newest plants for 2021

yngenta Flowers. s Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of Botanical Interests.

African daisy ‘Tradewinds Sunset’. Ageratum ‘Blue Planet’. Black-eyed Susan ‘Amarillo Gold’.

By shauna dobbie

Annuals

African daisy ‘Tradewinds Sunset’ (Osteospermum ecklonis). Gorgeous new colour. Orange to pink flowers bloom in spring and carry on through summer. Grows to a foot high. Syngenta.

Ageratum ‘Blue Planet’ (Ageratum houstonianum). A tall ageratum with non-stop flowering power that doesn't require deadheading. Gets 2 to 3 feet high. Botanical Interests.

Black-eyed Susan ‘Amarillo Gold’ (Rudbeckia hirta). A shorter plant, growing about a foot high, with orangeyellow rays around a bright green eye. Wow! Ernst Benary of America.

Black-eyed Susan vine ‘Susie White’ (Thunbergia alata). Beautiful white flowers with dark centres, just like the name. The flowers are big and fresh-looking. The vine grows to over 3 feet. It will climb up a trellis or ramble over the ground as an annual groundcover. Garden Trends.

Cigar flower ‘Hummingbird's Lunch’ (Cuphea ignea). Elongated 2-inch cherry-red flowers tipped in yellow bloom from spring through fall. These are great for when you want people to say “what's that?!” Keep it fed and it will delight through to frost. Grows to 12 to 18 inches tall. PlantHaven International.

Cineraria ‘Senetti Magic Salmon’ (Pericallis hybrid). So, the bloom will only last through the spring, but this one has to be included for its beautiful colour. It will live in a pot in your home until you bring it outdoors, where it will survive low temperatures but not frost. But my goodness, the purple petals on this daisy-like plant, which fade to pink toward the centre with yellow eyes... it's beautiful. The trick will be to find a nursery selling them. Proven Winners.

Photo courtesy of Ball Horticultural Company. Photo courtesy of PlantHaven International.

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Delphinium ‘Jenny’s Pearl Blue’. Echeveria ‘Frosty’.

Photo courtesy of Proven Winners.

Elephant’s ear ‘Coffee Cups’.

Delphinium ‘Jenny's Pearl Blue’ (Delphinium grandiflorum). This shorter delph, growing to a maximum of 24 inches, has gorgeous big blue blooms. It's suitable for pots, but we'll plant it in borders to see if it self-sows, like other D. grandiflorum. Cross your fingers! Also comes in ‘Jenny's Pearl Pink’ . American Takii.

Echeveria ‘Frosty’ (Echevaria pulvinata). A fuzzy succulent sure to steal the hearts of succulent lovers. This little guy will grow to 6 inches high by up to 12 inches wide. It is a perennial way down south, and it will adapt itself to live in your home. Part sun to sun. Proven Winners.

Elephant's ear ‘Coffee Cups’ (Colocasia esculenta). This is interesting. Apparently, the cupped foliage of this plant collects rainwater and, when there’s enough water to bend the stem, pours it out. Blooms all summer and can get to 5 feet high by 4 feet wide, though that's in USDA 8a, where it is perennial. Proven Winners.

Perennials

Astilbe ‘Mighty Chocolate Cherry’ (Astilbe). Doesn't bloom until mid-summer, taking over when other astilbes fade. The colour is the real star here: raspberry blooms, dark red stems and maroon-tinged foliage. Breathtaking, good for cutting, and it grows to 4 feet or higher. Longfield Gardens. USDA 3.

Clematis ‘Little Lemons’ (Clematis tangutica). Because it won't grow beyond 24 inches this cheery yellow clematis has our hearts. You can keep it in a pot which can be kept in a protected spot for winter if you live below Canadian Zone 6. This little beauty is a bee magnet. Concept Plants. USDA 5.

Clematis ‘Sparky’ (Clematis hybrid). Take your pick of ‘Sparky Blue’ , ‘Sparky Pink’ and ‘Sparky Purple’, three very pretty clematises that bloom on old wood (which means you don't need to prune and if you do, do it in spring after flowering). The petals are long and narrow, looking quite spiky. They like to keep their roots cooler than their tops, so plant in a spot where the roots are shaded but the flowers get some sun. Height and spread of 6 feet. Proven Winners. USDA 5.

Heuchera ‘Dolce Toffee Tart’ (Heuchera). There must be a heuchera every year, and this year it's this beauty, starting with amber leaves that mature to ginger. The flowers are creamy white. Gets to 10 inches tall by 18 inches wide. Proven Winners. USDA 4.

ational Garden Bureau. Photo courtesy of n Photo courtesy of Concept Plants. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners.

Photo courtesy of Walters Garden. ursery. Photo courtesy of v alleybrook n

Shasta daisy ‘Ice Cream Dream’. Siberian iris ‘Black Joker’. Rose ‘Aurora Borealis’.

Shasta daisy ‘Ice Cream Dream’ (Leucanthemum superbum). A very frilly shasta daisy! With white petals and a yellow disc, this daisy requires full sun to bloom from early summer to midsummer. Grows to 12 inches in height and 18 inches in width. Walters Gardens. USDA 5.

Siberian iris ‘Black Joker’ (Iris sibirica). Such pretty colours. The inner petals are the lightest shade of bluepurple with the falls a deeper blackish purple with yellow veins. Truly remarkable. Grows to 5 feet tall. Valleybrook Nursery. USDA 2.

Roses

Rose ‘Aurora Borealis’ (Rosa). Declared the Canada Blooms Plant of the Year for 2021, this dark pink beauty blooms all summer long, is resistant to black spot and is hardy right down to -40. Grows to 3 feet by 3 feet. Vineland. Zone 2.

Rose ‘Enchanted Peace’ (Rosa). Creamy centre double hybrid tea that melds into pink. This disease-resistant new variety smells divine and will grow quite happily in a container so it can be enjoyed by anyone who can provide a safe place to overwinter, as long as you have a container that can handle a 5-foot high by 3-foot wide rose. Star Roses and Plants. USDA 5.

Rose ‘Eustacia Vye’ (Rosa). Very full pale pink with a delicate yet strong fruity scent. Grows to 4 feet high by 3 feet wide. David Austin. USDA 4.

Rose ‘Funny Face’ (Rosa). A semi-double pink with white centre and tips and a kind of casual habit –we're not sure how else to describe this changing beauty! Three feet high and wide with fragrant blooms. Easy Elegance. USDA 4.

Rose ‘Gabriel Oak’ (Rosa). A deep, deep pink with the outer petals fading into red with age. These big beauties have an over-abundance of petals and repeat bloom. Gets to 4 feet wide and high. David Austin. USDA 4.

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Rose ‘Gabriel Oak’.

oses. r ustin a Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of Proven Winners.

Rose ‘Ringo All-Star’. Abelia ‘Vintage Charm’.

Rose ‘Petite Knock Out’ (Rosa). Rosarians will be pleased to hear that they've finally managed to miniaturize a ‘Knock Out’ rose. Bright red double blooms on a shrub that tops out at 18 inches high. Blooms get to about 1 ½ inches in size. Star Roses and Plants. USDA 5.

Rose ‘Ringo All-Star’ (Rosa). This single rose starts out in a melon shade with a red centre and matures into lavender and pink. It blooms well all season and you don't even need to deadhead. Grows to 3 feet high and wide. Proven Winners. USDA 4.

Rose ‘Sitting Pretty’ (Rosa). Big pink blooms on a grandiflora with the heavenly scent of a damask rose. Four feet high and wide. Star Roses and Plants. USDA 4.

Rose ‘Sunset Horizon’ (Rosa). This floribunda gives the impression of a hot, hot summer when it first blooms in bright yellow with hints of cherry red. The bloom fades with age. Up to 4 feet high. Star Roses and Plants. USDA 5.

Shrubs

Abelia ‘Vintage Charm’ (Abelia hybrida). Pretty shrub with flowers that go from white to pink to tan. More blooms per branch in a smaller stature than other abelias, topping out at 3 feet high. Gardener’s Confidence. USDA 6.

Azalea ‘Echo’ (Rhododendron x ‘Rut Rodi’). A vigourous and floriferous reblooming azalea, but probably only for the West Coast and the very southern part of Ontario. Blooms in spring and then again in late summer. Bright fuchsia flowers. Height of 6 feet plus. Gardener's Confidence. USDA 7.

