2021 New Plants

Masses of 1" wide blue to violet blue daisies with a yellow eye seemingly cover up this perennial in late summer and fall providing nectar for pollinators including bees and migrating Monarchs. Bluebird Smooth Blue Aster, a selection of Symphyotrichum laeve (previously Aster laevis), was the top rated aster in trials at Mt. Cuba Center. It has a naturally upright to vase-shaped, clump-forming habit and grows to 3-4' at flowering but can be pinched in late spring or early summer to produce a fuller more compact plant. The Smooth Blue Aster is found throughout much of the US and into Canada. Provide a well-drained, average to semi-dry soil in full sun conditions for optimum vigor and flowering although it is tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions. In semi-shade it may require staking. Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12247

The widely flaring deep blue-purple fan shaped flowers open from tubular buds, and are very reminiscent of Scaevola or Half-Flower, open singly and in clusters held at the growing tips as well as in the leaf axils attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The 5-lobed flowers of Blue-Lips, Sclerochiton harveyanus, are produced most heavily throughout the warmer months of the year. This is a shade tolerant naturally spreading to scandent (vine-like) evergreen tropical shrub with rounded, glossy deep green foliage. Blue-Lips is considered to be frost resistant but not freeze tolerant and it is easily maintained as a shrub form for containers, including hanging baskets, in and around larger growing shade-loving tropicals in the garden as well as on a shaded porch or patio. Provide it with an average moist, acidic to neutral, well-drained soil in a site that receives at least some cool morning sunlight or filtered sunlight for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12268

Large clusters of 2" long creamy white tubular flowers are produced throughout the warmer months and potentially year-round under warm tropical conditions. Buttercream Icing Iochroma, an Almost Eden selection and exclusive introduction, develops into an upright to spreading, exceptionally free-flowering, naturally evergreen, shrub-like tropical that can easily be maintained in medium-sized containers or add it to the garden and landscape in tropical climates. Provide a full sun to part shade site in a fertile, well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. In hot summer climates midday or afternoon shade may be beneficial. The flowers of Iochromas attract hummingbirds and the occasional long-tongued bee. Easy and rewarding and sure to add a tropical flair to any garden and landscape. Item# 12673

Although this vine produces the typical pale pink trumpets with darker pink throats that are common to this species, flowering is just a bonus as the beautifully variegated foliage steals the show! The dark green glossy foliage is heavily edged, splashed, and flecked with soft yellow on new growth that ages to a creamy white at maturity. Charisma Variegated Pink Bower Vine is a naturally evergreen, twining, tropical vine that makes a fantastic statement on a trellis or other support and unlike some variegated plants it can handle full hot summer sun without burning. Where not hardy it can be easily maintained on a small 3' high or larger trellis but it is vigorous enough to cover a 12-15'H arbor or can spread to 30' across on a 6'H fence. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil. Item# 12372

As sexy as Hot Lips but in an all new shade! The spikes of two-lipped tubular bright white flowers are tipped with a broad band of deep cherry red at the tips of the petals creating a stunning contrast. Flowers may be solid cherry red when the weather is cool and dreary but quickly revert to their two-toned splendor with a little sunshine. Cherry Lips Salvia begins flowering in late spring or early summer and continues into fall, all the while attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. A hybrid of the two native species S. greggii and S. microphylla, a.k.a S. x jamensis, this sunloving Sage develops into a naturally rounded, shrub-like perennial that may remain evergreen in mild winter climates, like zones 9B-10, but acts like a die-back perennial where temperatures fall much below about 30^oF. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained, average moist, fertile soils for maximum flower power. Item# 12471

