The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has released its list of gold medal plants for 2013.
Topping the list this year is the dwarf Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis') -- not a new plant, by any means, but chosen because "it is sorely under-used compared to dwarf Alberta spruce", which is planted in so many housing developments.
I heartily agree, and have encouraged many clients to plant Nana Gracilis. It grows slowly, and eventually it'll be around 6 feet high and 3-4 feet wide. The dark green foliage is leafy and sort of fern-like, and for true beauty it cannot be beat. A GREAT specimen plant.
This blueberry, from Monrovia, is a compact shrub, 304 feet high and wide, with lovely blue-green foliage, showy pink flowers in late spring and abundant berries. It's self pollinating, too, but does best when planted with another variety. Ideal for containers, so you can grow it on your deck or patio. Zones 5-10.
(Hypericum kalmianum 'Blue Velvet')
This fine-textured small shrub, 2-3 feet high and 3-4 feet wide, out-does the straight-species plant because of its noticeable blue foliage and an extended period of bloom.
Also, deer-resistant, great for mass plantings, as a groundcover or in containers. Red berries from late summer to fall, as well. Developed by Paul Cappiello of Yew Dell Gardens.
(Nyssa sylvatica 'Wildfire')
One of my favoite trees, to be sure -- there's just not another fall color like it. This one, from J. Frank Schmidt, has red-tipped new growth into summer, and then the spendor of its fall color. A native US tree, its small black fruits also are attractive to wildlife. 40 feet high and just 25 feet wide, a perfect tree for many suburban plots. To Zone 5.
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