The Celeb series has some of the largest blooms I’ve ever seen on lisianthus and they are sooo incredibly ruffled. This was my first year growing any of the Celeb series on our farm and they are here to stay! The Celeb series varies from 24-36” plus inches. There are varieties in bloomtime groups 1 through 3. We grew 7 of the 40 or so varieties available. They also seem to be sturdier than others because of their thick ruffled petals.
Clock wise from top: Celeb Grape 2, Celeb Mint Green 2, Aurora Pink 1, Beige Neo 1, Rouge 1, Apricot 2, Center: Queen 2
Celeb Mint Green 2
We’ll start the one I was least impressed with, Celeb Mint Green. I had wanted to try some green lisianthus since I saw some gorgeous ones at a Utah Flower Day event. They were so unique! The entire reason for growing the Mint green was for the color and they ended up being a white lisi with a green center. Not what was pictured at all! Growth habit was good, flower was well formed, but it was still a let down. If you’ve got a good recommendation for a true green lisianthus, I’d love to hear it in the comments.
Celeb Rouge 1
When our order for Celeb Honey Pink seed was canceled I choose Celeb Rouge as a replacement based on the slightly warmer tones in the breeders photos. Like the Celeb Mint green the photos were not a good representation of the varieties true color. But!!!! I did really like this one. It is incredible similiar to Corelli Rose, but the flowers are a little larger and it’s a group one so if you are looking for a classic pink lisi to stagger bloomtime, you could grow them both. Dark centered with a very slight deepening of color on the edges of the petals.
If you like this, you might like: Corelli Rose
Celeb Beige Neo 1
Beige Neo was one of the first to bloom and one of the tallest of the 29 varieties we grew this year. The color is mix of beige with blush, definitely a color I think of as a florist color. If you grow for weddings or floral designers this is one to grow. Dark centered.
Celeb Aurora Pink 1
Maybe because I grow so many dark centered varieties Aurora Pink seems like such a breath of fresh air. Its a warm blush with touches of cream and light green, almost opalescent. It’s a good blending flower, looking great with both pinks and peaches.
Celeb Grape 2
One of my new favorites! Celeb Grape is a warmer lavender than Mariachi Lavender or Megalo Orchid. It has big round ruffly blooms and is very prolific, like all the Celeb varieties. It definitely stands out in a sea of pink and apricot lisi.
Celeb Queen 2
While all the Celeb varieties have big blooms, Celeb Queen has the largest blooms I’ve ever seen on a lisianthus. They have true main character energy. And they really are the perfect blush with a burgundy center. In one of the photos you can see the size difference between Corelli Rose, Mariachi Carmine and Celeb Queen. It’s common to have 4 inch blossoms on these babies.
If you like this, you might like: Corelli Light Pink, Voyage First Love
Celeb Apricot 2
My favorite lisies are always the Apricot ones so it’s no surprise that I loved these ones too. Celeb Apricot has a very round form, almost carnation like. It’s color is similiar to Voyage Apricot only a little more yellow than pink leaning. They hold up exceptionally well in the vase and seem to have even more petals than other Celeb varieties.
If you like this, you might like: Voyage Apricot
If you’ve grown any of the Celeb lisianthus and have one to recommend I’d love to hear about it in the comments. We are going to be growing Celeb Honey Pink, Metallic blue, and Blue Chateau next season.