Syngenta Flowers Pelargonium Tango Queen of Wien - Pelargonium of the Year in Sweden

Enkhuizen, The Netherlands, September 1, 2011

The zonal variety Tango Queen of Wien, bred by Syngenta Flowers, was chosen as 2011 Pelargonium of the Year in Sweden.

Tango Queen of Wien has glowing deep red flowers and dark foliage with strong zonal marking. The plants are very well branched, and importantly for the grower remain very compact in cool glasshouse conditions. Flowers are single, self-cleaning and carried in many-flowered umbels well above the foliage. The narrow petals and the dark foliage colour give the variety a resemblance to once popular Stadt Bern, but Tango Queen of Wien is very much larger-flowered and have extremely good outdoor performance.

In 2010 Pelargonium of the Year was a joint award to the sister varieties Avenida Mosaic Red and Avenida Mosaic Purple, also zonals bred by Syngenta. In previous years types of the flower rather than individual varieties were chosen as award winners.

Examples include the stellar-flowered variety group and varieties with coloured foliage. The jury for the Pelargonium of the Year promotional campaign is led by Patrik Vilsmyr of Mäster Grön, and includes Markus Svensson, representing growers, Lotta Ahlvar from the Swedish Fashion Council, and Peggi Alnås, representing young plant producers. The Pelargonium of the Year judging panel will announce their choice for 2012 at the Nordic Gardens Fair, to be held on 12-15 April 2012 in Stockholm.

About the Pelargonium of the Year concept for Sweden

The Pelargonium of the Year concept for Sweden was launched in 2007, with the aim of raising the profile of the plant in the country and generating bigger sales. A four-strong panel meets each June to select the variety for the following year. Sweden’s major garden centre chains are consulted. Their staff is ideally suited to identify varieties that would sell much better if they were given focused promotion.

After the choice has been made, the young plant producers and growers concerned are advised without delay, so that they can start planning. All parties involved are pledged to secrecy until the public announcement of the variety at the annual Nordic Gardens Fair in Stockholm in April.

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