Tagetes Patula 'Safari Tangerine' is an example of a classical improvement. Though Tagetes breeding trends already predicted a Marigold like this one, experts were surprised to find the real thing in the Fleuroselect trials. Safari Tangerine is the best orange marigold at the moment. It has large and intense orange flowers with an excellent shape. Because it is very early, flower seed experts rightly agreed to present it the 1992 Fleuroselect Gold Medal.
In detail
Orange Marigolds have long since belonged to the most commonly appreciated bedding plants, therefore they have always been represented in high numbers at the Fleuroselect trials. Several of them were awarded the Gold Medal for colour, floridity or earliness. Nevertheless the search for the perfect orange marigold continued and the number of entries increased when Fleuroselect started her pack trial programme. Tagetes Patula 'Safari Tangerine' was submitted to Fleuroselect to be trialled on both pack performance and garden performance. Entries in the trials must be new, uniform and distinct and may not have been marketed or published before. No-one was surprised, when the description of this entry (known by as Nr. 40/90) promised a deeper orange colour than existing varieties, since the trends in breeding Tagetes already predicted a Marigold like this one. Nevertheless the experts were surprised to see Safari Tangerine at the Fleuroselect trial grounds. Without exaggeration it can be said that Safari Tangerine is the best orange marigold available at the moment. The large and intense orange flowers are excellently shaped. Because of this colour and flower form and also because of earlyness and uniformity, the expert judges of Fleuroselect rightly agreed to present it the Gold Medal. Professional growers and hobby gardeners notice immediately it's obvious improvements when simply comparing Safari Tangerine to other orange Tagetes patula. Whatever qualifications there are, the most decisive factor for buying plants is still attraction and for attraction, Safari Tangerine is a winner.
