winter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue class

Picture date:

 2 May (week 101) 16 May (week 12) 30 May (week 14)

'High Tide Blue'

18C-VT-Sp05-AgB15-1.JPG (298664 bytes)

Plot C

Sprayed Field

18A-VT-Sp05-AgB15-2.JPG (357922 bytes)

Plot A

Sprayed Field

18C-VT-Sp05-AgB15-2.JPG (392808 bytes)

Plot C

Sprayed Field

18A-VT-Sp05-AgB15-3.JPG (330499 bytes)

Plot A

Sprayed Field

18B-VT-Sp05-AgB15-3.JPG (329494 bytes)

Plot B

Sprayed Field

18C-VT-Sp05-AgB15-3.JPG (323739 bytes)

Plot C

Sprayed Field

Cultivar No: 18

VT-Sp05-18FL.JPG (268468 bytes)

PanAmerican Seed

Picture date:

 

Seed Sowing Date

Flower Diameter

Days to First Flower2

Overall Foliage/Flower Rating3

Overall Pest Rating4

Overall Performance Rating5

2/18/2005 1.4 cm (0.6 inches) 53.3 5.9 6.8 5.9
Honors: Not best-of-class.  
Comments: New entry for 2005.  Lodging and stem breakage were a factor in lowering foliage ratings.  Insect feeding was only observed on foliage (pest was not observed), and was minor and the same for all cultivars.  No plant deaths occurred.

Blue class

Picture date:

 2 May (week 101) 16 May (week 12) 30 May (week 14)

'Leilani Blue'

119C-VT-Sp05-AgB15-1.JPG (307992 bytes)

Plot C

Sprayed Field

119C-VT-Sp05-AgB15-2.JPG (441511 bytes)

Plot C

Sprayed Field

119A-VT-Sp05-AgB15-3.JPG (348089 bytes)

Plot A

Sprayed Field

119C-VT-Sp05-AgB15-3.JPG (339597 bytes)

Plot C

Sprayed Field

Cultivar No: 119  

VT-Sp05-119FL.JPG (264192 bytes)

Goldsmith Seeds

Picture date:

 

Seed Sowing Date

Flower Diameter

Days to First Flower2

Overall Foliage/Flower Rating3

Overall Pest Rating4

Overall Performance Rating5

2/18/2005 1.3 cm (0.5 inches) 56.0 4.9 6.8 6.4

Honors: Remains best-of-class (established in spring 2002).  
Comments: Best-of-class established in 2001.  ‘Leilani Blue’ remained best-of-class with a higher adjusted overall performance rating, because it did not have the lodging and stem breakage exhibited by ‘High Tide Blue’ and flowering was fuller and more uniform.  Insect feeding was only observed on foliage (pest was not observed), and was minor and the same for all cultivars.  No plant deaths occurred.
Details of performance for this cultivar will be posted on the web in "Articles, Papers & Reports" at the completion of this trial.  These details will include ratings over the entire season and pest problems.
Back to Color of Choice Back to the Top

 

 

 

 

White class

Picture date:

 2 May (week 101) 16 May (week 12) 30 May (week 14)

'High Tide White'

31C-VT-Sp05-AgB15-1.JPG (324747 bytes)

Plot C

Sprayed Field

31C-VT-Sp05-AgB15-2.JPG (424338 bytes)

Plot C

Sprayed Field

31A-VT-Sp05-AgB15-3.JPG (333108 bytes)

Plot A

Sprayed Field

31C-VT-Sp05-AgB15-3.JPG (329317 bytes)

Plot C

Sprayed Field

 

Cultivar No: 31

VT-Sp05-31FL.JPG (256393 bytes)

PanAmerican Seed

Picture date:

 

Seed Sowing Date

Flower Diameter

Days to First Flower2

Overall Foliage/Flower Rating3

Overall Pest Rating4

Overall Performance Rating5

2/18/2005 1.4 cm (0.6 inches) 59.7 5.7 6.8 6.3
Honors:  Best-of-class, uncontested.
Comments: New entry for 2005.  No lodging  occurred (see 'High Tide Blue' comments), and by the end of the season, was very good in fullness and uniformity.  However, this cultivar was late to flower, resulting in lower early season flower ratings, while flowers were numerous late in the season.  Insect feeding was only observed on foliage (pest was not observed), and was minor and the same for all cultivars.  No plant deaths occurred.
Details of performance for this cultivar will be posted on the web in "Articles, Papers & Reports" at the completion of this trial.  These details will include ratings over the entire season and pest problems.
ROK
1. The number of weeks from seed sowing to the date the plant was photographed.  Photographs were taken in a field sprayed on demand as needed, after scouting for pests, and a field that is not sprayed at all. 
2.  Average number of days from sowing to unfurling of the first flower in the plots.
3.  The average of the combined foliage and flower data in the sprayed field as an expression of cultivar quality; rating scale: 1 = poor to 7 = excellent (details above).
4.  The average of the combined foliage and flower data in the unsprayed field as an expression of arthropod and disease symptoms; rating scale: 1 = poor to 7 = excellent (details above).
5.  The average of the combined overall foliage/flower rating and overall pest rating; rating scale: 1 = poor to 7 = excellent (details above).  If plant death from a soilborne pathogen resulted, this was factored into the rating.  See Articles, Papers & Reports for further explanation in the reports. 

 

GCREC-HOME

TRIALS FRONT PAGE

 ORNAMENTALS RESEARCH PROGRAMS
Back to the Top Back to Color of Choice Back to Current Trial