2012 New Perennials

I look and travel all over the country to find new perennials! This summer the Perennial Plant Symposium was in Alanta GA  I found several new venders and visited the wonderful trial gardens in Athems Georgia.  Their test gardens are incredible! I could really see how plant perform in heat just like ours!

Also I search the AAS winners. http://www.all-americaselections.org/ I trust them because they have trial gardens all over America. Even here in St. Louis.

You will notice most of these perennials are smaller and compact. They fit into any situation! So enjoy the list and go to my favorite local garden centers and ask for the ones you can’t live without!

New Plants for 2012:

Achillea 'Red Velvet' Nonfading bold red flowers June into August. Butterflies love the flowers! Very hardy and easy to grow in the sun. 24" high and wide. Plant with Leucanthemum and Platycodon.

Ajuga 'Evening Glow' Large bright bronze foliage with blue flowers in spring. Hummingbirds like the flowers in spring and deer don't eat the foliage! Low growing groundcover is easy to grow, but does not like a wet area.

Alysum 'Summit' Great bold yellow flowers in early spring. Plant in front of the flower bed in the sun. Grows to just 6-8" tall but 24" wide.

Aralea 'Sun King' This is a great focal point for the morning sun area, Grows to 2-3' tall and wide. Plant heuchera and pulmonarea to be highlighted around it.

The next three Baptisia are some of the best being bred from the native species.

Baptisia autralis. Since it's too hot to grow Lupines in St. Louis please grow the Baptisia for that same type of flower. Since it only flowers in June, plant other color around it and they will accent each other all summer.

Baptisia 'Carolina Moonlight' This deer resistant plant grows to 4' high and 3' wide. With beautiful 18" buttery yellow flower spikes for the month of June. Baptisia are a little slow growing but are very hardy.

Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' A rich purple/lavender deer resistant flowers in the month of June. Grows to 4' high and 3' wide. Very hardy but a little slow growing.

Baptisia 'Solar Flair' This deer resistant flower opens yellow and turns shades of orange and it matures. Grows to 4'tall and wide in full sun.

Coreopsis 'Tweety' This is just like Coreopsis'Zagreb' but grows to half the size! Nice yellow daisy flowers from May thru July. May rebloom in the fall. With fine thread like foliage. Grows to just 12" high and wide. Great for the front of the flower bed.

Delosperma 'Firespinner' This is a stunning new color of Delosperma all spring long. Plant in full sun in well drained soil. Grow under 6" tall and 2' wide.

Echinacea 'Double Bubblegum' Beautiful clear bubblegum pink color!! With a double center of the flower outlined by single petals. A great cut flower attracting butterflies!! Grows to 30" high and 24" side in full sun. Blooms late May into August. Please give well drained soil.

Echinacea 'Sombrero Salsa Red' Stunning bold red makes a great cut flower and butterfly magnet. Grows to 24" high and 18" side in full sun. Please plant in well drained soil.

Echinacea 'Sombrero Sandy Yellow' A great companion and contrast to salsa red. This bright yellow also makes a great cut flower and attracts butterflies!! Grows to 24" high and 18" wide in full sun. Please plant in well drained soil.

Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' This is a great foliage plant with contrasting color all its own! But plant other color of flowers around it. Grows to 12" wide and 18" high in full to part sun. Plant in a raised bed with well drained soil. Mulch lightly.

Gaillardia 'Arizona Apricot' An 'All American Selection' winner!! The Apricot center is outlined by beautiful yellow petals. Plant in front of the flower bed to attract butterflies! Will flower April thru September if you cut off dead flowers asap. Grows to just 12" high and wide in full sun.

Guara 'Corrie's Gold' Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds! This unique gold foliage is topped with dainty pinkish flowers. Grows to 24" high and wide in full sun. Cut off dead flowers for continuing new flowers.

Heuchera 'Stainless Steel' I just saw a picture of this plant and I fell in love! I had to wait a year to actually see the plant and I wasn't disappointed!! The most silver I've ever seen in a heuchera! It has a pretty purple underlay on the leaf. Stainless Steel loves the heat and grows to 12" high and 24" wide with dainty white flowers to attract hummingbirds. Never over water or use much mulch around a heuchera.

Heuchera 'Lemon Chiffon' Plant in morning sun till 11am to bring out this beautiful lemon foliage. This will really contrast well with purple heuchera's or any hosta and fern. In cool weather the veins turn a bold red color really bringing it to life!! Grows to 12" high and 18" wide.

Hosta Purple Heart This hosta earns its name from the purple petiols! (the stem of the leaf) accenting the lime green leaf! This slug resistant plant grows to 18" tall and 30+" wide! Plant in morning sun to bring out the best leaf color.

Leucanthemum (Shasta daisy) 'Daisy May' This is a great improvement of an old plant!! Found growing just outside of Chicago. Sorry but it may be a Cubs fan? The large 3" flowers on a compact plant (12" high and 24" wide) flowers May well into July in full sun. Really attracts butterflies!!