Buckthorn ‘Fine Line Improved’ (Rhamnus frangula). Lush and full from top to bottom. This new variety bears few fruits, most of them sterile. Tall and thin, it will achieve a height of 5 to 7 feet and a width of 2 to 3 feet. Proven Winners. USDA 2.

Chokeberry ‘Ground Hog’ (Aronia melanocarpa). Beautiful and small shrub that gets to be no more than

Photo courtesy of Gardeners Confidence. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners.

Photo courtesy of Walters Garden.

False spirea ‘Matcha Ball’. Hydrangea ‘Diamond Rouge’.

Photo courtesy of Walters Garden.

Lilac ‘Little Lady’.

2 feet high. The glossy green leaves turn red in fall. In summer, it has white flowers all over. Proven Winners. Zone 3.

False spirea ‘Matcha Ball’ (Sorbaria sorbifolia). This little guy grows into a ball-shaped shrub just 4 feet high and wide. The leaves are tinged with peach in spring, turn bright green all summer until fall, when they go yellow. First Editions. Zone 3.

Hydrangea ‘Diamond Rouge’ (Hydrangea paniculata). You want wine-coloured hydrangea blooms that last and last? This is it. Up to 5 feet high by 4 feet wide. First Editions. Zone 3.

Lilac ‘Baby Kim’ (Syringa). Let's start with dimensions: 2 to 3 feet high and wide. This is PW's smallest hydrangea yet! You never need to prune it and the flowers keep their light lilac shade. Proven Winners. USDA 3.

Lilac ‘Little Lady’ (Syringa). Fragrant lilac that gets to be 5 feet high and wide. It has large flower panicles but a compact habit. Northern Garden. Zone 2.

Lilac ‘Pinktini' (Syringa x prestoniae). A smaller statured lilac that blooms in bright pink. Tops out at 5 feet high by 4 feet wide and does not sucker. Northern Garden. Zone 2.

Mockorange ‘Illuminati Arch’ (Philadelphus coronarious). If you love the romantic white flowers with orangeblossom fragrance of mockorange but aren't crazy about how ratty and messy they can become, here's a shrub for you. It's smaller but has cleaner foliage and blooming. Grows to 4 feet high and wide. Proven Winners. USDA 4.

Osier dogwood ‘Arctic Fire Yellow’ (Cornus stolonifera). Not the first yellow-twig dogwood, but it is a good-looking one. Grows to 5 feet high and wide with white flowers that turn to white berries among dark green foliage. Proven Winners. USDA 2.

Sand cherry ‘Jade Parade’ (Prunus pumila). We're not convinced that this shrub poops out at USDA 3, particularly since sand cherries grow wild to Canadian Zone 2a. This one is low-growing and spreading but with upward-arching branches. It's covered by ½-inch white blooms in spring and blue-green foliage in summer, which turns yellow, orange and red in fall. Grows to 3 feet high and is very tolerant of

urseries. Photo courtesy of Jeffries n Photo courtesy of Proven Winners.

Snowberry ‘Pinky Promise’.

asy. Photo courtesy of Bloomin’ e Photo courtesy of Proven Winners.

Yew ‘Stonehenge Skinny’. Bean ‘Celine’.

full shade and dry conditions. Bailey Nurseries. USDA 3.

Snowberry ‘Pinky Promise’ (Symphoricarpos doorenbosii). A diminutive shrub that gives a flashy display of pretty pink berries that cover a mint-green plant. It works in planters and will take just about any level of shade or sun. Size of 3 feet high and wide. Bloomin' Easy. Zone 3.

Yew ‘Stonehenge Skinny’ (Taxus x media). You want a tall skinny evergreen? This one is only 12 to 18 inches wide but attains a height of up to 8 feet. Proven Winners. USDA 5.

Vegetables

Bean ‘Celine’ (Phaseolus vulgaris). A purple, stringless bush bean. Apparently they taste as good as they look! Maturity in 55 days. Osborne Quality Seeds.

Bean ‘Python' (Phaseolus vulgaris). Long Asian beans that extend to 16 to 20 inches! Dark green and richly flavoured. Ready 80 days after direct seeding. Pure Line Seeds.

Blueberry ‘Midnight Cascade’ (Vaccinium corymbosum). Are you sitting down? Because this is a hanging blueberry. Yeah. Which gets rid of the problem of acidifying your garden soil when it comes to growing blueberries. With a sprawly sort of habit, it gets to 18 to 24 inches. Hardiness is only USDA 5, but maybe it can be brought into a less-cold spot for winter? Star Roses and Plants. USDA 5.