The deep green 4-angled succulent stems are tipped with deep green fuzzy palmate grape or cucumber-like foliage that soon becomes deciduous. The Cucumber Cactus, Cissus quadrangularis, is an easy to succulent herbaceous vining to trailing plant whose stems can potentially grow to 5-15' long if a support is provided but is easily kept as a smaller hanging basket or container plant. In spring it may produce clusters of small green to yellowish flowers that may be followed by grape-like clusters of red to black berries. This unusual succulent is drought resistant and is quite adaptable to growing conditions from full sun to light shade as well as very acidic to very alkaline soils, although, it does require good to excellent drainage and should never be soggy wet. The Cucumber Cactus has been used medicinally,as food, and as fiber in its native tropical Asia and Africa. If stems happen to break off they will readily root. Item# 12438

Multitudes of large showy deep rose pink, semi-double daisy-like flowers sport a nicely contrasting golden yellow eye and rise above a neat mound of deep green foliage on sturdy stems beginning in late summer and continuing into late fall. Curtain Call Deep Rose Japanese Anemone makes a wonderful specimen in containers or as part of the perennial border providing a much needed blast of color when many other perennials are beginning to fade. The flowers are followed by airy decorative fuzzy white seed heads. This is a slowly spreading rhizomatous perennial that develops into a large dense clump of foliage and flowers. The Japanese Anemones are easy low maintenance and long lived perennials that only get better with age. Tolerant of *full sun in cool summer climates, elsewhere provide midday and afternoon shade or filtered shade. Provide an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum flowering and vigor. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12252

The large to very large white semi-double flowers with ruffled petals that surround a boss of gold tipped stamens that shine against the backdrop of rich dark green foliage. Daijokhan Camellia flowers in midseason (Feb-Mar) and develops into a large evergreen shrub with a naturally upright to rounded habit. Image courtesy of Bobby Green and Green's Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11824

Deep wine-red foliage provides a wonderful foil for the tall sturdy spikes of light pink tubular flowers in late spring and early summer attracting bees, hummingbirds, and the occassional butterfly. Dark Towers Penstemon, an offspring of Penstemon digitalis, was developed by Dale Lindgren at the University of Nebraska from his original selection of Husker Red. Dark Towers has darker foliage that keeps its color better through summer and it has pink flowers versus white on Husker Red. Provide this easy to grow clump forming perennial, a nativar (a cultivar from native species), with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor, flowering, and for the deepest foliage colors. Pair Dark Towers Penstemon with chartreuse foliaged plants for a wonderful contrast. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12469

Spikes of comparatively large, two-lipped tubular flowers are a brilliant dayglow pink with a contrasting small white throat and are produced from late spring or summer into fall attracting hummingbirds, larger bees, and occassional butterflies. Dayglow Salvia is new to the US in 2021, an Autumn Sage and Littleleaf Sage hybrid, with a long flowering habit, sturdy disposition and a naturally upright to rounded habit. This shrub-like perennial may remain evergreen in mild winter climates, like zones 9B-10, but acts like a die-back perennial where temperatures fall much below about 30^oF. Perfectly suited for use as a low-maintenance container specimen or add it to a sunny garden or landscape for traffic stopping, summer-long color. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained, average moist, fertile soils for maximum flower power. Item# 12550

"An unusually beautiful and unique flower color as well as densely branched foliage set this new variety apart. Deep maroon buds open to bicolor maroon and yellow flowers held on strong scapes above the blue-green foliage in late spring to early summer. Secondary branching on the flower stems makes this variety especially floriferous. As the flowers age, they turn gold." - Walter's Gardens, Inc. DECADENCE® Cherries Jubilee Baptisia, a hybrid cultivar of our native species (a.k.a. nativar), has a slightly more compact habit than the others in this series as well as foliage that lasts through summer. It was selected as one of the top ten in the 2012-15 Baptisia Trials at Mount Cuba Center and is reported to produce over 270 flowering stems on mature plants! These are easy and low-maintenance, deer resistant, long-lived, taprooted perennials that produce more and more flowering spikes with each passing year. Considered a must for the cutflower garden as the spikes have an excellent vase life. Provide Baptisias with a full to mostly sunny site in a soil with average or better drainage and moderate fertility. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12665

