New Proven Winners introductions from Spring Meadow Nursery:
Double Play® Blue Kazoo™ Spiraea
(Spiraea media 'SMSMDPBK')
Not something you see every day: a spiraea with blue leaves and huge white flowers.
New leaves emerge with a hint of burgundy, and they turn a deep red color in fall. It's a compact, mounded plant at 2-3 feet high and wide that's hardy to Zone 4. Great for small gardens, massing, and low hedges. It's also deer resistant and attracts hummingbirds.
Little Goblin™ Winterberry
(Ilex verticillata 'NCIV1')
Another dwarf winterberry that's not just a pollinator! This one has extra-large berries on a plant that's just 3-5 feet high and wide. Developed by Dr. Thomas Ranney of North Carolina State University, it's hardy to Zone 3 and would be great in smaller gardens. The pollinator for this Ilex is Mr. Poppins.
Yellow Wall Virginia Creeper
(Parthenocissus quinquefolia 'Yellow Wall')
Sometimes you just want yellow in the fall instead of red, and so this is one of your plants. It's a companion vine for Red Wall, and of course it will cover anything very quickly. To Zone 3, 20-30 feet high/wide.
Sugar Mountain™ Balalaika™ Haskap (Blue Honeysuckle)
(Lonicera caerulea 'Stimul')
OK, this is a shrub native to North America, hardy in Zone 1 to Zone 6, with heavy crops of blue berries that are said to taste like a cross between raspberries and blueberries, high in vitamin C and anti-oxidants.
Sounds like something we all ought to try. It grows 5-6 feet high and wide, and best fruiting occurs when two varieties are planted together (ie, Sugar Mountain Blue Haskap). This will not be available until 2015, but you could plant the Blue Haskap now and wait for the new variety.
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