2021 New Plants

Large whorled clusters of deep red tubular flowers with some pink undertones are held atop sturdy 2-3' high stems and are produced over a long period in summer drawing hummingbirds for miles around, Sulphur butterflies, and may stop nearby traffic. Fire Marshall Monarda is the result of a cross between what are considered two of the best Monardas, Jacob Cline and Marshall's Delight, made by Dr. Jim Ault of Chicago Botanic Gardens and Chicagoland Grows®, Inc. and the resulting hybrid has a midsized habit with disease resistant rich green foliage. This is a clump forming slowly spreading winter deciduous herbaceous perennial that will perform best in a moist to average moist, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Images courtesy of Dr. Jim Ault, Chicagoland Grows®, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12316

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

Flowers on old and new wood! The large rounded clusters of flowers are deep blue in acidic soils to deep red-purple in alkaline soils or soils without Aluminum. Forever and Ever® Blue Heaven Bigleaf Hydrangea was selected for its dark colored sterile florets and for its early and repeat flowering ability providing a spring to fall show on a vigorous plant with strong sturdy stems and thick disease resistant glossy green foliage. As with other Bigleaf Hydrangeas provide a moist, well-drained soil in an area that receives morning sun and shade during the hottest portion of the day. The ability to flower on new wood versus old wood ensures that even in the hardest winters this new Hydrangea will still flower in the garden and landscape. Images courtesy of Concept Plants BV®, all rights reserved. Item# 12480

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. 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

Steel blue spring and summer foliage is topped by nicely contrasting tan colored airy panicles in late summer and fall. In fall the foliage changes to yellow and finally beige creating winter interest and providing food, habitat, and nesting material for a variety of birds and other fauna. Gunsmoke is a selection of our native Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, with an initially upright to vase shaped habit becoming rounded once flowering begins. This is a naturally clump-forming herbaceous perennial that is found throughout much of the US and into Canada, except for the westernmost states, and is a major component of the Tall Grass Prairies. Switchgrass was also used by native Americans to build long-lasting, rain resistant shelters. The foliage is a larval host to the Delaware Skipper and Dotted Skippers. Adaptable to a wide variety of soil types and moisture regimes. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12305

Billowy, ruffly edged, double, purplish pink, 2-3" wide flowers are produced in early to midspring and are held against a foil of deep green, medium textured foliage with the flowers attracting bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and curious passersby. Hallie Evergreen Azalea is an unusual and uncommon Aromi hybrid that develops into a medium-sized, densely branched shrub. Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Images courtesy of Maarten Van der Giessen, Van der Giessens Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 12572

Hanging clusters of small individual flowers are centered by waxy yellow, star-shaped coronas with a creamy white to pink tinged halo and recurving fuzzy corollas are produced during the growing season. Hoya obscura is one of the more vigorous and easier to grow vining waxflowers that is well-suited to hanging basket culture or give it a trellis or other support for its twining vines to climb. The major leaf veins are fairly prominent in this species even from the upperside of the medium green foliage and under cool direct sunlight the foliage can become more olive green and may even take on red tones. To some the flowers have a light fragrance and it may be most noticeable at night or very early in the day. The mother plant was sold to us as Hoya pusilla, and we thank Rachel for pointing this out for us, so if you have purchased that species from us it is H. obscura. Item# 12367

Hanging clusters of fuzzy white to white tinged pink flowers with a pink halo and recurving corollas are produced during the growing season. Hoya pusilla is one of the more vigorous and easier to grow vining waxflowers that is well-suited to hanging basket culture or give it a trellis or other support for its twining vines to climb. The major leaf veins are fairly prominent in this species even from the upperside of the medium green foliage and under cool direct sunlight the foliage can become more olive green. This is also considered to be one of the more cold tolerant species among Hoyas although it still will not tolerate a freeze. To some the flowers have a light fragrance and it may be most noticeable at night or very early in the day. Item# 12349

This plant covers up in 1" bright cherry red tubular flowers that are tipped in nicely contrasting sunny yellow and are sure to provide a feast of nectar for hummingbirds and other long-tongued pollinators. Hummingbird's Lunch Cuphea is a well-branched, naturally mounding plant to 24"H x 36"W that revels in the heat and sun of summer offering up a riot of continuous color for hanging baskets, window boxes, container specimens, in mixed container gardens as well as in the garden and landscape. This exciting new hybrid Cuphea has received top marks in trials across the US! Provide a full sun to part shade site in a well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of PlantHaven International, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12407

The arrowhead shaped mainly solid colored foliage lights up with dark copper, red, orange, yellow, pink, and some green shades and can deepen to near purple in late summer, fall, and winter. Inferno Copper Plant has a naturally rounded habit on a compact well-branched plant growing to about 3' high and 3' wide making it a choice tropical for a medium-sized, heat and sunloving, low-maintenance container specimen or add it to the garden and landscape as an annual for a spring to frost show. In full to mostly sunny sites the foliage tends to be darkest and richest in copper, red, and orange shade and in shadier sites it may lean more toward the pastel lighter colors including green. Provide Inferno with a well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor. A 2013 Classic City Award winner from the UGA Trial Gardens. Item# 12470