Plant of the Week: Old School varieties

Old School.

New plants get a lot of attention, which is fine. New plants are exciting and fun. But here's a look at a couple of old school favorites.

 

The first is 'Limelight' Hydrangea paniculata (see above). 'Limelight' sets a new standard for hardy hydrangea. Its full green blooms turn pink and burgundy in the fall. Hardy to USDA Zone 3, it's a favorite across North America.

Little Henry® Itea virginica is a dwarf form of  native sweetspire. It has fragrant white flowers in summer and brilliant orange foliage in fall. Hardy to USDA Zone 5, it will grow in sun or shade although flowering and fall color will be more pronounced in sun. While the species is typically around 4' tall, Little Henry® is just 2-3' tall and wide.

But what about the new varieties?

There are plenty of new varieties of hydrangeas. Even limiting the question to H. paniculata gives us plenty of options for new cultivars.

We are often asked how 'Limelight' compares with Little Lime®, and how Little Lime® compares to Bobo®, and do we really need quite so many choices?

The simple answer is yes, we do need these choices. Little Lime® is a dwarf form of 'Limelight'. Some sites call for a large plant, some call for a smaller one, but now we have the right sized plant for most any situation.

Bobo® is the smallest H. paniculata on the market, so it's a good fit for the smallest of sites or even as a patio container plant. It's cold hardy enough to winter above ground in much of North America.
 

Quick Fire® and Little Quick Fire® bloom earlier than other varieties. Bloom time and bloom color can vary quite a bit in H. paniculata, and plant breeders are pushing the envelope on both qualities to give cold-climate gardeners a longer flower season and bolder color.

 
Here's a nice chart showing the range of colors and bloom times for H. paniculata. Use it to create a long-lasting display in landscapes!

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Plant of the Week: Deutzia Duet

Deutzia Duet

Yuki Cherry Blossom® Deutzia is the Proven Winnners® ColorChoice® Landscape Plant of the Year, and with good reason. Simply put, it's a pink Deutzia 'Nikko'. Yes, the same low growing habit and abundant spring flowers, only this time in pink. 

 

Hardy to USDA Zone 5, it grows 1-2' tall and wide and has a tidy, mounded habit. It will grow in full sun or partial shade.

Perhaps pink isn't your thing. I certainly can't argue with someone who embraces a Green and White aesthetic.

 
So we've got you covered. This is Yuki Snowflake® Deutzia. It's like 'Nikko' only with way more flowers. Seriously, put them side by side and you'll see why we introduced this selection. This little plant is covered with white blooms in spring and has nice fall color, too. Hardy to USDA Zone 5, it grows 1-2' tall and wide and takes full sun or partial shade.

Take a look at Deutzia.

I know, Deutzia is one of those plants that's been around forever. People who know and use the plant love Deutzia, but not everyone is aware of it.

You will find lots of places to use Deutzia. These low growing plants are perfect for edging walks or planting at the front of beds and borders. They will enjoy the spring flowers, and then have rich foliage color to look at in fall. This is sounding better and better.

 

Here's the real showstopper: Deutzia are quite deer resistant. Not deer proof, of course, but they are pretty low on the list for deer. Kind of like anchovies on a salad bar; when everything else is gone they might eat them but they'd really prefer that the vine-ripened tomatoes were restocked. (Actually I like anchovies, but only in moderation.) The point is that Deutzia is a plant that will make you happy. 

Plant of the Week: 'Viva Polonia' Clematis

Clematis for everyone!

Clematis are intimidating. They're kind of like Baked Alaska in that I really like them but figure that they are best left to people who know what they're doing. Until now.

Szczepan Marczynski has produced a fine array of easy to grow Clematis that even I am not afraid to grow. There's no complicated pruning regime with these plants. Just prune them back to 2-3' in spring and let them do their thing.

 

'Viva Polonia' gets its name for its resemblance to the Polish flag. It will grow in full sun or part shade and is hardy to USDA Zone 4. It gets 4-6' tall and wide.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles