2022 New Plants

The out of this world very large, up to 5" across, funnel shaped flowers can range from solid salmon, to randomly flecked and streaked with salmon and pink, to white with randomly flecked with pink and are produced in late spring. Astronaut Azalea, a.k.a. Holly Springs Astronaut, is a Satsuki hybrid developing into a 3' high mound of deep green, medium textured, evergreen foliage. It lends itself to bonsai culture but is sure to be a low-maintenance conversation piece in the garden and landscape. 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. Azalea flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Item# 12796

The clusters of fragrant starry white flowers with a touch of contrasting red to burgundy at the base of the corona may be produced throughout the year under warm tropical conditions. The sweet and almost honey-like, spicily fragrant flowers attract butterflies, hummingbird moths, and other pollinators. The Australian Waxflower, Hoya australis, is an exceptionally vigorous growing, twining, evergreen, tropical vine with glossy rounded ovate foliage and burgundy new growth. It naturally wants to climb and the vines can reach 30' long if offered support but it can also easily be trained to a small 3' high trellis or as a hanging basket specimen. This appears to be one of the easier to grow species and is reported to tolerate some cool sunlight although the leaves may become more olive or yellowish green than the typical deep green coloration under high light conditions. Item# 12343

Medium height and sterile! Aztec Purple™ Ruellia or Mexican Petunia produces purple trumpets that are born freely from late spring or early summer until first frost to year round under warm tropical conditions atop medium-sized sturdy stems. This Mexican Petunia is a relatively new, compact, seed and pollen sterile selection that can spend more energy on flowering instead of adding unwanted seedlings to the garden. It is a naturally evergreen, rhizomatous or spreading, tropical perennial that is grown as a die-back perennial in zones 8-9. It can be grown as a low maintenance container specimen plant, in mixed container gardens, as well as in the garden and landscape. It can also be used as a medium-sized groundcover in difficult sites. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Provide Mexican Petunias with a full to part sun site in an average moist to wet, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12780

The rosette-like clusters of glossy, wide, succulent, medium green, tapering foliage resembles a bromeliad in many regards but is actually a close kin of the more common Wandering Jew and Spiderworts. Mature Basket Plant mothers may produce upright to arching branching stems that are adorned with basket-like clusters of dainty, white, fragrant flowers that are likely pollinated by hummingbird and Sphinx moths. New pups are typically produced at the ends of long, spidery trailing arms and can be up to 36" long. This is an easy and rewarding, heirloom plant suitable even for beginners and it can be enjoyed indoors as well as out. The Basket Plant, Callisia fragrans, is a naturally evergreen, tropical perennial with individuals growing to about 6-10"H x 12"W. It can be enjoyed as hanging basket and container specimens and is also used as an easy and low maintenance groundcover in areas with mild winter climates. It is reported to withstand some direct sunlight but the leaves tend to lay down and may take on purple tinging, we personally think it looks the best when grown in light shade or with a short period of cool direct sunlight like very early or very late in the day. Provide a well-drained, average moist soil and allow the soil to become somewhat dry between waterings. Item# 12908

Highly mildew resistant and a dwarf compact habit! The dense whorled clusters of 2" long, deep violet, pollinator attracting, tubular flowers are held atop sturdy 12-18" high stems against the foil of purple-tinged, medium to deep green fragrant foliage. Bee-You® Bee Pretty™ Beebalm is a compact selection of this US native, clump-forming, slowly spreading perennial. Its small stature lends it to use as a container plant as well as a useful component of the garden and landscape. Provide ample sunlight in a moist but well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Flowering begins earlier in the warmer portions of its range and later in cooler regions. The flowers of Monarda are excellent for attracting hummingbirds and larger butterflies. Photos courtesy of Plants Nouveau, all rights reserved. Item# 12863

The bracts start out chartreuse to yellow and quickly begin to take on bronze tones and mature to a deep brick red. A favorite among hummingbirds, the nectar rich, tubular white flowers peak out from between the bracts and have maroon bee guides on the lower lip. The Bicolor Red Shrimp Plant, a selection of Justicia brandeegeana, is a heat loving, naturally evergreen, bushy, tropical plant with dark olive green foliage and grows to about 24" high by about 18" wide. The foliage of these plants may eventually show white and cream variegation as they were propagated from variegated mother plants. The Red Shrimp Plants can be enjoyed both as container plants as specimens or in mixed company as well as in the garden and landscape. It is both full sun and bright shade tolerant but tends to have the densest branching habit where it receives at least 4 hours or more of direct sunlight. Provide an average to well-drained, moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. The Red Shrimp Plant is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Item# 12909

2018 Best of the Best Award at the UGA Trial Gardens! The deep indigo tubular flowers emerge from whorls of dark colored calyxes adorning tall dark spikes that are held above the rich green foliage and are produced from late spring or early summer to frost. Big Blue Salvia, a seed grown strain with the same parentage of and is an improvement upon the award winning Indigo Spires, develops into a full bushy herbaceous perennial growing to about 2-3' high by 2' wide. The summerlong display of flowers attracts a myriad of pollinators and highly popular with larger native bees. Use Big Blue Salvia at the back of the border, in larger containers, as well as in the garden and landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12876

The large tropical deep green, sagittate to heart-shaped foliage is heavily marked with starkly contrasting bright white to creamy yellow pinstripes. As the foliage ages it eventually fades into a deep dark glossy green and may occasionally sport burgundy to solid white foliage and even pink tinges. The Birkin Philodendron, a shockingly different sport of its parent Red Congo, is a naturally upright and self-supporting or self-heading Philodendron with a slow rate of growth eventually reaching up to 2-3' high and wide. It will do best in high to medium indirect sunlight, although it can probably tolerate a little filtered early morning or very late evening direct sunlight. Too much direct sunlight is likely to cause leaf burn as with many other variegated plants. Enjoy your young Birkin Philodendron as a window sill plant or on a table top. Use a high quality potting soil and mix in a slow or controlled release, non-burning fertilizer and allow the soil to become moderately dry between waterings and never allow them to remain soggy wet. Overall these are easy to grow and enjoy evergreens that can brighten up a room or porch or patio during the warmer months of the year, when night time temperatures remain above about 60-65^oF. Item# 12808

Large clusters of lightly fragrant, pale blue flowers held on 12-14" high stems are produced in early spring to early summer, depending on your zone, attracting mainly butterflies, long-tongued bees, and sphinx and hummingbird moths. Blue Buttons' Lapham's Phlox, is a selection of Phlox laphamii, a.k.a. P. divaricata var. laphamii, that is reported to have a slightly longer flowering season, petals that are without clefts and are rounded to pointed, wider foliage and may have a slight preference for shade above that of typical Woodland Phlox. This is an evergreen to semi-evergreen, slowly spreading native perennial that makes a choice groundcover in average moist to moist, well-drained, fertile soils preferably rich in organic matter. Provide shade during the heat of the day such as morning sun, filtered shade, and deciduous shade seems to be about perfect as they receive sunlight during the majority of the growing season but are shaded by the time summer arrives. Item# 12878

The large, 3-4'' wide, blue to lavender, Hibiscus-like flowers are produced throughout the warmer months of the year to year-round under warm frost free conditions. The Blue Hibiscus, Alyogyne huegelii, is an upright to rounded, naturally evergreen, Australian native shrub that is heat and sunloving and is somewhat drought resistant once well-established. It is fairly adaptable to soil types and moisture as long as they are provided with excellent drainage, otherwise it tends to be fairly short-lived. Full sun is optimal and it can be enjoyed both as a container plant as well as making a nice specimen or informal hedge in the garden and landscape. It is sometimes trained as a tree standard to good effect. Plants tend to be somewhat open and if foliage becomes too sparse or the plants too larger they can be pruned back fairly hard and will put out vigorous new growth and some sources suggest that it flowers best after a good pruning. Item# 12881

