Plant of the Week: Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip Jr.' Butterfly Bush

More reliable than a stock tip...

Does the stock market have you nervous? A lot of people were worried last week, even those with a nice blue chip portfolio. You'd better stick with 'Blue Chip' butterfly bush instead. The next generation of Lo & Behold® Buddliea is 'Blue Chip Jr.' It is smaller and less brittle than the original. It starts blooming much earlier and often continues to flower up until a good, hard frost.

Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip Jr.' butterfly bush grows 20-28" tall and wide - a versatile size. And it just won a silver medal at last week's Plantarium show.

Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip Jr.' Buddleia received a silver medal at the noted Plantarium show in the Netherlands.

Lo & Behold Buddleia are real game changers for butterfly bush. This series of dwarf plants completely changes how we can use Buddleia in gardens.

First, there's the size. Unlike traditional varieties, Lo & Behold Buddleia stay dense and compact. They're a much better fit for residential gardens and can even be used in container designs. We really like them as mass plantings, too. Just be careful about overwintering them above ground unless you are in a very mild climate.

Second, there's the non-invasive nature of these varieties. They are seedless and one of the limited number of varieties that is permitted for sale in states like Oregon that have banned Buddleia.

Finally, consider the long bloom time of the Lo & Behold series. They flower from early summer right to frost without deadheading. These plants will give you months of well-behaved, fragrant color. The only difficulty is deciding which color is right for your landscape. 'Blue Chip Jr.'? 'Lilac Chip'? 'Pink Micro Chip'? 'Ice Chip'? 'Purple Haze'? Maybe all of the above is the answer.

Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip Jr.' Buddleia - did we mention it's also drought tolerant, deer resistant, and adored by butterflies?

The Lo & Behold plants are all hardy to USDA Zone 5. We do recommend planting them in spring rather than fall in cooler climates. Full sun and very well-drained soil are also important.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

Plant of the Week: Zinfin Doll Hydrangea

What do you get when you combine puns with alcohol? Usually nothing good, but in this case you get a really nice hydrangea. Zinfin Doll™ Hydrangea paniculata has the same appealing two-toned coloration as Pinky Winky® hydrangea but with the fuller panicles of a 'Limelight'. Like Pinky Winky, Zinfin Doll hydrangea's flowers will open white then start to turn pink at the base, eventually transforming to a fully pink panicle.

Zinfin Doll hydrangea will grow in full sun or partial shade and is hardy to USDA Zone 3. It will get 6-8' tall and wide and is a good cut flower. It will be available at retail in spring 2016.

The blooms of Zinfin Doll hydrangea will transform to a fully pink pancile in fall.

There is an abundance of Hydrangea paniculatas in the market. I have heard some people grumble that there are too many, that we just don't need that many choices. I disagree.

First you need to consider size. For a long time, Hydrangea paniculatas came in one size: big. You can still go big if you want to (think 'Limelight' and Pinky Winky hydrangeas) but you can also go with something more compact like 'Little Lamb' or Fire Light® hydrangeas.

New dwarf varieties like Little Lime® and Little Quick Fire® hydrangeas fit into even more applications, and the petite Bobo® hydrangea is just 3' tall!

Next there's flower color. The default for hardy hydrangeas is white, but you can also find green (Little Lime), pink-red (Fire Light) and pink and white bicolor (Zinfin Doll). No blue. Sorry.

Finally there's bloom time. The earliest bloomers are Quick Fire® and Little Quick Fire hydrangeas. Then a typical progression would be Fire Light, Pinky Winky, Zinfin Doll, Little Lime, 'Little Lamb' and 'Limelight'. Plant them all for months of color!

So go ahead and explore the different sizes, colors and bloom times of Hydrangea paniculata. I think you'll find that you shouldn't limit yourself to just one or two 'go-to' varieties.

Zinfin Doll hydrangea: the color of Pinky Winky hydrangea with the shape of 'Limelight'

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

Plant of the Week: Tiny Wine Ninebark

Tiny Wine® Physocarpus is a nice dwarf plant that is smaller than others on the market. It is extra-bushy, with small, refined leaves that stay colorful throughout the season. The dark bronze-maroon foliage is a nice contrast to the pinkish-white spring blooms.

Since it is just 3-4' tall and wide, Tiny Wine ninebark fits well into residential landscapes and other smaller sites where larger varieties just get too big. You can even grow it in a patio container; like other ninebarks it is hardy to USDA Zone 3 so should overwinter well above-ground in most of North America.

Physocarpus is a great plant. It's native, very hardy, and new varieties like Tiny Wine ninebark are colorful all season. Bees love it. Its only potential flaw is a tendency to have powdery mildew, which can be avoided by proper selection and siting.

Tips for Growing Physocarpus

First off, plant Physocarpus in full sun. Good air circulation is also helpful. I have a row of Coppertina® ninebarks in a full sun, southwest exposure with lots of wind coming through the nearby cornfields. There is no windbreak to speak of, and West Michigan gets some righteous wind - 40-50 mph gusts left a lot of folks without power last week. That's a site that would have a lot of plants looking wilted and tattered, and the Coppertina ninebarks love it. 

Secondly, pay attention to the cultivar. Summer Wine® Physocarpus has good resistance to powdery mildew; Tiny Wine ninebark comes from the same breeding, so we expect it will trial well, too. Check out this evalution published in American Nurseryman for a good review of many popular cultivars.

Physocarpus is a very hardy plant, growing happily far into the north. Luckily it provides nice winter interest with its exfoliating bark - a real benefit for those of us in the Snowbelt. It's a tough customer and will tolerate a lot, but those of you in Zones 8-9 may find that it isn't super happy in your heat and humidity. Finally, established plantings of Physocarpus have good drought tolerance.

OK, ready for a bit of fun? Check out this hypnotic wind map.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.

Plant of the Week: Sonic Bloom Reblooming Weigela

Sonic Bloom® weigela are the strongest rebloomers ever seen in weigela. They bloom in May as expected, then produce waves of flowers until frost.

Sonic Bloom® Pearl reblooming weigela

We have three colors available: Pink, Pearl, and Red. All will grow in full sun or partial shade and show good deer resistance. They grow 4-5' tall and wide (if you need something smaller check out My Monet® or Spilled Wine® weigelas- they aren't rebloomers but do have colorful foliage). If you must prune them, do so right after that first spring bloom.

Sonic Bloom® Red reblooming weigela

Our clever, punny name may have you wondering what a sonic boom is. Physics was never my strongest subject, but I did find a relatively simple explanation of the phenomenon here.

For more fun with sound waves, check out the pendulum clock mystery.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles