Two DOUBLE PLAY® Spiraea awarded KVBC Awards

Awards were recently presented by the Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society (RBHS) to two Spiraea in the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® DOUBLE PLAY® series.

The RBHS trials committee awarded the KVBC-Award Gold Medal to Proven Winners® ColorChoice® DOUBLE PLAY BIG BANG® Spiraea, and the Plantarium Digital Expo 2020 presented Spiraea DOUBLE PLAY DOOZIE® the single gold award in the summer edition and named it the overall winner.

DOUBLE PLAY DOOZIE®  'NCSX2' is a ground-breaking non-invasive spirea and a perpetual bloomer, putting all of its energy into creating wave after wave of red-pink flowers from early summer through frost. Hardy in zones 3-8, this plant reaches heights/widths of 2-3'. It was entered in the Plantarium Digital Expo 2020 by Valkplant, BV., and the awards were presented by Helma van der Louw, chairwoman of the KVBC. This program can be watched again at www.plantariumdigitalexpo.com. 

DOUBLE PLAY BIG BANG® Spiraea, ‘Tracy’, features extra-large pink flowers against bright chartreuse-yellow foliage that glows orange in the spring. Hardy in USDA zones 3 - 8 (-40°F/-40°C), the compact cultivar reaches heights/widths of 2-3’.

According to the field trial committee, "During all previous inspections, ‘Tracy’ proved to be very healthy and the plant has always performed optimally. The ornamental value is multiple: the colored young leaves, followed by the flowering, after which young shoots are again formed. The summer leaves are soft greenish-yellow and remain healthy. The faded flowers are green for a long time and not brown, so they do not disfigure the plant.”

According to a paper published by the International Plant Propagators’ Society, the RBHS field trials were initially started to inform growers, traders, and retailers about woody plants and their use. The trials test new cultivars under the criteria of ornamental value, suitability as a garden plant or for amenity use, health, winter hardiness, and differences to similar cultivars. Apart from these criteria, special criteria for specific plant groups can be added. Each plant is assessed as many times as is needed during the year to come to a final verdict. The following awards are possible: KVBC-Award Bronze, KVBC-Award Silver, and KVBC-Award Gold.

These Spiraea join GLOW GIRL® birch leaf spirea, awardee of the 2016 KVBC-Award Silver.