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New Plants 2024

just a few of the new 2024 plants from Spring Meadow Nursery:

photos: Spring Meadow, click to enlarge

Abelia Brilliantina™
(Abelia x grandiflora 'KEYFLY')

If you've tried abelias before and were unimpressed with their sometimes untidy habit, then you might want to plant this new one.  It has a dense, neat habit, at a height of about 3-4 feet, a width of around 3-5 feet, and scented white blooms in summer that also attract pollinators. 

 

 Double White Just Chill™ Camellia
(Camellia 'FARROWCJWD')

This fall-blooming pure white camellia joins Just Chill Red Tip and Just Chill Double Mauve with large blooms and thick evergreen foliage.  The flowers appear mid-fall into winter, with a height of 5-8 feet and width of 3-5 feet. It needs full to part sun and is hardy in Zones 7 (6b with protection) to 9, although Spring Meadow says it's survived very well in their West Michigan trial gardens. Bred by MIke Farrow, it's also deer resistant and heat tolerant.

Bigleaf Hydrangea Wee Bit Innocent™
(Hydrangea macrophylla 'SMNHMC')

With big, showy flowers in shades of pink or blue, this hydrangea blooms in summer and then again sports some flowers in late summer and fall.  It's said to have florist-quality blooms along with outstanding performance in the landscape. It takes full to part sun in Zones 5-9 with a height of just two feet and a slightly larger width.  It's compact and disease resistant, and can be planted in clay or alkaline soil.

Yardline™ Viburnum
(Viburnum x 'NCVX5')

This evergreen viburnum is truly a winner, because of its tall, narrow habit at 6-12 feet high and a width of just 3-4 feet.  Its white flowers bloom in spring, and it can used almost anywhere in the garden.  Try it as a specimen, a hedge, in containers, or grouped throughout the landscape.  Bred by Dr. Tom Ranney in North Carolina, it's also drought tolerant once established and free of pests and diseases.  Zones 7-10, it does best in full sun.

Check the Spring Meadow online catalogue for all of the new introductions.

Ginning Up the Paperwhites

My annual post on Paperwhites ... here it is again, for anyone who missed it in the past.   It takes four to six weeks or thereabouts for paperwhites to bloom, so get them started for Christmas.

image: K.vanBourgondien

Time to get out the Boodle's, Tanqueray, Beefeater or Bombay ... it's not exactly gin & tonic season, but it is the season for paperwhites.  And it's the gin that will make them a spectacular show.

Some years ago, researchers at Cornell University's Flowerbulb Research Program discovered that the addition of gin will stunt the growth of paperwhites and prevent them from that annoying habit of getting too top heavy and flopping over. According to Professor of Horticulture William B. Miller, here's the recipe:

Plant paperwhite bulbs in stones, gravel or whatever else as usual.  Add water, wait until the roots begin to grow, and when the green shoots above the bulb reach 1-2" in height, pour off the water and add an alcohol solution made from gin or almost any other hard liquor, including vodka, tequila, rum, or whiskey.  The solution should be one part hard liquor to 7 parts of water.

The result:  paperwhites that are one-third shorter, but just as fragrant and floriferous as usual.

Miller warns against using beer or wine because the sugars in them will cause a lot of problems.  The higher the alcohol concentration (within reason), he says, the shorter the plants, but don't use a concentration higher than 10 percent.   Rubbing alcohol can also be used to the same effect, but use one part alcohol to 10 or 11 parts water.

Miller says he and his researchers are not sure why the alcohol stunts growth, but he says "we feel it is simply 'water stress,' where the alcohol makes it more difficult for the plant to absorb water...enough to reduce leaf and stem growth, but not enough to affect flower size or flower longevity."

The Cornell website was passed on to me by my good friend Louise Crane, who saw an article about it in the New York Times.

And make sure to order your paperwhites early ... some of the cultivars sell out very fast.

 

Memorial Day Rose

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

And what better way to celebrate than with a Memorial Day  Rose? This orchid pink hybrid tea was an All-America Rose Selections  winner in 2004. One bloom is said to be enough to fill an entire room with its strong damask scent.  It's a medium-tall, upright shrub, about five feet tall and four feet wide. Long stems, low thorns, and clear green leaves make it a good candidate for the cutting garden.  The blooms are about five inches in diameter, with a petal count of 50-plus.

