The following are new plants that merit consideration for your landscapes and landscape beds.
ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS
All-America Selections (AAS) is a respected non-profit plant trialing organization that announced six new AAS Winners available for the 2024 season. All AAS Winners are trialed throughout North America by professional, independent, volunteer judges who grow new, never-before-sold entries next to comparisons that are considered best-in-class.
Celosia plumosa Burning Embers
AAS Seed Annual Winner
National Winner
Burning Embers is a new celosia bred for its gorgeous bronze foliage with dark pink veins that contrast nicely with the vibrant pink flower plumes. Plants are well branched and produce more flowers over a longer bloom time. Numerous AAS Judges commented that this entry had the largest and longest lasting flowers of all the celosia varieties they trialed. Plus, Burning Embers does very well in both heat and humidity while remaining completely covered with blooms that withstood the test of time. Bred by Clover Seed Company. Distributed by Sakata Seed (https://sakataornamentals.com/).
Geranium Interspecific Big Eeze Pink Batik
AAS Non-Seed Annual Winner
National Winner
The Big Eeze geranium series is known for its superior container performance, medium vigor, and heat tolerance. The newest addition to the series, Pink Batik, is sure to impress with its unique coloration and minimal maintenance requirements. Batiking is known for being a labor-intensive way to produce beautiful colorations on fabric, but this new geranium is a super “Eeze” way to get stunning petal colors on a very floriferous plant with very little effort needed. Bred by Dummen Orange (https://na.dummenorange.com).
Impatiens Interspecific Solarscape XL Pink Jewel
AAS Seed Annual Winner
National Winner
Solarscape seed-propagated impatiens provide unbeatable color in full or partial-sun garden areas. Durable Solarscape outperformed the comparison varieties with vibrant pink satiny blooms that covered the mounded plants non-stop all season, adding a bright and pleasing tropical appeal to the garden. Solarscape XL Pink Jewel has superior disease resistance, especially to the dreaded impatiens downy mildew. Looks great when massed in beds and borders and since it was trialed in both containers and in-ground, we know it does well in both. Bred by PanAmerican Seed (http://www.panamseed.com/).
Marigold Siam Gold
AAS Seed Annual Winner
National Winner
Named for a former country located halfway across the world, Siam Gold has beautiful, mounded foliage that produces globe-like, fully double golden flowers all season long. The large flowers are held on top of sturdy stems and above the foliage for full color visibility, making a striking focal point. Blooms were very tight and held up all summer long. The uniformity of the plant gives a neat, tidy appearance. Siam Gold is excellent for cut flowers, but no staking is needed. Bred by Thai Home Seeds (http://www.thaihomeseeds.com/).
Petchoa, EnViva Pink
AAS Non-Seed Ornamental Winner
National Winner
AAS Judges were wowed by the well-controlled mounding plant habit of EnViva Pink over the entire season. The bright pink flower with a yellow throat is very eye catching. The flowers have a nice iridescent shimmer that toughed it out even when conditions got tough, like an irrigation system failure! All season long, EnViva stayed in glorious color even during the heat of the summer. Bred by Selecta One North America (www.ballfloraplant.com).
Petunia SureShot White
AAS Non-Seed Ornamental Winner
Regional Winner: Great Lakes and West/Northwest
The versatile SureShot petunias can withstand any bizarre weather conditions. Whether you plant them in garden beds, containers or hanging baskets, these beauties will thrive, come rain or shine, heat or cold. Their vibrant white blooms cover the plants, attracting bees and other pollinators to their lightly fragrant blossoms. SureShots are sure to turn heads with their stunning display of color. Bred by Ball FloraPlant (www.ballfloraplant.com).
Verbena tenuisecta Sweetheart Kisses
AAS Ornamental from Seed Winner
National Winner
This low-growing wonder, praised by AAS judges for its vibrant red, rose, pink and a hint of white blooms, adds instant charm to any garden. Delicate, airy foliage (tenuisecta means “thinly cut”) forms a soft cushion, setting the stage for an explosion of color that lasts all season long. Sweetheart Kisses thrives in sun-drenched days and dry spells. Plant this versatile plant in the ground, let it grow as a stunning groundcover, or fill your containers with its cheerful blooms. And the best part? Sweetheart Kisses is a breeze to grow! Start from seed and in just 55 days, landscape beds will be buzzing with butterflies and bees, all drawn to its irresistible nectar. Bred by Applewood Seed Company (https://www.applewoodseed.com).
