January 21, 2026
Awarded the Gold Medal — the Highest Honor — by the World‑Renowned trial organization Fleuroselect and All-America Selections
Sakata’s Zinnia “Profusion Double White Improved” has been awarded the prestigious Gold Medal — the highest honor — for the 2027 season by Fleuroselect（FS）, the most authoritative ornamentals new variety trial organization in Europe.“Profusion Double White Improved” has already been awarded the Gold Medal — the highest honor — from the prestigious All-America Selections (AAS), the most authoritative flowers and vegetables new variety trial organization in the United States, earning a two awards recognized by both judging panels. Within the Profusion and Profusion Double series, this marks the fourth variety to receive two awards, the sixth Gold Medal from FS, and the fifth Gold Medal from AAS. These achievements demonstrate the series’ high recognition across both United States and Europe.
The Profusion and Profusion Double series from Sakata have earned global trust among professional growers, landscapers, municipalities, and home gardeners. Known for its superior disease resistance, heat and drought tolerance, and uniform, compact plant habit, this series offers a wide range of colors in both single and double flowered types. The new award winning “Profusion Double White Improved” stands out for its larger flower diameter and increased flower petal count compared to the previous Double White variety. It also offers enhanced flower longevity, ensuring impressive displays over an extended period. In the FS trials, these improvements were highly praised, with comments such as: “Attractive double flowers that bloom continuously,” “The Zinnia Profusion series has compact growth with strong basal branching,” and “Larger flower size than the current commercialized variety.”
We are selling the variety worldwide. In Japan, we plan to sell the variety from early February 2026.
Fleuroselect (FS: European seeds and pot & bedding plants competition) is an ornamental plant industry association established in 1970. Fleuroselect tests and evaluates new pots, bedding plants and varieties, protects member varieties, and promotes award winners. The applied varieties are evaluated for novelty and practicality through cultural trials and assessments conducted at various sites in Europe. Especially superior varieties are awarded a gold medal. The winners will be grown and displayed in different public gardens in Europe, in US and in Asia as introduction and promotion to home gardeners and professional plant producers.
All-America Selections (AAS) is a non-profit organization that was established in 1932 to introduce and promote new superior varieties of flowers and vegetables to gardeners in the USA and Canada. AAS is, in the horticulture industry, one of the most authoritative organizations, to which world’s leading seed companies apply their new varieties to contest. Every year, variety comparative trials and evaluations are conducted in various sites in the USA and Canada, and superior varieties (winning varieties) are identified. Varieties superior to other winners by far will be awarded a gold medal, such honorable prize as being conferred only once or twice in a decade.
Sakata’s Zinnia “Profusion Double White Improved” secures another prestigious award
Sakata is proud to announce that Zinnia Profusion Double White Improved has been honoured with a Fleuroselect Gold Medal for the 2027 season, the highest recognition awarded by Fleuroselect – the international organisation for the ornamental plants industry. This follows its earlier success in the United States, where the variety also received the All-America Selections (AAS) Gold Medal, making it a double award winner recognised by both judging panels.
Developed with the needs of landscapers, municipalities, professional growers and home gardeners in mind, the Zinnia Profusion series stands out for its exceptional garden performance. A true landscape performer, the series delivers continuous flowering throughout the season, even under challenging weather conditions. It combines excellent heat and drought tolerance with strong disease resistance, making it a reliable choice for low-maintenance, high-impact displays.
Impressive displays over an extended period
The new award-winning Zinnia Profusion Double White Improved stand out for its larger flower diameter and increased flower petal count compared to the previous Double White variety. It also offers enhanced flower longevity, ensuring impressive displays over an extended period. During Fleuroselect trials, judges praised the variety for its visual appeal and performance, highlighting its “attractive double flowers with continuous bloom,” “compact growth with strong basal branching,” and “clearly larger flower size compared to existing commercial varieties.”
As a Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner, Zinnia Profusion Double White Improved will be showcased in public trial and display gardens across Europe, the United States and Asia, supporting its introduction and promotion to both professional producers and distributors worldwide.
Sakata Ornamentals EMEA
As an independent breeder of premium bedding plants, pot plants and cut flowers, Sakata has more than one hundred years of experience in developing high-quality genetics for commercial distributors, propagators and growers. This expertise has resulted in unique hybrid genetics with outstanding garden performance over multiple seasons, excellent flowering, strong weather tolerance and high disease resistance. Sakata Ornamentals EMEA is based in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, and Marslev, Denmark.
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