In addition, it's said to have very good disease resistance and it's also quite heat-tolerant.

This rose was developed by Tom Carruth, then of Weeks Roses of Upland, CA. Memorial Day is a cross between Blueberry Hill and New Zealand, and it was Carruth's fifth AARS winner.

You should be able to buy the rose at most garden centers or from mail-order sources.  If not, you can check Weeks website by clicking on the link above to find a nursery that carries it. 

(photo: Gene Sasse (c) 2007 courtesy Weeks Roses)

 

New Plants 2023

From the US National Arboretum:

image: USNA

Tsuga 'Crossroad'
(Tsuga (caroliniana x chinensis) 'Crossroad')

This is second adelgid-resistant hemlock released by the US National Arboretum to the nursery trade, but with limited availability. 'Crossroad' was specifically bred for resistance to hemlock wooly adelgid, which has devastated stands of native hemlocks since its accidental introduction into the United States. 

The tree has an upright, symmetric pyramidal habit and a modest rate of growth, reaching about 36 feet tall and 18 feet wide after 15 years of field growth.  It has just a few large green cones that appear in late summer and open to light brown around October. 

Use as a specimen tree or for informal screening. 

The previous adelgid resistant hemlock, 'Traveler', was released by USNA in 2020.  It has slightly weeping branches, reaching 30 feet tall by 18 feet wide, and abundant large cones.

New from Spring Meadow Nursery

images: Spring Meadow; click to enlarge

Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Mountain Hydrangea
(Hydrangea serrata 'SMNHSG')

If you like hydrangeas, this is one of the ones you definitely want to plant in your yard.  Mountain hydrangeas have evergreen leaves that turn burgundy in autumn, along with re-blooming lace cap flowers from summer into fall.  This one has pink to purple blooms and a tidy habit of two to 3.5 feet tall and two to three feet wide.  It takes full to part sun, zones 4-9, attracts pollinators, and is heat and salt tolerant as well.  What's not to like?

 

Cedar Rapids™ False Cypress
(Chamaecyparis pisifera 'RutCham1')

This particular false cypress is fast-growing and tall, 30 feet high and 12-15 feet wide.  Its feathery foliage is a lime-green color, and it has a dense, pyramidal habit.  Great as a specimen or if you plant a few of them, a privacy screen.  Evergreen.  Zones 4-8, deer resistant.

 

Berry Box™ Pyracomeles
(Pyracomeles 'NCXP2')

No, this is not a pyracantha, and I have to admit, it's a plant that I don't know.  But, it is pyracantha-like, with the addition of little white, showy flowers in spring and vibrant orange-red berries in fall.

It can be used as a front border plant, in a container, or massed for quite a show.  It's a heat and drought-tolerant evergreen that's easy to grow.  It's 2.5 to 3.5 feet high, two to three feet wide, takes full to part sun, and is hardy in zones 7(6b) -9.

 

New Plants 2022 - II

A selection of new plants from Spring Meadow Nursery - Proven Winners

images: Spring Meadow Nursery

Azalea Perfecto Mundo Epic Coral™
(Rhododendron x 'NCRX10')

This reblooming azalea is just one in the Perfecto Mundo series, with very large pink flowers and lacy stamens.  It grows to 3-4 feet high, 3-5 feet wide with semi-evergreen leaves.  It's also disease resistant, heat tolerant and takes full to part sun.  Zones 6b-9.   Great for massing, and it comes in other colors: dark pink, white, orange, and other hues.

 

Arborvitae Sting™
(Thuja occidentalis 'SMNTOO')

Designers are always on the lookout for narrow evergreens, and this one certainly fits the bill. At just one to 1.5 feet wide, and 15-20 feet high, it's perfect for that very narrow space that needs to be filled in.  It's a native plant and takes full to part sun in zones 3-8.  Destined to be very popular.

