AAS Winners for 2006

All America Selections winners are reliable performers.All-America Selections has announced three flower winners, four bedding plant winners and four vegetable winners for 2006. Look for the red, white and blue logo of All-America Selections on seed packets in retail stores, plant tags in bedding plants in garden centers or nurseries, or in mail-order catalogs this spring. Success is almost guaranteed with these varieties of reliable new flower and vegetable varieties.

The non-profit All-America Selections (AAS) organization was founded in 1932 to foster the development, production and distribution of new and better horticultural and agricultural varieties, species, strains and kinds in and for North America. AAS winners are superior new annual flower and vegetable plants recognized for significant achievements – a promise of gardening success. Only the very best varieties receive this prestigious award. All AAS winners have been tested for home garden performance in more than 30 independent test sites, each under the responsibility of an AAS judge, all over the United States and Canada. Gardeners can rely on AAS Winners to perform in their garden because of these unbiased, independent tests. Most of the time only one to three flower varieties and the same number of vegetables get this award each year, and sometimes none qualifies.

The eleven AAS winners for 2006 are:

Pepper F1 ‘Black Pearl’AAS Flower Award Winner
Ornamental Pepper (Capsicum annuum) ‘Black Pearl’ is a unique ornamental pepper with pure black leaves when grown in the sun. ‘Black Pearl’ also describes the small, black shiny peppers born upright on the plant, that are similar to pearls. The young plants will have green leaves when grown indoors or in a greenhouse, but turn black in the sun. The vigorous plants are quite heat tolerant and will grow to 18 inches tall, spreading about 12 to 16 inches. ‘Black Pearl’ is easy to grow without serious disease or insect problems. Use ‘Black Pearl’ plants as the centerpiece in a container with other mixed annuals. Oh, the peppers turn red when mature and are edible but fiery hot!
Salvia farinacea 'Evolution'AAS Flower Award Winner
Salvia farinacea 'Evolution' expands the color range of Salvia farinacea. The 6- to 7-inch flower spikes are violet, distinctly different from blue. 'Evolution' is a medium height annual reaching 16 to 24 inches tall and spreading 16 to 19 inches. Gardeners who search for plants with minimal maintenance should reserve space for 'Evolution.' When planted in fertile soil, irrigation is the only requirement for 'Evolution' to flower consistently. Water efficiency tests in Colorado show Salvia farinacea plants are drought tolerant. 'Evolution' plants are undemanding with few disease or pest problems.
Zinnia ‘Zowie! Yellow Flame’AAS Flower Award Winner
Zinnia F1 (Zinnia elegans) ‘Zowie! Yellow Flame’ will wake up any garden with flowers that flame with color. 'Zowie! Yellow Flame' begins a new class of semi-tall zinnias with a novel bicolor pattern. Each 3- to 4-inch semi-double bloom contains a scarlet/rose center with yellow petal edges. The color combination is uniformly intense, like a yellow flame. Expect flowering plants in about 8 to 10 weeks from sowing seed. Perfectly adapted to larger containers, use 'Zowie! Yellow Flame' as a focal point and add other annuals to create a flaming "Hot" color combination. In a sunny garden, mature plants will reach 24 to 29 inches tall, spreading 26 to 27 inches. The zinnia flowers are excellent as cut flowers.
Diascia 'Diamonte Coral Rose'AAS Cool Seaon Bedding Plant Award Winner
Diascia F1 (Diascia integerimma) 'Diamonte Coral Rose', the first F1 hybrid diascia, is improved for early flowering, branching habit, flower production, and length of bloom. 'Diamonte Coral Rose' will flower within 60-70 days. The 8- to 10-inch height and 18-inch spreading habit is perfect for mixed containers where a cascading plant is desirable, or as a low edging plant in a sunny garden. The one-inch rosy coral blooms are produced in spikes on all sides of the plant. The frost tolerant plants can be literally covered with blooms.
Viola ‘Skippy XL Red-Gold’ AAS Cool Seaon Bedding Plant Award Winner
Viola F1 (Viola cornuta) ‘Skippy XL Red-Gold’ is the first Viola cornuta to win the prestigious AAS Award. The improved qualities are flower size, flower colors and freedom of bloom. The large, 1 ½ inch, round flower appears to be a pansy, but it's a viola. The colors on its bloom were designed by an artist. They are ruby red with violet red shading below the golden yellow face containing penciling or whiskers. The whiskers are an attribute of violas. AAS Judges noticed the strong, dense plant which exhibited heat tolerance combined with winter hardiness with protection. These two traits result in improved freedom of bloom and length of the flowering season. When mature, the plants will spread 8 inches and remain dwarf, about 6 inches tall.
