CSU Research Update

Gaillardia aristata Spin Top Yellow Touch

Gaillardia aristata ‘SpinTop Yellow Touch’ –Gaillardia ‘SpinTop Yellow Touch’ from Dummen Orange

Flowers were very showy—predominantly red with an edge ofyellow around the tip ofeach blossom. The attractive green foliage complemented the bloom color. Plant habit was relatively small, compact and mounded, but packed with a lot offlower power. Tips & Tricks: Survival rate was very good for a Gaillardia, and its cold hardiness was impressive. Additional entries in this ‘Spin Top’ series had superior cold hardiness as well.

Delosperma ‘Alan’s Apricot ’PPAF –‘Alan’s Apricot’ Delosperma from Plant Select®

At peak bloom, plants are a carpet ofapricot colored flowers. Plants are uniform and have great vigor as well as better cold hardiness than many Delosperma. Flowers have a unique color and bloom continually throughout the

LEGEND

Full sun

Adapts to part shade

Prefers shadier conditions

Useful for containers

Xeric

Requires moisture

Requires more moisture

season. Tips & Tricks: Alan’s Apricot is great for low water plantings but will also tolerate some extra water that often kills other Delospermas. It is a good low-maintenance plant.

Contributed by James E. Klett, professor, Colorado State University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

GRANITA ® Orange ice plant makes a bold statement

lant Select ® recently introduced some of the most cold-hardy and drought-tolerant ice plants grown in the P U.S., and whose flowers boast eye-popping colors. GRANITA ® Orange ice plant (Delosperma Granita ® Orange) offers large, vibrant orange flowers over a mat of evergreen foliage.

GRANITA ® Orange ice plant is an example of what happens when plants from around the world are grown together in gardens. Plants, originally separated by oceans and mountain ranges, will hybridize. Cross-pollination between these perennials created spring hybrid seedlings, which horticulturist John Stireman evaluated to determine likely parents. GRANITA ® Orange gets its large orange color from Fire Spinner ® ice plant and large everblooming flowers from another ice plant.

The bold orange flowers are an attention-grabber. Use GRANITA ® Orange in sunny areas that don’t receive supplemental water. Plant at the base of red flowering yuccas or near silverheels horehound, turquoise tails blue sedum, partridge feather and winecups for a show of color and texture.

The flowering buttons of GRANITA ® Orange are known to bloom after the first frost and snow when temperatures warm up briefly in late November, as they often do along the Front Range. Enjoy this new Plant Select ® plant in the landscape from spring through late fall. | CG

Size: 1-2” tall x 10-14” wide Flowers: deep orange, late spring through late fall Leaves: oblong succulent leaves Form: groundcover Light: full sun Culture: well-drained loam or sandy soil Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-8 Habitat value: food for bees

Design/maintenance tips

• Requires no maintenance and very little water. • Use for crevice gardens, in steppe gardens or in containers. • Pairs well with larger plants and even shrubs.

— Contributed by Ross Shrigley and Emily Goldman for Plant Select®