Cauliflower ‘Multi-Head’ (Brassica oleracea botrytis). If you've grown cauliflower (successfully) before, you already know that it's possible to harvest secondary but smaller offshoots as heads. This variety is chosen for extra side-head vigour. Ready 75 days from sowing. Each one requires 20-inches square. Pure Line Seeds.

Corn ‘On Deck’ (Zea mays). Think you haven't got room for corn? This tops out at 5 feet high and will grow beautifully in a pot. Each stalk gives you 2 or 3 ears of 8 inches. Days to maturity from active growing in the garden is 61. Burpee.

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ational Garden Bureau. Photo courtesy of n

Eggplant ‘Green Envy’.

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Escarole ‘Eliance’. Pepper ‘Pot-a-peno’.

Eggplant ‘Green Envy’ (Solanum melongena). A feast for the eyes! This light green eggplant has few seeds and is not bitter. It produces 6-inch oval fruits that can be harvested 65 days after transplant. Seeds by Design.

Escarole ‘Eliance’ (Cichorium endivia). A heat-tolerant chicory that grows tender, smooth leaves. It has an upright, dense habit so you won't get bottom rot, and strong bolting tolerance. Compact 12-inch height. Harvest 75 days from seed, 45 days from transplant. Vitalis Organic Seeds.

Pepper ‘Pot-a-peno’ (Capiscum annuum). A jalapeno pepper small enough to grow in a hanging basket. They mature faster than others. Eat them green for a punch of spice or wait until they're red for some lovely sweet heat. They're attractive, too, with dense foliage. Days from transplant to harvest is 50 for green and 65 for red. AllAmericas Selections.

Radish ‘Nero Tondo’ (Raphanus sativus). As black on the outside as it is white on the inside. These radishes are hot! Maturity 50 days after direct seeding. Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Shallot ‘Crème Brulee’ (Allium cepa). These are sweet and tender bulbs that mature earlier than other shallots and have a lemony flavour raw. When you carmelize them, they are full of natural sugars to make a gorgeous and tasty colour. Maturity in 105 days. All-America Selections.

Tatsoi ‘Red Cloud’ (Brassica rapa). Perfect for babyleaf salads. It's a deep burgundy, almost black leaf with crunchy bite and mild flavour. Takes 25 days to grow to baby size and 45 days to grow to full size. Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Tomato ‘Siam’ (Solanum lycopersicum). These are perfect for a very sunny windowsill or the balcony. A very small-statured plant, it's part of the Kitchen Minis collection and it's meant for the tabletop. From transplant it’s 70 days to your first tomatoes. The plant gets to 12 inches wide and just 9 inches high and grows red cherry tomatoes. Ball Seed.

Turnip ‘Silky Sweet’ (Brassica rapa). Beautiful white globes of crispy and sweet vitamin bombs. These should be direct sown for maturity in 65 days. Burpee. r

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The hardiness included here is strictly what the grower will attest to. This year, we have given USDA hardiness numbers for American companies and Zone numbers for Canadian companies.

Do not let the Zone number turn you off trying a plant. If it is available at a nursery in your area, then you should be able to grow it. If it is hardy in your area, your nursery should tell you so; they may not offer a guarantee on that plant. If you

aren’t sure, please ask at your garden centre. A Zone is the number given to an area to reflect how cold it will get through the year. The USDA is strictly about temperature whereas the Canadian Zone number takes into account wind and frost-free days and rainfall as well. Most gardeners say that the difference is one number; add one to the USDA Zone to get the Canadian Zone. It’s more complex than that, though, as is shown by the chart below, copied from Wikipedia.

City Canadian Zone USDA Zone

Calgary 4a 4a Edmonton 4a 3b Halifax 6b 6a Montreal 6a 4b Ottawa 5b 4b Saskatoon 3b 3a St. John’s 6a 7a Toronto 7a 5b Vancouver 8b 8b Winnipeg 4a 3b Yellowknife 0a 2a

Scan me

To find your Canadian Zone

http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/images/ PHZ_2014_CFS_Map_30M.pdf Scan me

To find your USDA Zone

http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/images/

PHZ_2014_USDA_Map_30M.pdf