FIRST EDITIONS
First Editions Eclipse Bigleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmacseven’ PP34,544, US Patent PendingEclipse is the first true dark-leaf Hydrangea macrophylla on the market. Its intense, dark-purple foliage holds its color, even in warm climates. The striking foliage, paired with gorgeous dark-purple or cranberry-colored blooms, will make a big impact. Eclipse is a grower-friendly plant that offers excellent mildew and Cercospora resistance, and is a standout in the landscape. Hardiness Zone: 5-9AHS Heat Zone: 9Height: 3-5’Width: 3-5’Exposure: Morning Sun, Dappled Afternoon ShadeShape: Mounded
firsteditionsplants.com
First Editions Honeycomb Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius ‘ZLENora’ PP34,624
Large, vibrant, chartreuse leaves hold their color all season long, even in full sun. Honeycomb-shaped white flowers appear in spring and contrast nicely with the foliage, which turns shades of gold in the fall. Honeycomb can be easily shaped with pruning or left to grow naturally. This ninebark grows nicely in containers and is just as attractive in the landscape. The medium size makes for a beautiful hedge or color block along a fence line.
Hardiness Zone: 3-7
AHS Heat Zone: 7
Height: 4-6’
Width: 5-7’
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Shape: Upright, Arching
firsteditionsplants.com
First Editions Lucky Leu Leucothoe
Leucothoe axillaris ‘Bailcothoe’With the species native to the Southeastern United States, Lucky Leu is a well-rounded, low-maintenance landscape shrub that performs well in both sun and shade. It maintains its shape beautifully and requires very little pruning. New growth has apeach-orange tint accented with small white flowers in spring with the foliage evolving into medium green.Hardiness Zone: 6-9AHS Heat Zone: 9Height: 3-5’Width: 3-5’Exposure: Full Sun to Part ShadeShape: Mounded
firsteditionsplants.com
First Editions Queen Bee Chastetree
Vitex agnus-castus ‘Bailtexthree’ PP35,259Long-lasting blooms and improved flower power make this shrub a true standout. Vibrant lavender flowers appear in mid-June and continue throughout the summer. The first round of flowers encourages a strong rebloom, which is ideal for scheduling production cycles. Queen Bee exhibits impressive drought, heat and cold tolerance compared to similar varieties. With its larger size, this pollinator magnet creates a beautiful and colorful hedge or focal point.Hardiness Zone: 6-9AHS Heat Zone: 9Height: 6’Width: 7-9’Exposure: Full SunShape: Rounded
firsteditionsplants.com
TERRA NOVA NURSERIES
Agastache ‘Pink Pearl’
Agastache ‘Pink Pearl’ showcases a mid-sized, full and compact mound of large flower spikes with a unique, light-pink color. Dense blooms cover the entire plant, appearing in two tones with deeper-colored flower buds. Hardiness zones for ‘Pink Pearl’ are 6-10. www.terranovanurseries.com.
Geum Tempo ‘Coral’
Geum Tempo ‘Coral’ is an exciting addition to the popular Tempo series with an abundance of bright, coral-red flowers. This deciduous perennial displays a fast, clumping and mounding growth habit and is most active in spring. The variety’s hardiness zones are 5-9. www.terranovanurseries.com.
Penstemon Dakota ‘Burgundy’
Penstemon Dakota ‘Burgundy’ features glossy, purple-black leaves with lavender to violet flowers, which are loved by hummingbirds and pollinators. This tough and hardy perennial blooms July and August, and its hardiness zones are 3-8. www.terranovanurseries.com.
Penstemon Dakota ‘Verde’
Penstemon Dakota ‘Verde’ is a compact plant with fresh and glossy green leaves and showy, lavender to violet flowers blooming in July and August. Dakota ‘Verde’ is deer-resistant and a strong hummingbird attractor. Its hardiness zones are 3-8. www.terranovanurseries.com.
Sedum ‘Peach Pearls’
Sedum ‘Peach Pearls’ is loved for its burgundy leaves and rose gold flowers. This variety requires minimal water usage and is ideal for mixed beds, borders, rock gardens or containers. ‘Peach Pearls’ has a fast and mounding growth habit and grows in hardiness zones 4-9. www.terranovanurseries.com.