New Perennial Varieties

Kids Ask Dr. Bug

New Perennial Varieties for Spring 2022

Every year, gardeners and green industry professionals are bombarded with advertisements for tons of new plants. At times, it may seem like growers and breeders just keep renaming the old varieties to boost their sales, but many of the new perennials are bred for desired improvements. Admittedly, I am a skeptic when it comes to the “latest and greatest” plants that vendors boast about. However, there improvements in plant breeding that have resulted in boosted disease resistance, better blooms, or more controlled growth habits.

For those gardeners that love to plant natives and cultivars of natives, Amsonia ‘String Theory’ is a must. Great for partly sunny areas that can’t accommodate the species A. hubrechtii, ‘String Theory’ will max out at 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide and boasts the same blue spring blooms and stunning golden fall color.

Another native cultivar available this season is ‘Burgundy Blast’ Baptisia. Also known as False Indigo, Baptisia is a woody shrub substitute for the landscape. This variety blooms with dark purple flowers in the springtime in full sun to part shade, and spends the rest of the season showing off its beautiful, unique foliage.

For part shade and dappled light, consider ‘Evening Gown’ and ‘Mahogany Monster’ Heuchera. ‘Evening Gown’ stays smaller and has darker foliage, while ‘Mahogany Monster’ would be better suited for a little more space so to show off its giant red foliage.

In areas of dappled light and full shade, Hostas are always the favorite among gardeners. ‘Hope Springs Eternal’ is a medium sized, variegated Hosta with blue leaves and wide, cream yellow margins. For a fun, less traditional Hosta ‘Miss America’ is tricolored, with green margins, white centers, and streaks of light green throughout the foliage.

Sunny gardens aren’t complete without a planting of Veronica, or Speedwell. Sci-Fi fans will rejoice in planting the newer varieties ‘Blue Skywalker’, ‘Purple Leia’

and ‘Lavender Lightsaber’. These varieties top out around 30 inches and keep a tidy mound. The flower spikes add narrow height to perennial gardens and will rebloom if spent spikes are sheared off after blooming. Veronica are deer resistant and can tolerate some drought conditions but would prefer regular watering.

Echinacea lovers will enjoy the recently released Kismet Series. Kismet is more compact than traditional native Echinacea, with an average size of 18 inches tall and wide. Available in five colors, mixed together they look best in larger plantings and provide a long bloom time, continuing from June until frost in most cases.

Bleeding Heart is commonly found in traditional shade woodland gardens and rarely found in sunnier areas. Proven Winners recently released a fern-leaf/alpine type, ‘Pink Diamonds’, that can tolerate more sun than the traditional varieties. The grower states that it can handle full sun (six or more hours of direct light), but it

can tolerate some afternoon shade. Keep in mind that Bleeding Hearts generally go dormant after their spring bloom, so be sure to place it with companion plants that will persist and the show through the rest of the summer.

Gardeners often utilize Tall Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata) to get height and mid-late summer color in the landscape; the one big drawback is its susceptibility to foliar diseases. ‘Ultraviolet’ boasts brilliant, purple blooms and is an improved version of the old favorite ‘Nicky’. If you prefer a less brilliant color, ‘Uptown Girl’ is a pale version of the favorite ‘Glamour Girl’. Both ‘Ultraviolet’ and ‘Uptown Girl’ are resistant to powdery mildew and produce a nice plant at 32 inches tall and wide. Mixing varieties of Tall Phlox together make a nice blend of color during the hot summer months.

Russian Sage is a great choice for gardeners who love a lowmaintenance long bloomer in the landscape. However, the species Perovskia atriplicifolia has the

tendency to overgrow and spread. ‘Sage Advice’ keeps a nice 36 by 36 inch mound and blooms all summer with dark purple flowers. It is a decent replacement for the gardener who likes the look of Lavender but doesn’t want to spend the time and effort to keep it going through our Kansas City climate.

When assessing the landscape this spring, some gardeners may need to replace plants that didn’t make it through the winter, while others may be considering new plantings altogether. In either case, one or more of these new varieties may be the perfect plant for your situation!

Photo courtesy of Walter Gardens.

Heuchera ‘Mahogany Monster’ Hosta ‘Miss America’

SEAN HOLLAND Perennials Manager

Sean Holland is Perennials Manager at Suburban Lawn & Garden, 135th and Wornall location, in Kansas City, Missouri. You may reach him at seanh@suburbanlg.com.