'Miss Ruby' charms the Wisley visitors
21 January 2010
A buddleja from the USA that is on trial at RHS Garden Wisley, has been overwhelmingly voted the public favourite for the second year running.
Buddleja ‘Miss Ruby’ got more than twice as many votes (14.7%) from visitors to Wisley’s Trial Field as the runners-up, ‘Raspberry Wine’, and ‘Purple Prince’ which each took 6.4% of the votes.
Members of the public were asked to vote for their favourite numbered plant out of 125 being trialled between July and September last year.
The favourite cultivar, raised at North Carolina State University, is bright pink and has a compact, upright habit, growing to about 150cm (5ft).
Trials officer Jacquie Gray said ‘Miss Ruby’, which has Plant Breeders’ Rights, was released in the US in 2008, but has yet to be released here.
“The trial is still being assessed, so we can’t say yet whether it will get an award, but the Panel liked its distinct colour and noted its compact habit. I’m sure if it’s recommended for AGM that Panel members will encourage the senders to release it in the UK,” she said.
Long and short-term trials of flowers, fruit and vegetables are conducted regularly at Wisley to compare the different cultivars available and assess their merits for garden use. The Award of Garden Merit is only given to the best-performing plants.
View the 2009 voting results chart (13KB)
View the 2008 voting results chart (29KB)
Check which plants have an AGM
More on plant trials