 

Japanese Maple Metamorphosa™
(Acer palmatum 'ARJOS1')

This new maple was a finalist in the RHS Plant of the Year competition at the Chelsea Flower Show, and it's no wonder.  The leaves emerge yellow, then develop a pink margin that turns to white with reddish-orange hues in summer.  In autumn, the leaves turn orange-red to red-violet.  A four-season stunner, to be sure.  Five to 13 feet high, three to 10 feet wide, and it's also disease resistant.  It takes full to part sun, zones 5b-8.

 

Hydrangea Little Lime Punch™
(Hydrangea paniculata 'SMNHPH')

And ...you can never have too many hydrangeas. What's special about this particular one is its size -- just 3-5 feet high and wide -- and the color of its blooms.  The new flowers emerge as a mix of lime green, pink, white, and Hawaiian Punch red.  A happy addition to any landscape, especially near the patio or a seating area.  It takes full to part sun, zones 3-8, so it's a winner almost anywhere.

New Roses 2022 - II

The following from Star Roses & Plants:

Images: Star Roses - click to enlarge

Blushing Drift®
Rosa 'Meifranjin'

Drifts have always been one of my favorite groundcover roses ... prolific blooms and a number of great colors.  This new one has pink blooms with a yellow center, and dark green, quite glossy leaves for contrast.  It can be used in the front of the border, massed, in containers or as a low hedge.  It's small, just 1.5 feet high and 3 feet wide, and it takes full sun.  Zones 4-11.  it also attracts pollinators, so great for any garden. Bred by Meilland®

 

Fiesta Veranda®
Rosa 'Korhesanwes'

Veranda roses are small floribundas, coming in at just around 3.5-4 feet high and wide. Fiesta is a heavy bloomer, with bright yellow flowers tinged with a bit of orange. It takes full sun, has good disease resistance, hardy in zones 5-11.  Use it in containers, as a hedge, or almost anywhere else that needs a good splash of color.  Bred by Kordes®

 

Ruby Red™
(Rosa 'Meizilena'

Ruby Red is a heavily blooming compact grandiflora that has rich, red blooms that do not fade over time.  It's rather compact, at 4.5-5 feet high and 2-3 feet wide, with dark green, glossy leaves.  It has an upright, bushy habit and can be used almost anywhere in the garden, even in containers.  It takes full sun, and has a very slight scent.  Bred by Meilland®

 

And from Spring Meadow Nursery

Rise Up Amberness™
Rosa x 'Chew Amberness'

A mini-climber! Bred by Chris Warner in Britain, the Rise Up™ series have a neat, dense habit and can be used either as a small climber or a shrub, depending on how they are pruned and trained. Amberness has wavy amber colored petals around a classic shape.  It's very fragrant, and the flowers rebloom all summer without deadheading.  Three to five feet high, 2-3 feet wide.  It takes full sun and is hardy in zones 4-8. It's also disease resistant and can be used as a cut flower. What's not to like about this one?

 

Reminiscent™ Coral
Rosa x 'BOZFRA221'

Reminiscent roses were bred in Serbia, and they are a terrific option.  They are re-blooming throughout the summer, and they do not require deadheading.  Moreover, they fragrant, heat tolerant, and dissease resistant.  Coral has deep pink flowers with a copper center and dark green foliage.  The height is just 2-3.5 feet, and the width is two feet.  Zones 4-9, and they take full sun.  Great for borders, small hedges, or near a patio where residents can enjoy the scent.

 

New Plants 2022

The following are from Monrovia ... check out all of their new 2022 releases here.

Photos: Monrovia - click to enlarge

Sparkler® Pink Petite Butterfly Bush
(Buddleia '1331')

This little charmer is only 3-4 feet high and wide at maturity, with distinctive pink flowers and pure green leaves.  It needs full sun and weekly watering (more water in extreme heat and in containers), but otherwise it's quite carefree.  At this size, it can be used in the border, in urban or wildlife gardens, in mass plantings and for firescaping.  And of course it attracts butterflies, as well as hummingbirds.  Suggested companions include coneflower, butterfly weed, salvia, Russian sage, and bee balm.  Zones 5-10.
And another new buddleia in the Sparkler collection: Purple Petite®, with true dark purple blooms.