The most dwarf Panicle Hydrangea yet but with big summer to fall color! Bobo® Panicle Hydrangea covers itself in large dense conicle clusters of pure white flowers that age to pink perched atop strong sturdy stems. This compact, 3'H x 4'W deciduous shrub is perfectly sized for medium-large containers as well as an accent,  low informal hedge, and even tucked into a perennial garden as well as in the landscape. Easy, cold hardy, and reliable summer-long flower power. This Proven Winners® Color Choice® selection will prefer full sun in cooler climates to afternoon shade in hot summer climates and an average moist to moist, well-drained, fertile soil. Selected as the Top Consumer Hydrangea by the University of Guelph in 2020. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® -  www.provenwinners.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12917

Spikes of 1/2" long, tubular, two-lipped, deep azure blue flowers have a contrasting bright white bee-guide and throat are produced in late spring or early summer and continue into fall atop the tall wispy stems. The nectar rich flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Bog Sage, Salvia uliginosa, is a rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial producing a multitude of tall thin wiry stems that can reach 5-6' high in rich fertile moist soils but tends to remain shorter, 3-4' high or so, under average moist garden conditions, which it can tolerate quite well, despite its name, once fully established. it tends to be more restrained under drier conditions as well. Its long flowering season and ease of care have garnered Bog Sage the RHS Award of Garden Merit. It can tolerate full sun in the cooler portions of its range but may be at its best where it receives a little midday shade in areas with hot summer climates. Item# 12906

The narrow deep green to bluish-green foliage is adorned with broad creamy white vareiegation down the center of each recurving leaf. In typical Airplane Plant fashion, Bonnie produces a multitude of miniature plantlets along creamy white arching stems eventually developing into a dense mass of foliage that is perfectly suited for small to medium-sized hanging baskets and containers. It will do best where it receives bright indirect sunlight in an average moist, fertile soil. We have long been in love with this cultivar not only for the name it shares with our mother but also for its neat dense and unusual habit. Easy and carefree and perfectly suited for shaded porches, patios, atriums, and gardens or enjoy it indoors with bright to medium indirect sunlight. In warm tropical climates Airplane Plants may be utilized as shady groundcovers. Item# 12461

The 1" long, showy tubular flowers are red to red-orange at their base and quickly fade into bright sunny yellow and are held against a foil of dainty, glossy dark green foliage. The flowers are produced heaviest in fall and spring with intermittent flowers in between. The Brazilian Fuchsia or Firecracker Flower, Justicia rizzinii or now J. floribunda, is a naturally evergreen, small tropical shrub typically growing to up to 2-3' high and potentially as wide. It can be enjoyed as an indoor plant where it is sure to provide a little cheer during the cold dreary winter days in a warm sunny window. The flowers of the Brazilian Fuchsia attract hummingbirds and other pollinators in fall and spring as they migrate through when grown outdoors. Utilize it as a porch or patio plant during the warmer months or in the ground in areas with mild, generally frost free winters like in zone 10 as it is reported to be hardy to brief dips to about 28^oF. Tolerant of full sun to light shade and provide an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Item# 12807

Clusters of sunny yellow orchid-like flowers are borne in summer and into fall to yearround under warm tropical conditions on this vigorous twining vine. The Brazilian Golden Orchid Vine, Stigmaphyllon ciliatum, is a naturally evergreen woody twining climbing with dark green arrowhead shaped foliage that has a heart-shaped, or cordate, leaf base and fine bristles along their edges as well as along the sepals. It is not quite as cold hardy as the Yellow Butterfly Vine, Mascagnia macroptera, with which it is easily confused but it has larger flowers. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Where not hardy it is easily overwintered indoors in a warm sunny location. Provide a well-drained, moderately fertile, acid soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12001

New in 2022 and a breakthrough color! Dense spikes of dark wine purple pea-like flowers that are accented by a contrasting primrose yellow keel are held above the mound of deep green foliage. Flowers are produced in late spring to early summer and attract mainly bees. Burgundy Blast Baptisia or False Indigo, a hybrid cultivar of US native species (a.k.a. nativar), with good vigor and deep green foliage growing to about 3' x 3'. These are easy and low-maintenance, deer resistant, long-lived, taprooted perennials that produce more and more flowering spikes with each passing year with some plants producing over a 100 spikes on mature plants. 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# 12893

