15 New Perennials For Bees, Butterflies, And Other Pollinators
Perennials produce colorful flowers and foliage year after year, providing habitat and food for bees, butterflies, birds, moths, and other pollinators. Urbanization and lack of biodiversity have contributed to a shortage of nectar and pollen sources, putting pollinator health at risk. With more gardeners looking to grow plants that promote pollinator health, perennials offer plenty of possibilities for a pollinator-friendly landscape.
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Dicentra ‘White Gold’ (Terra Nova Nurseries)
‘White Gold’ is a vigorous plant that works well for brightening part-shade areas. It has gold leaves with brilliant-white, heart-shaped flowers. Foliage height is 24 inches with a spread of 36 inches. Flowering height is 30 inches. ‘White Gold’ is hardy in Zones 4 to 8 and is a 2015 introduction available for retail in 2016.
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Aubrieta × cultorum ‘Pixie Pearls’ (Jelitto)
Aubrietas are popular, easy to grow, and durable. These mounding, early spring blooming, evergreen perennials have been available from seed in a range of blues, purples, reds, and pinks. The few available white-blooming selections have usually been grown by cuttings — until now. The Pixie Pearls Series adds an exciting new dimension to seed-sown possibilities with its consistent and vigorous flowering. Aubrietas have always been an excellent multi-season crop, with good potential for container sales in spring and fall promotions.
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Digiplexis ‘Illumination Raspberry Improved’ (Dümmen Orange)
Digiplexis ‘Illumination Raspberry Improved’ is very grower-friendly. Improvements to it include stronger branching, a more compact habit at 18 to 24 inches, and strong, flexible flower stalks for tighter racking. Vibrant blooms are sterile, giving this selection a long flowering period. Plants are pollinator-friendly with high visual impact at retail.
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Echinacea ‘Butterfly Rainbow Marcella’ (Plants Nouveau)
Rainbow Marcella is a compact, super floriferous selection that produces a pot full of single, sherbet-colored blooms from early summer till frost. The latest addition to the ever-popular Butterfly Series, this beauty will complement any garden setting.
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Helenium 'Orange' (Kientzler)
Helenium ‘Orange’ is a new introductions for 2016. Kientzler helenium varieties are bred for more compact habits. Helenium plants should be grown in gallon containers or smaller with target flowering for late spring or summer. They should be finished in long-day, outdoor conditions, and are hardy in Zones 3 to 8.
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Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra ‘Burning Hearts’ (Jelitto)
‘Burning Hearts’ has golden bi-colored flowers with bright, colorful red eyes and dark-purple leaves. It is a variation of Heliopsis ‘Summer Nights’ with deeper purple tones, dozens of golden blooms, and a sturdy habit.
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Heliopsis 'Sole d' Oro' (Kientzler)
Heliopsis is well suited for production and sales in gallon containers. ‘Sole d’Oro’ is a new 2016 introduction, bred by Kientzler to be more compact than ‘Tuscan Sun.’ Heliopsis will flower without the need for vernalization and will flower in long-day conditions. Target flower production for ‘Sole d’Oro’ is for late spring or early summer flowering. It is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
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Hemerocallis ‘EveryDayLily Cream’ (Monrovia)
New for 2016, Cream is a dwarf, colorful, and re-blooming daylily that has creamy-yellow flowers with ruffled edges. EveryDayLily varieties are the offspring of ‘Stella d'Oro,’ and even hardier (Zones 4 to 10).
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Hemerocallis ‘EveryDayLily Pink Wing’ (Monrovia)
The delightful pink and cream flowers of Pink Wing, new for 2016, have dark-pink halos and yellow throats. These early-blooming champions flower steadily from summer until fall. They are perfect in perennial beds or containers on a patio or deck. You can plant them in mass for a superb effect. Pink Wing is hardy in Zones 4 to 10.
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Hemerocallis ‘EveryDayLily Yellow Punch’ (Monrovia)
New for 2016, Yellow Punch is a new, dwarf, repeat-blooming daylily with exotic bi-color violet-rose and ivory flowers. It is hardy in Zones 4 to 10.
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Kniphofia ‘Echo Yello’ (ItSaul Plants)
‘Echo Yello’ is the most recent addition to the Kniphofia Echo series, bred by Richard Saul of ItSaul Plants. It reblooms from May to September. The blooms are lemon yellow and stand tall, 24 to 36 inches on sturdy stems. This kniphofia is great for hummingbird and butterfly gardens.
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Leucanthemum ‘Belgian Lace’ (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Introduced in 2015 and available for retail in 2016, ‘Belgian Lace’ is Terra Nova Nurseries’ "dwarfest" Shasta Daisy so far. Leucanthemum 'Belgian Lace' has a small, clumping habit and forms a low mat with double flowers boasting fringed petals. Flower buds are light yellow, and open flowers have yellow center petals when young. ‘Belgian Lace’ is a great edger or use it for mass plantings. It is hardy in Zones 5 to 8.
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Leucanthemum ‘Ooh La Lagrande’ (Florensis)
‘Ooh La Lagrande’ is a 2016 introduction for 2017 retail, and is a pure white, first-year flowering perennial that flowers one week earlier than ‘Lacrosse.’ ‘Ooh La Lagrande’ has a large first flower and many secondary flowers following shortly, giving it a long shelf life at retail. This new leucanthemum is naturally compact, so it is ideal for quarts or three in a gallon.
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Salvia ‘Salute White’ (Dümmen Orange)
The newest member of the Salute family, Salvia ‘Salute White’ is an extremely tough performer in the landscape. First-year flowering plants show well in retail environments. Upright spikes of clear, white flowers provide an architectural element in the landscape. ‘Salute White’ is very floriferous and a repeat bloomer.
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Scabiosa Flutter (Darwin Perennials)
Darwin Perennials offers a new series of perennial scabiosa for retail in 2016. Flutter has a compact habit and shorter peduncles, making it easier to ship and show their large, colorful blooms. Their deeper colors and better habit draws in pollinators. Flutter has a long flowering window and is hardy in Zones 5 to 9, with high mildew resistance. Available in Deep Blue and Rose Pink.
View all
Dicentra ‘White Gold’ (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Aubrieta × cultorum ‘Pixie Pearls’ (Jelitto)
Digiplexis ‘Illumination Raspberry Improved’ (Dümmen Orange)
Echinacea ‘Butterfly Rainbow Marcella’ (Plants Nouveau)
Helenium 'Orange' (Kientzler)
Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra ‘Burning Hearts’ (Jelitto)
Heliopsis 'Sole d' Oro' (Kientzler)
Hemerocallis ‘EveryDayLily Cream’ (Monrovia)
Hemerocallis ‘EveryDayLily Pink Wing’ (Monrovia)
Hemerocallis ‘EveryDayLily Yellow Punch’ (Monrovia)
Kniphofia ‘Echo Yello’ (ItSaul Plants)
Leucanthemum ‘Belgian Lace’ (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Leucanthemum ‘Ooh La Lagrande’ (Florensis)
Salvia ‘Salute White’ (Dümmen Orange)
Scabiosa Flutter (Darwin Perennials)
For greenhouse growers, these 15 new perennials available for retail in 2016 and 2017 are hardy, with compact habits and strong branching for easier shipping, plus dozens of colorful blooms that will appeal to both pollinators and customers.
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Janeen Wright is former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. . See all author stories here.