 

Ruby Colonnade® Holly
(Ilex x crenata 'RutHol5')

What makes this holly different is that the new foliage emerges a deep red color before it transitions to a dense, glossy bright green.   And you can put it almost anywhere, because it can be sheared and shaped for spirals or topiary, and it can also be grown in containers.  It's hardy in zones 7-9, and if you leave it alone, in its normal growth habit of columnar, pyramidal form, it'll reach 10-12 feet tall and 8 feet wide.  Great for hedges, mass plantings, screening, as a specimen or topiary.  It takes full sun and should be watered when the top two inches of soil are dry. Suggested companions: rhododendron, astilbe, coral bells, camellia, Japanese forest grass. Sounds like a winner.

 

Jurassic™ T-Rex Wood Fern
(Dryopteris tokyoensis)

This is just one of the ferns in the Jurassic collection discovered by Dan Hinkley in Asia.

This fern has vertical fronds of a lime-green hue, from a dark to a light color, and it takes full or part shade.  It's slow growing and deciduous, and reaches 24-36 inches high and wide.  Zones 5-8.  It's easy to care for, naturalizes well, and tolerates acidic and wet soils. It needs to be watered at regular intervals to maintain moist soil conditions.  Suggested companions: coral bells, lenten rose, columbine, lungwort, bleeding heart. 

And do check out the others in this series: they are truly spectacular.

 

Sunvilla™ Giant Red Mandevilla
(Mandevilla 'MANZ0019')

Who doesn't love a mandevilla vine in high summer? The sunvilla series (including ones with white, pink, and red blooms) have flowers that are slow to fade, and they all have yellow throats and glossy, green leaves.

This particular one has extra large flowers with twining stems that reach 15-20 feet long to grow on an arbor or trellis or anywhere else of your choice.  It needs full to part sun, and regular watering.  Zones 9-11, a frost-tender evergreen or an annual in cooler climates. It's great beside pools or in containers or hanging baskets; it also attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.  Suggested companions:  lantana, hibiscus, plumbago, purple fountain grass, princess flower.

2021 Rose Awards

The American  Gardens Rose Selections (AGRS) has announced its rose winners for various parts of the country,  ie, new roses that have been tested for two years for foliage, habit, flowers, re-blooming, fragrance, vigor, and hardiness.

Six winners were selected this year, and among them are: 

photos: AGRS

Top Gun™
(Rosa 'WEKmoridahor')

This shrub rose, bred by Tom Carruth at Weeks Roses, is a regional choice winner in the following parts of the country:  North Central, Southeast, and Southwest.  It's medium size, with glossy medium green leaves, and a rounded, bushy habit.  It has excellent disease resistance, including resistance to Rose Rosette Disease, which makes it a great choice for the garden.  the plant has vigorous stems that bear long-lasting dark red and shades of dark burgundy.  Parentage is Memorial Day x Home Run.  Planting a few together would make a great statement almost anywhere.

Sweet Spirit™
(Rosa 'Meithatie')

Sweet Spirit is suitable for all regions and it's also the fragrance award winner, with a strong, sweet scent.  It's a grandiflora, with dark green foliage, a bushy habit, and double medium petals.  It's said to do very well in hot, humid climates, has disease-resistant leaves, and is great for arrangements.

It reaches about 3-4 feet high, with a three foot spread. Its was hybridized. by Meilland and introduced by Star Roses & Plants.

 

Brindabella Purple Prince™
(Rosa 'GRAppl')

A shrub rose that works well in the Northeast, South Central, and Southwest parts of the country. It has excellent disease resistance, medium green leaves, and large, double, fragrant flowers. It grows to four feet high and wide, with an upright habit that's somewhat similar to a hybrid tea, but it's more freely branched and with denser foliage.  Brindabella comes in a variety of colors -- this one is a dark red-purple. Hardy in zones 5-11, it's good for mass plantings. Bred by Sylvia and John Gray, it was introduced by Suntory Flowers in partnership with Dig Plant Company.

 

See all of this year's winners here.

 

 

 

New Roses 2021 - II

These lovely new roses are available this year ... courtesy of Weeks Roses, one of the top breeders in the country.  Look for them at your local garden center.

photos: Weeks Roses - click to enlarge

Playful Happy Trails™ Rose
(Rosa 'WEKrahatjacor')

If you're looking for a groundcover that's not bland and boring, go for this new rose.  The blooms are red with a large yellow eye, contrasting with deep, glossy green foliage.  It's trailing and spreading, with very good disease resistance and a slight tea fragrance.  Hybridized by Tom Carruth.