Dianthus ‘Supra Purple’AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner
Dianthus F1 (Dianthus interspecific) ‘Supra Purple’ bloomed early and exhibited exceptional garden performance to win the AAS Bedding Plant Award. This interspecific cross results in hybrid vigor for improved heat tolerance and prolific bloom. The 1.5-inch single purple flowers are lacy, with highly fringed petal edges. In full sun, 'Supra Purple' will reach 12 inches tall with an upright bouquet habit spreading 10 inches. 'Supra Purple' flowers can be cut for fresh arrangements or enjoyed in the garden during the long flowering period. From sowing seed to bloom will be about 10-12 weeks.
Nicotiana 'Perfume Deep Purple'AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner
Nicotiana F1 (Nicotiana x Sanderae) 'Perfume Deep Purple' is named for the delicate evening fragrance that will charm the senses. This variety was bred for the scent and unique deep purple flower color. The single, 2-inch star-shaped flowers are produced in abundance. Plants can reach 20 inches and spread 15 to 18 inches in a full sun garden location. 'Perfume Deep Purple' readily adapts to containers, or a semi-shade garden planting. Easy to grow and undemanding, ‘Perfume Deep Purple’ seed and plants will be available in garden centers.
Carrot 'Purple Haze'AAS Vegetable Award Winner
Carrot F1 (Daucus carota) 'Purple Haze' is the first imperator-shaped purple carrot. The 10- to 12-inch smooth purple carrots taper to a point and reveal a bright orange center when cut. AAS Judges noted the sweet flavor during taste tests. The best presentation of 'Purple Haze' carrots will be when used raw, since cooking will dissolve the purple color. The vigorous upright plants will reach 14 to 16 inches tall and spread the same distance. Only normal carrot growing conditions are needed to produce an abundance of 'Purple Haze' carrots. Grow 'Purple Haze' carrots in large containers, with herbs such as parsley and sage. 'Purple Haze' carrots can be harvested in about 70 days from sowing seed.
Cilantro 'Delfino'AAS Vegetable Award Winner
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) 'Delfino' is an improved aromatic, edible herb. The plant looks different. It has fine fernlike foliage that is more decorative than other coarse-leaved cilantros. ‘Delfino’ is easy to grow and leaves can be harvested in about 4 to 5 weeks. When grown in full sun, mature plants can be 20 inches tall. ‘Delfino’ can be grown in containers on patios or decks with annuals or other herbs. The plants will flower and “go-to-seed.” Harvest when the seeds have turned from green to brown. Cilantro seeds are the spice, coriander, that can be used in many ethnic recipes.
Pepper 'Carmen'AAS Vegetable Award Winner
 Pepper F1 (Capsicum annuum) 'Carmen' is a beautiful, improved Italian-type sweet pepper. Earliness is important for home gardeners and 'Carmen' is a week earlier than comparisons. The distinctive horn-shaped peppers have wide shoulders, tapering to a smooth point. The upright plant reaches 28 inches tall and spreads 16 inches – a perfect size for a patio container. Tasting 'Carmen' assures you of the AAS Award. The flavor is very sweet when ripe red, whether raw or cooked. ‘Carmen’ is widely adaptable because it is early maturing and productive in a wide temperature range. Unusually sweet, delicious peppers can be harvested early. Expect ripe peppers about 75 days from transplanting.
Pepper 'Mariachi'AAS Vegetable Award Winner
Pepper F1 (Capsicum annuum) 'Mariachi' won due to superior fruit size, improved earliness, marvelous yield, and unusually fine flavor. It is an improved cone-shaped pepper - 500 to 600 Scoville heat units - a mildly "hot" chile pepper. Fruit can become more pungent when plants are stressed by hot weather or lack of water. This is a fleshy pepper that ripens from yellow to red, but will mostly be used in the yellow stage. The vigorous, attractive 18- to 24-inch plants set fruit continuously throughout the growing season. 'Mariachi' produces an abundance of 3- to 4-inch peppers when grown in gardens or in containers on the patio. Harvest can begin within 65-68 days from transplanting. The fruits lend themselves to a wide variety of dishes including salsas and sauces, or, stuff, grill and enjoy.

There are many more AAS winners from previous years that still deserve a place in the garden. The Annual Manual lists many of the winners from the last 65 years, and most seed catalogs indicate which of their selections are winners.

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