I like to start looking for new perennials this time of year, so I'm ready for spring orders. Here are a few that I'm excited about. I think most of these are new this year or for 2010. If you've come across any stunning new introductions please share! I would love to know more.
Brunnera 'King's Ransom' (A variegated Jack Frost!)
http://www.lucsperennialworld.com/perennials/pages/brunnera_macrophylla_kings_ransom.html
Dicentra 'Burning Hearts' (Really cool foliage for a bleeding heart)
http://www.perennialresource.com/encyclopedia/view/?plant=1908
Echinacea 'Summer Sky'
http://provenancegardens.com/echinacea-summer-sky.html
Echinacea 'Hot Lava'
http://www.terranovanurseries.com/r/pages/plants/echinacea-hot-lava.php
Heuchera 'Berry Smoothie' (I think I'm most excited about this one)
http://provenancegardens.com/heuchera-berry-smoothie.html
Heucherella 'Sweet Tea'
http://www.terranovanurseries.com/r/pages/plants/heucherella-sweet-tea.php
Heucherella 'Golden Zebra'
http://provenancegardens.com/heucherella-golden-zebra.html
Rudbeckia 'Henry Eilers'
http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/rudbeckia-subtomentosa-sweet-coneflower.aspx
Yucca 'Bright Star' (So cool, but not hardy in my zone)
http://www.terranovanurseries.com/r/pages/plants/yucca-bright-star.php
Looking to 2010 - What are the best new introductions?
You forgot these:
http://www.premiumplantplugs.com/Coreopsis-Mango-Punch-p13.html
http://www.premiumplantplugs.com/Echinacea-Maui-Sunshine-p20.html
http://www.premiumplantplugs.com/Heuchera-Autumn-Leaves-p52.html
http://www.premiumplantplugs.com/Heuchera-Electra-p34.html
http://www.premiumplantplugs.com/Tradescantia-Sunshine-Charm-p106.html
All are new for 2010. Same company also has the Golden Zebra you listed.
I have 'Sunshine Charm' Tradescantia. I love it and got it last year.
Love that 'Berry Smoothie'!
I have Summer Sky echi. I was not impressed.
Mine were paler than the one shown and when they aged they looked terrible
Good post, I like them very much but are new cultivars getting a bit strident and 'in your face'??
I have some limited knowledge when it comes to Echinacea and Rudbeckia. Perhaps you meant Echinacea "Summer Sun" which is new in 2010? "Summer Sky" has been out for several years and didn't do all that well for me. Here's a picture I took on Nov 15 of one of my Echinacea "Hot Lava" plants. The blooms are nice, but similar to Echinacea "Tomato Soup". "Hot Lava" does seem to be better than "Tomato Soup" when it comes to growing and branching. Another new one that has grown well for me and has very nice blooms is "Tangerine Dream".
Jon
The best new "seed grown" rudbeckia for me has been "Tiger Eye Gold". It grows and branches very well on its own, seems to have high disease resistance and a longer than average blooming period. Here's what my "Tiger Eye Gold" is looking like today. It has bloomed, on and off, in cycles since May.
Jon
My rudbeckias are new variety Moreno
That fern leafed Dicentra is really nice. I have 2 different varieites of them. One is white and the raspberry colored one is called "king of Hearts". It's reblooming right now. These type of Dicentras are not as aggressive as Spectabilis and they keep their foliage here all summer.
Jon, Your Tangerine Dream is looking really nice. I like that big cone.
Thanks. The picture above is Echinacea "Hot Lava". Here's a picture I took of "Tangerine Dream".
Jon
Ooops, sorry. I've got both of those planted myself, but they are overwintering in a bed sunken in their pots as they are still too small to put into the garden. Can't wait to see them get bigger.
Yeah, those small plants/plugs can be a bit tricky
Burning Hearts Dicentra has strong Dicentra peregrina parentage. As peregrina is an alpine species, excellent drainage will be more critical compare to other dicentra's, especially in the winter. Hot summers may also be less survivable.
The crossing with other more lowland (and easy) Dicentra species to produce Burning Hearts will have mitigated the demanding needs of the D. peregrina species. But the intro is so new that it is hard to know how easy or hard it will be to grow. Time will tell.
Leftwood, That's what I like about these type of Dicentras. I can grow them in the driest parts of my beds and they prosper. Mine are all under Maples.
Again due to the peregrina parentage, Burning Heart may not like complete shade. You'll just have to see.
OOOHHH I am loving tangerine dream and moreno. Think of them growing together....
They'd probably be happy together since they're related to each other.
They would look great togethe.
I forgot to mention that I really like the look of the "Moreno" Rudbeckia ge1836. I like them so much that I ordered some seeds.
Jon
You wont be dissapointed. I bought 3 plants from Bluestone this spring.
2 have made it.
I dont have the patience for seeds
That's good. I do most of them from seed, since the growing season is never ending, but I have bought some rudbeckia plants from Bluestone & Lazyssfarm.
The only drawback to Bluestone is those darn peanuts they pack in.
I'm still finding them from another vendor whose package I received in 2007! A breeze came along at precisely the wrong time and no matter how many we picked up we couldn't get them all.
I bought the Brunnera "King's Ransome" from Casita Azul (I was actually using the site to buy hostas but couldn't resist this new brunnera. I have quite a few varieties and this is a winner. It looks especially good in the semi shade next to the dark tiarellas, purple heucheras and hostas. http://www.ilovehostas.net/index.html
It is a beautiful brunnera.
Thanks. That's a nice site and it kept me dreaming of spring for awhile.
Heuchera 'Autumn Leaves' get my "wow" vote; that baby is gorgeous!
Ruth
I agree, Ruth. That is a stunner!! It's at the top of my list next year. Anything with Villosa parentage is supposed to be hardier and more resistant to heat according to my local family nursery, so this looks like another winner not to be resisted! LOL
I agree with your nurserymen, gardadore; the cultivars I've grown with villosa in their mix have seemed to be hardier. Can't speak to their heat tolerance because summers here aren't brutally hot. Resistance if futile, lol...
Ruth
Resistance is...LOL...futile...Heh heh heh