 

Pink Snowflakes™ Rose
(Rosa WEKneflosprif')

This is a low-growing shrub rose which would be great en masse at the front of border, or anywhere else you can use a bushy, spreading plant to fill in blank spaces.  The flowers are medium pink with a mild tea aroma, and the leaves are a glossy deep green.  Bred by Christian Bédard, it also has very good disease resistance.

 

Golden Opportunity™ Rose
(Rosa 'WEKausujucton')

There aren't that many yellow climbers, and this one looks like a stunner.  It's canes are long -- 10 to 12 feet -- it climbs and spreads and has a moderate fruity, tea fragrance with very good disease resistance. The blooms are spiraled, formal and double, with a diameter of around four inches.  So it's a plant you really can't miss in the garden.  Hybridizer: Tom Carruth.

 

Fun in the Sun™ Rose
(Rosa WEKpupmobalip')

Old-fashioned roses always have their place in the garden, and this new one, from hybridizer Christian Bédard, has a particularly lovely hue: gold petals with touches of pink.  The rose is a medium-sized grandiflora with medium green glossy leaves, and very good disease resistance.  It also has a noticiable spicy, fruity aroma, so be sure to place it where you can enjoy the scent.

 

Belinda's Blush™ Rose
(Rosa 'BBARE')

Just imagine this shrub covered with medium-sized (3-3.5") blooms, cream-colored with a tinge of light pink.  The habit is medium-sized, upright and bushy, with medium green semi-glossy foliage.  It has very good disease resistance and a moderately fruity fragrance.  This rose is a sport of Belinda's Dream, hybridized by MIke Shoup and introduced by Weeks and the Antique Rose Emporium.

New Plants 2021 - II

The following 2021 plants from Spring Meadow Nursery, known for breeding smaller plants.

photos: Spring Meadow click to enlarge

Steady Eddy™ Doublefile Viburnum
(Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'NCVP1')

Hard to believe there's an improve 'Summer Snowflake', but here it is, folks.  Bred by Dr. Tom Ranney at North Carolina State Univ, it's got better repeat blooming than its predecessor, and who wouldn't want that?  It blooms in spring, and then later on, it's 4-5 feet high and wide, with a striking habit, and it's deer resistant to boot.  Zones 5-8, it takes full or part sun.

 

Haywire™ False Cypress
(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'SMNCLUTL)

You can never have enough evergreens in your garden, but you do need a bit of space for this new cultivar, bred by Spring Meadow's Tim Wood. It has a stand-out pyramidal habit and will eventually grow 12-18 feet high and 8-12 feet wide.  It has a thread-leaf texture, pure green foliage, and it's also a native that's deer resistant.  It takes full or part sun, Zones 5b to 7.

 

Perfecto Mundo® Double Dark Pink Azalea
(Rhododendron 'NCRX7')

Breeder Dr. Tom Ranney says this is one of the longest-blooming azaleas yet, and it also re-blooms in late summer to fall.  It's semi-evergreen with big, double flowers and dark green leaves, and it has a dense, rounded habit.  It's 2.5 to 3 feet high and 3-4 feet wide, and quite heat tolerant.  Full to part sun, Zones 6b to 9.

 

Little Lime Punch Panicle Hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculata 'SMNHPH')

You'll want this plant for the stunning flower colors.  The blooms emerge the typical lime-green, but then they age to pink, green, white, and Hawaiian-punch red. A real show-stopper in almost any garden, it's just 3-5 feet high and wide,  takes full to part sun, and is hardy in Zones 3-8. Bred by Megan Mathey at Spring Meadow.

 

Pinpoint® Gold False Cypress
(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'SMNCLMG')

Another False Cypress from Tim Wood, this golden evergreen can be used in a hedge or as a stand-alone specimen.  It's appealing feathery foliage needs little to no pruning to maintain its shape, and although it'll grow 15-20 feet high, it's only 3-5 feet wide, so it's a candidate for smaller spaces.  It takes full to part sun, Zones 5-7.

There are many more new plants on the Spring Meadow website, so do check them out.