Featured Four: Favorites from Raker-Roberta's Young Plants

Heidi Lindberg<wollaege@msu.edu> and Caitlin Splawski<splawski@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Looking for tried and true performers for the upcoming season? Read Part 6 of our series about favorites from this year’s Michigan Garden Plant Tour trial sites.

A photo of the trial grounds.
Trial grounds at Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants located in Litchfield, Michigan. Photo by Caitlin Splawski, MSU Extension.

Every year Michigan State University and Michigan’s leading young plant producers host a free open house at their trial sites and display gardens to give growers, landscapers and retail operators the opportunity to learn about a wide range of ornamental crops. Industry professionals can see for themselves which new varieties perform the best under various conditions, including in the ground and in containers. The tour lasts for two weeks and was held this year from July 29-Aug. 9, 2024.  

Parts 1-5 of this series covered Michigan State University Extension’s favorites at DGI Propagators, Four Star Greenhouses, Michigan State University (MSU) Trial Garden, Mast Young Plants and Pell Greenhouses, Inc. This article will feature plants with excellent performance at Raker-Roberta's trial gardens. 

Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants 

With over 7 acres boasting 100,000 plant varieties, the trial gardens at Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants (Photo 1) are quite a site to see. Six hundred rows contain in-ground trials of annuals, perennials and specialty cut flowers. There are 250 hanging baskets overflowing with hanging plants and 150 20-inch containers of sun and shade plants displayed by Raker’s. There’s also a wide array of beds, containers and hangers sponsored by other horticultural breeders, including displays of All-American Selections (AAS). Landscape display beds round out the trial gardens giving you a sense of real-world applications for new varieties on the market. Here’s a selection of some of the most notable varieties offered in Raker-Roberta’s catalog this season: 

  • Alternanthera ‘Purple Prince’ – PanAmerican 
  • Strawflower: GRANVIA ‘Crimson Sun’ – Suntory 
  • Salvia ‘Evolution Violet’ – Benary 
  • Dahlia ‘Mystic Spirit’ – Kientzler 

Alternanthera ‘Purple Prince’ 

Grown from seed, Alternanthera brasilliana ‘Purple Prince’ (Photo 2) from PanAmerican Seed is the first compact Alternanthera that offers an easy-to-grow alternative to varieties propagated through vegetative cuttings. The durable carpet of foliage it makes is a great addition to gardens as a rich border planting or as a nice color accent in containers. Plants grow to be roughly 12 inches high by 18 inches wide and do best in partial to full sun. 

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Photo 2. The deep burgundy coloration of Alternanthera ‘Purple Prince’ creates a tidy border in front of the colorful flowers behind. Photo by Caitlin Splawski, MSU Extension. 

Strawflower: GRANVIA ‘Crimson Sun’ 

Even on the 90-plus degree day I visited Raker-Roberta’s trial gardens, Bracteantha bracteatum GRANVIA ‘Crimson Sun’ (Photo 3) from Suntory was unphased. Not only have I never seen a strawflower quite this eye-catching, but the plants also boasted nearly perfect foliage during a season where leaf spots, root rots and mildews have reigned supreme. Available from Raker Roberta’s Young Plants as a plug, GRANVIA ‘Crimson Sun’ would make a great addition to summer and fall offerings. 

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Photo 3. Cheery, red bracts of this supersized strawflower, GRANVIA ‘Crimson Sun’, welcome the day’s bright sunshine. Photo by Caitlin Splawski, MSU Extension. 

Salvia ‘Evolution Violet’ 

This 2006 All-American Selections winner continues to impress. Salvia farinacea Evolution Violet (Photos 4-5) remains a top performer as far as garden performance is concerned. With extraordinary floral coverage and color, plus tidy, bright green foliage, this annual Salvia is sure to wow those new to gardening and seasoned professionals alike. Not to mention, Salvia Evolution Violet was covered in a wide variety of pollinators. This plant is bee-approved! 

Raker Photos 4-5.png
Photos 4 and 5. Salvia Evolution Violet planted amongst annual vinca, marigolds and hydrangea. Plus, a close-up of the glorious deep purple spikes. Photo by Caitlin Splawski, MSU Extension. 

Dahlia ‘Mystic Spirit’  

The bees and I are also fans of single dahlias that retain their pollen-filled centers. Though they often are less showy than their multi-petalled counterparts, Dahlia ‘Mystic Spirit’ (Photos 6-7) from Kientzler gives them a run for their money. The large flowers displaying an eye-catching hue of peachy goodness with a just a touch of rosiness sit atop robust mahogany to black foliage. The blooms are vivid against the dark backdrop of foliage. A must-have for a middle of the border planting or a fashionable container. 

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Photos 6 and 7. The peach blossoms atop Dahlia Mystic ‘Spirit’ contrast the deep mahogany foliage, making it appear even darker in color. Photo by Caitlin Splawski, MSU Extension. 

Given the vast array of trial plants at Raker-Roberta’s, it was extremely difficult to pick just four top performers. Here are some others that stood out. The Begonia x benariensis Big series from Benary, the first interspecific Begonia on the market, stood out for having very clean leaves with no sun damage. Selecta’s Guara Belleza Early White was very floriferous. Vinca Cora Cascade XRD Bright Rose from Syngenta was eye-catching and had a lovely habit for hanging baskets. Also featured in Part 4 of our series at Mast Young Plants was Zinnia Profusion ‘Red Yellow Bicolor’ from Sakata, an All-American Selection, and I took note of its amazing color and flower coverage as well.  

Finally, the new Calibrachoa MiniFamous Uno Double Orange from Selecta looked full and colorful even late in the season. Many other plants caught my eye as well, and I highly recommend stopping at Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants during next year’s tour! 

For more top 2024 varieties, check out the other articles in our series for more favorites of 2024:   

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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