Monarda (Bee Balm) 'Cranberry Lace' I saw this plant growing in Atlanta during the Perennial Plant Symposium last summer. At first site, I knew I had to grow it. There was no turning back!! Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. The stunning cranberry color tops a compact plant. Grows to just 12" high and 18" wide in full sun or with a little shade. Real mildew resistant.

Nepeta 'Little Trudy' Also called catmint because the plants aroma attracts cats. Really likes the heat and full sun. Flowers all summer if dead flowers are removed. This is a dwarf selection that grows to just 12" high and 18" wide. Resistant to deer and rabbits.

Nepita 'Pink Cat' Another catmint but with pink flowers. A great contrast to blue flowers like Veronica 'Royal Candles Also a compact grower of just 12" high and 18" wide in full sun. Flowers all summer when dead flowers are removed.

Penstemon 'Purple Riding Hood' Wow a stunning purple penstemon!! A great cut flower also attract hummingbirds! Grows to 18-24" tall and wide in full to part sun. Plant with Shasta daisies and black eyed susans.

Penstemon 'Red Riding Hood' This is a new bold red penstemon. Really attracting hummingbirdsin the summer!! Plant behind Veronica Royal Candles and Nepeta. Grows to 18-24" tall and wide in full to part sun.

Phlox pan. 'Purple Kiss' Oh who doesn't need a purple kiss!! This phlox has stunning purple flowers to attract lots of butterflies from late June into August! It's great for a smaller space, it only grows to 18" high and wide.

Phlox pan. 'Peppermint Twist' Wow I saw this Phlox in a Chicago trial garden. It caught my eye from 50' away!! Grows to just 18" high and wide in full sun!!

Phlox pan. 'Watermelon Punch' Another other eye catcher of a phlox! A bold red flower on top of a compact hardy plant. Grows to just 18" high and wide in full sun.

Polemonium 'Touch of Class' Another tough plant I saw growing in the heat of Atlanta but can take the cold of ST. Louis. Enjoy in the shade or morning sun. This beautiful variegated foliage has pink buds opening to a pale blue flower in spring. Cut off the dead flowers and enjoy the foliage all summer long. A great accent plant to hosta, heuchera and pulmonaria.

Salvia 'Sensation Deep Rose' Sensation!! No kidding!! Beautiful Rose flowers from May into July on a compact plant. Grows to just 12" high and 24" wide in full sun or a little shade.

Stachy's 'Silver Carpet' This is a lambs ear, but with no flowers!! A great accent plant to anything that flowers. Very hardy and tolerates a drought. Grows to just 6" high and 24" wide in full to part sun. Deer and rabbit resistant!

Stachy's 'Pink Cotton Candy' A different kind of lambs ear with bold pink flowers!! Growing to 24" high and wide in full to part sun. Deer and rabbit resistant.

Viola 'Heartthrob' Wow no kidding I saved the best for last!!! This is another eye popping plant for the shade!! It's a great groundcover and grows to just 8" high. Heartthrob has dainty pink flowers in early spring. Plant in the front of the garden and you will be drawn right into the woodland!

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2011 New Sunny Delights:

Allium ‘Summer Beauty’ The two inch globe flower is a magnet for butterflies. Grows in full sun/part shade, to 18” high and wild. Deer resistant and very Hardy. Flowers June and July. This plant was all over the city parks of Chicago in 2010. It looked beautiful!

Amsonia hebrechii is the Perennial Plant of the year for 2011! Grows to 2-3 feet tall and wide in full to part sun. The half inch powder blue flowers in May and June. They last longer in a little afternoon shade. Has fantastic yellow to golden fall foliage! It grows a little slow, but will take 2-3 years to establish a full size plant.

Buddleia ‘Buzz’ A new series of butterfly bush! The breeders have been selecting these plants for ten years to get a consistently short plant. They grow 3-4 feet high and wide in full sun. Flowers of violet or purple/pink start in May and bloom till frost. It will stay shorter in a pot but will not survive the winter in a pot.

Carex ‘Everest’ this beauty is a sport of the popular ‘Evergold’. Grows to 12” high and wide. Likes well drained soil, in full to part sun. This is a beautiful border plant. This is a very touchable plant! Will look great in a container but will not be winter hardy in a pot.

Coreopsis ‘Presto’ The deer don’t like it, but the butterflies do!! Has large two inch flowers on a compact eight inch plant. This award winner blooms all summer when deadheaded! Show this off in the front of the garden!

Coreopsis ‘Sienna Sunset’ This is sport of ‘Crème Brule’ I have always liked ‘Crème Brule’. It has been real hardy with little care. Sienna Sunset was introduced in 2009 at the Perennial Plant Symposium in St Louis. When I saw ‘Sienna Sunset’ I was real excited! The flowers change color slightly with the temperature. It flower May till frost! It looks better if you deadhead the old flowers! It like full to part sun in average soil. Grows to just 12-15 inches.

Digitalis ‘Dalmatian Purple’ This plant received high ranking in the plant trials! It has strong growth habit with lots of intense flowers In May and June! Grow to one foot high and wide. The flower grows to 2-3 feet tall. Is a nice cut flower to bring inside. Deer and rabbit resistant! Attracts hummingbirds!