Ray petals in shades of bright yellow leaning into orange hues surround the dark cones tipped in golden yellow composing the 3-4" wide flowers that are perched atop 18" high stems and are produced over an extended period in summer. Butterfly™ Golden Skipper Coneflower is a hybrid Coneflower selected for its exceptionally long flowering season that lasts from mid to late spring into fall, briliant color, large flowers, excellent branching habit meaning more flowers, good resistance to leaf spot diseases, as well as its perennial reliability as a garden plant. Coneflowers are clump forming perennials whose often fragrant flowers are adored by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that can be enjoyed as part of the sunny garden garden and landscape as well as container specimens. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. Removal of spent flowers may help to prolong the flowering season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of AB-Cultivars, all rights reserved. Item# 13050

One of the top ten performers in 2020 Echinacea trials at Mt. Cuba Center! The ray petals emerge a deep golden orange-yellow, mature to deep-orange red, and slowyly age to a pastel pink surrounding the dark orange-tipped cones of disk flowers with overall flower size reaching 4-5" wide and are displayed on stems to 24-36"H. Butterfly™ Postman Coneflower is a hybrid Coneflower selected for its exceptionally long flowering season that lasts from mid to late spring into fall, briliant color, extra large flowers, excellent branching habit meaning more flowers, good resistance to leaf spot diseases, as well as its perennial reliability as a garden plant. Coneflowers are clump forming perennials whose often fragrant flowers are adored by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that can be enjoyed as part of the sunny garden garden and landscape as well as container specimens. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. The tall plants benefit from periodic deadheading to reduce the chance of the plants lodging. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of AB-Cultivars, all rights reserved. Item# 12790

One of the top ten performers in 2020 Echinacea trials at Mt. Cuba Center! Fragrant! Deep purplish pink rays surround the contrasting dark orange tipped rounded cones of disk flowers on flowers that can reach 4-5" across and sit atop sturdy 24-36" high stems beginning in late spring and continuing into early fall. The ray petals lighten toward their tips as they age. Butterfly™ Purple Emperor Coneflower is a hybrid Coneflower selected for its exceptionally long flowering season that lasts from late spring or early summer often into fall, briliant color, huge flowers, excellent branching habit meaning more flowers, as well as its perennial reliability as a garden plant. Coneflowers are clump forming perennials whose often fragrant flowers are adored by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that can be enjoyed as part of the sunny garden garden and landscape as well as container specimens. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12789

Clusters of starry light blue flowers are produced in late spring to early summer atop the fine-textured foliage that transforms to a rich butterscotch yellow adorning contrasting red stems in fall. Butterscotch® Arkansas Bluestar, a hybrid of or selection of Amsonia hubrichtii, boasts richer fall color, flower petals that extend outward, instead of recurving backwards, makng the flowers seem larger, and has good disease resistance. This is a clump-forming, long-lived, herbaceous native perennial with an almost formal habit at maturity reaching about 3'H x 4'W. It can be utilized as an informal hedge or backdrop and will look great paired with native grasses in fall. Butterscotch Amsonia is easy, sunloving, heat tolerant, and deer and rabbit resistant. Images courtesy of Emerald Coast Growers, all rights reserved. Item# 12890

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Large, 2" wide, coral to peachy pink, Camellia-like blossoms adorn this Quince in late winter and early spring. Cameo Flowering Quince, a selection of Chaenomeles x speciosa, is a tough and easy deciduous shrub with good drought tolerance and excellent resistance to leaf spot diseases that can defoliate some cultivars early in the growing season. Cut stems of Flowering Quince, with well developed flower buds that are showing color, can be cut and brought indoors as cut flowers. Prune after flowering as Quince flower on old wood or last season's growth. Provide the Cameo Flowering Quince with a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average to well-drained soil. Dr. Michael Dirr in Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs mentions its disease resistance and states that it is "One of my favorite quinces and a long prized specimen in the Dirr garden." Item# 12773