Landscape designers are always looking for new and interesting things to include in their clients’ gardens. Bobbie Swartz, owner of the landscape design firm Bobbie’s Green Thumb, discussed new and underused varieties of perennials at the Ohio Landscape Association’s WinterGreen Conference and Expo Feb. 15. The show took place Feb. 14 and 15 at the IX Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
The following is Swartz’s list of new and underused perennials with plant zone and sun and soil preference.
Sun, drought tolerant, soil tolerant:
Andropogon gerardii ‘Lord Snowden’ – zones 3 to 8
Sun, dry and well-drained soil:
Agastache ‘Black Adder’ – zone 6 and possibly zone 5
Allium atropurpureum – zones 3 to 8
Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ – zones 3 to 8
Sedum x ‘Lajos’ (Autumn Charm) – zones 4 to 8
Sedum ‘Strawberries and Cream’ – zones 3 to 8
Sun, well-drained soil:
Baptisia ‘Twilite Prairie Blues’ – zones 4 to 9
Berberis thunbergii ‘Golden Ruby’ – zone 4
Buddleia ‘White Ball’ – zones 5 to 9
Dendrathema ‘Cambodian Queen’ – zone 3
Gaillardia ‘Oranges and Lemons’ (‘St. Clements’) – zones 3 to 9
Veronica ‘Fairy Tale’ – zones 4 to 8
Sun, well-drained soil to heavy clay:
Aster ‘Vibrant Dome’ – zones 4 to 8
Hemerocallis ‘Pocket Full of Gold’ (Poczam Daylily) – zone 4
Rudbeckia maxima (Giant Cornflower) – zones 5 to 9
Sun, moist to well-drained soil:
Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ – zones 4 to 9
Centaurea ‘Amethyst in Snow’ – zones 3 to 9
Sun, moist soil:
Hibiscus Vintage – zones 5 to 9
Hibiscus Splash Series – zone 2.5
‘Pinot Noir,’ Pinot Grigio
Hibiscus Carafe Series – zone 3
‘Bordeaux,’ ‘Grenache’ and ‘Chablis’
Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ – zones 4 to 9
Penstemon ‘Pink Dawn’ – zones 4 to 8
Sun or partial shade, average to poor soil:
Aster cordifolius ‘Little Carlow’ (Heartleaf Aster) – zones 4 to 8
Echinacea Big Sky Series – zone 3
‘Sunrise,’ ‘Sunset,’ ‘Sundown,’ ‘Twilight’ new bloom, ‘Twilight’ faded bloom and ‘Harvest Moon’
Echinacea ‘Jade’ – zones 3 to 8
Echinacea ‘Green Eyes’ – zone 4
Echinacea ‘Doubledecker,’ ‘Doppenganger’ – zones 3 to 8
Echinacea ‘Razzmatazz’ – zones 3 to 8
Echinacea ‘Sparkler’
Echinacea tennesseensis ‘Rocky Top’ – zones 6 to 8
Fallopia japonica ‘Variegata’ – zone 5
Kalimeris incisa ‘Blue Star’ (Japanese Aster) – zones 5 to 9
Sun to partial shade, average to rich and well-drained soil:
Clematis viticella ‘Polish Spirit’ – zones 4 to 9
Digitalis thapsi ‘Spanish Peaks’ – zones 5 to 9
Eucomis comosa (Pineapple Lily) – zone 6b
Geranium ‘Dilys’ – zones 4 to 8
Geranium ‘Pink Penny’ – zones 5 to 8
Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ – zone 6
Sun to partial shade, dry soil:
Euphorbia ‘Jade Dragon’ – zone 6
Euphorbia ‘Golden Flory’ – zone 6
Partial shade, dry soil:
Heuchera villosa var.macrorrhiza – zones 5 to 9
Heuchera villosa ‘Caramel’ – zones 4 to 8
Partial shade, average to moist soil:
Heuchera ‘Dolce Key Lime Pie’ – zones 4 to 9
Heuchera ‘Peach Flambé’ – zones 4 to 9
Saruma henryi – zones 5 to 8
Partial shade, moist soil:
Hydrangea serrata ‘Midoriboshi-Temari’ – zones 5 to 8
Ligularia dentate ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ – zones 4 to 9
Ligularia przwalski ‘Curly’ – zones 5 to 8
Rodgersia pinnata ‘Chocolate Wing’ – zones 5 to 7
Tricyrtis ‘Lightning Strike’ – zones 4 to 9
Partial shade to full shade, average to wet soil:
Carex ‘Blue Zinger’ – zones 5 to 9
To hear Swartz elaborate on some of these plant varieties, listen to this Lawn & Landscape podcast: http://gabcast.com/index.php?a=episodes&id=1793.