Echinacea ‘Hot Papaya’ There are a lot of new Echinacea on the market, but I really liked this one last year! Blooms early summer till frost! Has large 2-3” spicy red-orange flower! The butterflies are really attracted to the pom pom center of the flower! Needs the full sun. Grows to three feet tall and two feet wide. Likes average to well drained soil.

Echinacea ‘Pow Wow Wild berry’ Is an AAS Award Winner! (All American Selection) This is a compact growing cone flower. Grows to just 24” tall. It branches out with many flower heads, giving you more flowers per plant all summer. The flowers have a very intense deep rose purple color! Flowers start in June till frost. I have not personally grown this plant. But it is the talk of the town! So lets give it a try.

Euphorbia Myrsinites is an low growing plant with eye catching blue grey foliage. This is a perennial with succulent leaves Likes the full sun in well drained soil. Grows 6-9” tall and 24” wide. I’ve seen this grow in St. Louis and Chicago trial gardens.

Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ I’ve been watching this eye catching black foliage a few years. This is not easy to grow. But if you can grow lavender, I think you can grow Blackbird! Give it well drained soil in a raised bed. Mulch lightly in the winter. Grows to 20” tall and wide.

Gaillardia Arizona Red Another AAS award winner! Gaillardia flower very much all year but may only live three years in your garden. But since they flower so much, you will love this red color. The compact growth of just 12” high and wide will look great in the front of the garden. Needs full sun or just a little shade.

Leucanthemum ‘Lacrosse’ This compact plant grows to just twelve inches high and wide. Has unique spoon like petals. Flowers late spring thru summer when deadheaded! The butterflies love it and the deer don’t! Will look great in the front of the bed with the new Coreopsis ‘Sienna Sunset’.

Leucanthemum ‘Paladin’ Our friends at Terra Nova Nursery say the unique blooms are so ruffled and layered they resemble an Edwardian collar! This Shasta daisy is more compact and flowers longer than Leucanthemum ‘Becky’. It grows to just 18-20” tall and wide.

Lobelia ‘Fried Green Tomaotoes’ Eye catching burgundy foliage all season long. It is accented by a stricking red spike of flowers in the summer. The hummingbirds will love this one! Plant in average to well drained soil. Mulch lightly in winter.

Salvia ‘Sensation Deep Blue’ this is a compact grower of just 12” high and wide! Deadhead old flowers and it will grow and flower all summer! Likes the full sun and is a great companion with the new Leucanthemum ‘Lacrosse’

Silene ‘Rollys Favorite’ This is a cross between Silene and Lychnis. Has a bouquet of beautiful pink flowers in late April thru May! Grows to 15” tall and wide. It prefers morning sun and some afternoon shade. Plant with other Lychnis. The Silene will flower in spring and the Lychnis will flower in summer!

Solidago ‘Little Lemon’ This compact grower is just 10” high and wide! Has beautiful soft yellow flowers in August into Sepember! A great companion with fall blooming anemone’s. It is important to have a fresh flower in the garden in August. Little Lemon will really add new excitement to the flower bed!

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2011 New Shady Charactors:

Heuchera Midnight Bayou Terra Nova Nursery says this is for the southern landscape. That means it will take the Missouri summer heat! It is bred with lots of native villosa genes. Has large purple leaves with black veins. The leaves do change color a little with the seasons. Grows 12” tall and 24” wide with white flowers. Likes to grow on the dry side. Mulch lightly and keep away from sprinkler heads

Heucherella Golden Zebra Get the neck brace out!! This one will be snapping heads as their eye catches this one! The spring color is golden and red! A great one for the focal point of any shade garden. Compact growth of 10” tall and 15” wide. Likes to grow on the dry side and lightly mulched.

Heucherella Sweet Tea orange tea colored leaves in the spring and fall. The leaves darken in the summer. The heuchera villosa breeding give it a bold habit! Likes morning sun and afternoon shade. Grows to 24” high and wide. Accents your hosta and brunnera!

Hakonechloa ‘Fubuki’ a beautiful green and white Japanese forest grass. Likes the morning sun and sun afternoon shade. Is deer resistant and grows to 12” high and wide. Looks great in front of hostas and Heucheras.

Hosta Empress Wu Wow!! This is not only one of the largest hosta’s at maturity (4’ high and 6’wide) but it has its own website! This thing is massive! It can be a focal point of a large shade area.

Hosta ‘Twilight’ If you were into the show you have to have the hosta!! But seriously this is a beautiful medium to large hosta. It grows to 2’ high and 3’ wide. It’s an real eye catcher! Plant with Brunnera and Heuchera’s.

Hosta Fat Cat Wow this is a large hosta with yellow to gold leaves. Grows to 30” tall and 50” wide! The leaves are corrugated and has white flowers. Another great filler for a large shade area!

Hosta ‘Captain Kirk’ Ok it’s not ‘Spock’ but it is Captain Kirk! This is another sport of hosta gold standard. The green margin is a lot wider with a nice gold center. It’s a fast and easy grower with mostly a white flower. Grows to 36” wide and 18” high.