Geranium 'Super Moon Red'

The new muscle car among Geraniums—‘Super Moon Red’

In the world of Geraniums the zonals are muscle cars—they are the BIG ones: big blossoms, big stance, big leaves, and big attitude—right down to that signature zonal brand mark they flash on the fenders of the plants. There is a reason why Geraniums are divided into zonal and non-zonal—it’s the difference between zoom and vrooom.

Currently the field is dominated by classic names like Rocky Mountain and Fantasia and sports names like Calliope and Caliente, but there is a new ride in town: Geranium ‘Super Moon Red’. This is a large red Geranium with subtle chocolate highlights, developed by the folks at Selecta One. You probably haven’t walked past it yet because this Geranium is brand new to the market. It’s so new that the market is still trying to decipher the plant.

We’ve actually taken 'Super Moon Red' out for an extended test drive, so we can say this one pulls ahead of the competition. We can tell you three reasons why this cultivar is important to you. Let’s break out our tools and take a look at the ride Selecta brings to the muscle car geraniums.

 
Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ and Impations 'SunPatiens Compact Orange'

Two cultivars that are well suited for each other are Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ and Impatiens 'SunPatiens Compact Orange'. Ordinarily deployed in partial shade gardens, we find both cultviars perform just find in full blazing sun like this garden. We like to plant them together because they both reach about the same height and grow in a wide range of light and water conditions.

Orange-red to orange-yellow is the color connection between these two plants. It plays out in a way that keeps them distinctive, yet ties them together in a monochrome palette that is very popular right now. If you look closely, the SunPatiens blossom merges orange and yellow to make the flower so bright.

Similar in height—‘Rustic Orange’ glows next to a mass of dark green

'Rustic Orange' is a mid-height Coleus. We have taller ones and smaller ones, but this one likes to top about around the knee-to-waist range. More water will move to the higher end. We think it is a good general purpose, all-around design tool when working within the orange palette.

'SunPatiens Compact Orange' has a burly build to its green mound, a very different contast to the tall and slender stems of 'Rustic Orange'. The two sets of leaves have very similar shapes, and that helps to tie the bed closer together.

Our Compact Sunpatiens are workhorses, available in the 1801L tray and the 4.5, 6, and 8-inch pot sizes. Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ comes in the 1801L tray and the 4.5 and 6-inch pots.

 
‘Cool Wave Morpho’—a truly trailing Pansy

If this plant looks familiar, it should—‘Cool Wave Morpho’ is on the cover of our Early Spring Idea Book because it’s so pretty. PanAmerican considers Cool Wave to be a truly trailing Pansy. There are several spreading Pansies that can cover the soil, but a real trailer is hard to find; this is one of them.

‘Cool Wave Morpho’ is suitable for both Spring and Autumn plantings—it’s one of the earliest plants to return in Early Spring due to some Viola within its breeding. Cool nights deliver the deepest color in the blossoms; as the temperature warms up, the blooms start to show lighter colors and a broader yellow eye.

This selection is available in the 6-inch pot.