MANTS recap

photos provided by respective companies / NM staff

The 2024 Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) had a strong attendance with over 11,200 attendees, including exhibitors. A sold-out trades how floor featured 920 exhibitors spread across 1,532 booths showcasing an extensive array of plants, nursery stock, equipment and industry innovations.

MANTS attracted high-level decision makers, with over 82% of attendees identified as influencers or final decision makers maintaining the show’s reputation as the trade show that “means business.”

Trends for 2024

Monrovia’s chief marketing officer Katie Tamony showcased some exciting new plant trends. Angel’s Blush Abelia is a compact shrub with stable green and white variegation that develops rosy-pink blushes in cold weather. Shear Genius Cotoneaster was discovered by Dan Hinkley. It has fine foliage on an upright form that stays narrow. Tamony explained it is perfect for hedges in narrow planting beds. Seaside Serenade Glacier Bay Hydrangea has crisp white blooms on dark stems. It is a compact variety with sturdy stems. Jurassic Ferns was collected throughout Asia by Hinkley, and its unique texture and look adds distinction to shade garden beds.

With compact and unique plants leading consumer trends, other notable trends are pollinator-friendly and drought-tolerant plants.

Star Roses and Plants’ public relations and social media manager Leah Palmer talked about the newest additions to The Knock Out family of roses. Easy Bee-zy produces bright, yellow blooms with long-lasting color and offers a light citrus fragrance with a single petal display that is alluring to pollinators. It performs best in zones 4-11. Orange Glow has double orange blooms that display shades of coral, pink and yellow throughout the cuplike petals. Its rust resistance makes it a top-performer in every climate. It performs best in zones 5-11.

Walters Gardens’ vice president of sales and marketing Christa Steenwyk showed us the Michigan perennial grower’s new Mangave Art & Sol collection. Steenwyk expressed that there is a demand for drought-tolerant plants and is excited to add this Mangave collection to the brand. The Art & Sol varieties will be offered as wholesale liners from Walters Gardens.

Bloomin’ Easy released its first exclusive perennials in 2024. Perpetual Purple Salvia is compact with tidy deep purple flowers. It’s deer resistant, heat tolerant and pollinator friendly.

New products

Brandywine Cottage: Taylor Pilker, vice president and co-owner of Cavano’s Perennials, Inc. discussed Cavano’s Perennials new program, Brandywine Cottage. Brandywine Cottage is a new plant collection for 2024 offered exclusively at Cavano’s Perennials. The collection was created with award winning author, plant breeder and designer David Culp. He created the gardens at Brandywine Cottage in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, the home of his breeding program.

Fire Ball Seedless: Natalie Carmolli, PR specialist at Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc., shared her expertise on the new seedless, sterile, non-invasive burning bush (Euonymus alatus), Fire Ball Seedless. Bred by Tom Ranney and the crew at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station, Fire Ball Seedless provides the same burning red fall color but without the seeds. It’s new for growers in 2024 and will hit retail in 2025.

Finished Hedges: Privacy boosting plants continue to grow in popularity. Waverly Farm introduced its hedging program last year, and Owner Jerry Faulring started the program after visiting the Netherlands in 2012. Laura Hagmann, sales and shipping manager at Waverly Farm, shared that they are growing 26 varieties.

Burro Grande: As technology continues to advance, so does the equipment for growers. Burro, an autonomous mobility company launched its newest product for the horticulture industry, Burro Grande. The electric-powered Burro Grande has a 1,500 lb. carrying capacity and can tow 5,000 lb. with a range of 15 miles between charges. It uses AI and GPS to navigate the nursery, no matter the terrain. Don Black, Burro's vice president of growth, explained how the autonomous robot was designed to work alongside people and how it can amplify their work.

Skylight: Better Boxwood showcased its newest variety, Skylight, at MANTS. This boxwood grows fast with medium green leaves, and it’s suitable for shaping into balls and mass planting. It grows 6-8 feet high and 3-4 feet wide.