Exceptionally dark purple to black shamrock-like foliage creates the perfect foil for the white to light pink trumpet shaped flowers that are produced during much of the the growing season. Ebony Allure™ Purple False Shamrock, a selection of Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae, is the latest, darkest foliaged cultivar of this popular container and garden plant which can be enjoyed indoors or out. This is a clump-forming bulbous and non-aggressive Oxalis that slowly multiplies into larger and larger clumps. Ebony Allure™ Purple Oxalis will perform best in a well-draining, average moist, fertile soil under lightly shaded conditions. Easy and rewarding! Images courtesy of AG3, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12456

2022 Missouri Botanic Garden Plants of Merit selection! 18" long arching spikes composed of numerous dark golden yellow flowers burst onto the scene in late summer and fall creating a much needed feast of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies including migratory Monarchs, and other garden beneficials. Fireworks is an award winning selection of the native Roughleaf Goldenrod, Solidago rugosa, and it won top marks in the Goldenrod trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. This is a hardy, clump-forming slowly spreading (a.k.a. short rhizomatous) herbaceous perennial that is both adaptable and manageable. Fireworks Goldenrod prefers a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist to moist fertile soil although it is tolerant of part shade, part sun conditions. Use this easy to grow native perennial in naturalistic settings and in mixed perennial gardens and landscapes. Item# 12313

The red to pinkish-red and white tubular flowers emerge from between the spikes of chartreuse bracts from spring to fall to year-round under warm tropical conditiosn. The Fruit Cocktail Shrimp Plant, one the newest selections of Justicia brandegeeana, has a naturally more compact, better branching habit than the typical Red Shrimp Plant but in all other regards it is nearly identical. It is quite tolerant of light conditions ranging from full sun to light shade but may have the densest habit in sunnier conditions. The flowers attract hummingbirds, larger butterflies, and other pollinators. Use Shrimp Plants to add color in containers, as a specimen plant or in mixed container gardens, as well as in the garden and landscape. Provide an average to well-drained, moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Caterpillar host: Cuban Crescent, Texan Crescent, White Peacock, and Malachite. Item# 12724

A nearly continuous display of dark-eyed 3-4" wide dark golden yellow daisies are held above the rosettes of deep green foliage throughout summer attracting bees and a variety of other garden beneficials. Glitters Like Gold Black-Eyed Susan is a hybrid Rudbeckia boasting improved vigor, longer flowering, and resistance to leaf spot as compared to the longtime favorite Goldstrum. This easy sunloving clump-forming perennial grows to 30-36"H x 18"W and the ripened seedheads provide fodder for songbirds in fall and winter. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in average to well-drained soils with average moisture and fertility. Item# 12284

The fine dark green linear foliage is tipped with a slightly larger rounded pad and adorns fine trailing to twining stems. The Grass-Leaved Hoya, Hoya retusa, produces white waxy flowers that are centered by a nicely contrasting deep burgundy 'eye' in spring and on and off during the growing season on mature plants. The flowers are born singly and in small clusters. This unusual Hoya hails from India and its fine stems lend it to use as a hanging basket specimen, allow it to spill from containers like the 'head' pots as wild looking hair, and it can be used as a groundcover below larger plants that require similar conditions as long as there is ample bright light to keep it growing and healthy. Like most Hoyas, allow the soil to become semi-dry between waterings although this species can tolerate a little more moisture than most. Item# 12294

The mounding to trailing stems are adorned with beautifully variegated rounded foliage that is brushed with a patch of creamy white to pale yellow at its base that creates a stark contrast with the patches of burgundy, purple, and magenta all edged in a narrow band of blue-green. Great Falls™ Iguazu Coleus is a compact well-branched selection that is perfectly suited to create colorful hanging baskets, window boxes, specimen container plants, as a filler or spiller in mixed container gardens, as well as in the garden and landscape. This was the top-rated Coleus in 2017 trials at Penn State receiving a 4.96 out of a possible 5! Great Falls™ Iguazu Coleus is suitable for both shade and full sun conditions and it will prefer a moist to average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soil. Item# 12406