California Spring Trials: 13 New Perennials For 2015 [Slideshow]
The perennials category is gaining more attention as growers expand their crop mixes. Breeders focused on plant hardiness, longevity and use in containers, as well as the landscape. Here are 13 new varieties to consider for 2015 production.
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Agastache Arizona Series (American Takii)
This compact, floriferous plant is a first-year flowering perennial. Hardy to Zone 6, it’s highly uniform in flowering and habit and offers a fast crop from spring sow. Ideal for quarts and gallons, it comes in three colors: Sandstone, Sun and Sunset.
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Coreopsis 'Firefly' (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Well-formed, compact mounds of dense, thread-like foliage are blanketed with bright yellow and red bicolor flowers. Hardy to Zone 5 and easy to grow with powdery mildew resistance, ‘Firefly’ is a plant for borders or mixed containers.
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Digiplexis 'Berry Canary' (Cultivaris)
This stocky, brand new digitalis hybrid is hardier than ‘Illumination Flame,’ to Zone 7. ‘Berry Canary’ has a dense, compact habit, stout spikes and soft-frosted pink flowers all season long.
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Digitalis 'Foxlight Series' (Darwin Perennials)
The new Foxlight digitalis hybrid series offers three bold flower colors (Plum Gold, Rose Ivory and Ruby Glow) with lower input costs. It blooms all summer with flowers that face out for better show, offering a great focal point in gardens and containers.
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Echibeckia Summerina (Pacific Plug & Liner)
A brand new series from an intergeneric cross, Summerina has the appearance of rudbeckia with the hardiness of echinacea. The extra-large, sterile flowers last two months on the plant before dropping and are self-cleaning.
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Gaura Gaudi Series (Florensis)
This new series boasts ever-blooming flowers on firm, upright stems. Available in Pink, Red and Rose, the Gaudi series will perform well in both the landscape and containers.
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Lavender 'Laveanna Pink Lollipop' (Danziger)
These pretty pink flowers are supported by a well-branched plant with leaves and flowers that spread a delicate lavender fragrance. They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil.
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Lavender Madrid Series (GreenFuse Botanicals)
The new Madrid series offers the same early flowering as the original Madrid lavender, but with larger florets and bracts and an excellent mounded habit. Three colors — Blue, Purple and the unique Rose — reach 10 to 14 inches in height.
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Lobelia 'Vulcan Red' (Kieft Seed)
This professional-quality cardinal flower makes full, strong-stemmed plants with a controlled habit. Deep red flowers bloom atop striking bronze foliage on this first year flowering perennial.
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Penstemon 'Purple Perfectionist' (HGTV HOME Plant Collection)
Part of the new Essential Perennials line from HGTV HOME, this purple people-pleaser offers a compact form and longer bloom period, attracting pollinators. It’s deer-resistant and blooms in full sun.
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Salvia Color Spires Series (Proven Winners Perennials)
The new Color Spires series with three colors blooms from late spring into early summer and forms a dense, rounded clump of aromatic, grey-green foliage. Deer and rabbit resistant, it’s a full sun variety for Zones 3 to 8. Crystal Blue is a unique, light sky blue that’s a Garden Writers favorite.
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Salvia 'Ember's Wish' (Sunset Western Garden/Southern Living Collection)
Glowing, bright coral flowers cover these tough plants from spring to frost. This salvia shakes off heat and humidity and attracts pollinators. Root hardy to 25°F, it reaches 3 by 3 feet and is long-blooming for easy care. A portion of the proceeds from this plant will support the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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Stachys/Lamium 'Lilac Falls' (Westhoff Flowers)
An interspecific cross between stachys and lamium gives ‘Lilac Falls’ a great branching habit, requiring no PGRs. It flowers continuously with beautiful lavender blooms, looks great in a container or hanging basket and could be an interesting component in containers with annuals or perennials.
View all
Agastache Arizona Series (American Takii)
Coreopsis 'Firefly' (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Digiplexis 'Berry Canary' (Cultivaris)
Digitalis 'Foxlight Series' (Darwin Perennials)
Echibeckia Summerina (Pacific Plug & Liner)
Gaura Gaudi Series (Florensis)
Lavender 'Laveanna Pink Lollipop' (Danziger)
Lavender Madrid Series (GreenFuse Botanicals)
Lobelia 'Vulcan Red' (Kieft Seed)
Penstemon 'Purple Perfectionist' (HGTV HOME Plant Collection)
Salvia Color Spires Series (Proven Winners Perennials)
Salvia 'Ember's Wish' (Sunset Western Garden/Southern Living Collection)
Stachys/Lamium 'Lilac Falls' (Westhoff Flowers)
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Laura Drotleff is editor of Greenhouse Grower. See all author stories here.