A Splattering of Newish Plants

Feature Article A Splattering of by Stephanie Cohen Newish Plants he catalogs start coming, and as Nepeta mussini ‘Angel Wings’ a speckled Tplant devotees, we get excited by the My second choice is Nepeta mussini effect as word “new”. You have to understand ‘Angel Wings’, better known as the plant that this may not be a new plant, but variegated catmint. This wonderful matures. it is the first time this company has newish plant is a sport of Nepeta Like most carried this particular plant. Sometimes racemosa ‘Blue Wonder’. The charm nepetas, it a plant winds up in a catalog, but they of this plant is that it is only 6–8" grows in have trouble with production or the tall and 12" wide—for those of you well-drained plant reverts, or some other defect. It looking to fill small spaces. It grows to dry soil. photo courtesy of Intrinsic Nursery disappears for a time and comes back in full sun to light shade. It has bright 'Angel Wings' catmint has as new. Other times a plant is patented, blue flowers, but is special because showy variegated leaves. taken to Europe, and sold in the the foliage emerges in spring with a When your catmint needs European market for one to three years. significant bright white-edged foliage pruning, leave some foliage It finally comes to the United States as which, like a chameleon, changes to for additional colors. new, even though you may have seen publicity about the plant. I like to call Monarda ‘Leading Lady Plum’ these plants “newish”, because they Here comes another newish monarda have not gone directly to the gardener. from the Leading Lady Series called So here we go with new, newish, and ‘Leading Lady Plum’. This bee bam underused, which was the title for my flowers earlier than most monardas talk at this year’s HPS March Into in early summer. This one is also Spring. The opinions expressed are different as one of the parents is mine and, if you don’t agree, don’t get Monarda bradburiana, a species from your knickers in a twist, because I am dry open woods. It never seems to get not easily persuaded to change my Garden Walters photo courtesy of mildew and has been in my meadow mind. This 'Leading Lady Plum' bee balm is over twelve years with no sign of a magnet for pollinators. It has a bright, fungus. It is a rather tall, ungainly, My Fair Maiden™ Maiden showy flower and clean leaves, very, very branched species with a nondescript Grass resistant to mildew. pinkish-purple coloration. However, After seven years of research, a new ‘Leading Lady Plum’ is short at 14", miscanthus, Miscanthus sinensis densely branched, and very floriferous. ‘NCMS1’ My Fair Maiden™ Plant After the first flush of bloom, a Patent #26,387, became readily secondary bloom emerges above the available to the public. I can only initial bloom, taking the flower show compare it to a seedless watermelon, almost to late summer. It has a blingy because it is not sterile, but a highly magenta-purple flower that bees and infertile triploid. In other words, it butterflies love and deer hate. In produces very little progeny and, when addition, it grows in full to part shade they geminate, they never grow to and exhibits good drought resistance. maturity. This grass is 6–9' tall with a 3' spread and hardy in Zones 5–9. It has Ligularia ‘King Kong’ a vase shape and beige showy plumes Have a wet to moist spot? Try using in the fall. Will you buy it or stick with Ligularia ‘King Kong’ known as panicums which fill the same niche? big-leaf ligularia or ragwort. Think of photo courtesy of Emerald Coast Nursery I don’t have a crystal ball, so we will 'My Fair Maiden' miscanthus in full ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’ on a double have to wait and see. bloom in mid-autumn showing size and dose of steroids, as each leaf can be 16" form. across and new leaves have stunning Vol. 32, No. 2 Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Group 3 need a little extra color. Deadhead to dreadful. After finding out this one prevent a super abundance—unless fact, I am not surprised. Nurseries you covet more. The 24" full sun onion keep telling gardeners to read the tags grows in Zones 4–8, is very drought carefully, but if the information isn’t resistant, and deer and rabbits tend to there, the gardener generally tells leave it alone, but butterflies and bees people it’s a lousy plant. really appreciate the blooms. If you hate it, just eat it! photo courtesy of Walter's Gardens Walter's photo courtesy of If you loved Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford', you will be going into ecstasy with the extra large, shiny, dark purple leaves of 'King Kong' that look black. They took their vitamins. purple-black foliage that change to burgundy-purple as the summer photo courtesy of Marco van Nort hybridizer/Burpee Seed Co progresses. Best in moist soil with The hot-colored flowers of morning sun. If in too much shade, it 'Sensation Pink', which are large will turn green. You will be unleashing White Flower Farm photo courtesy of and flat, attract bees and provide the beast that is 3–4' tall, Zones 4–9, A fully developed 'Empress Wu' is a landing pad for butterflies. and sports the same golden-orange pictured—which takes time to achieve. daisy as most other ligularias. Echinacea purpurea Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ 'Sensation Pink' (PBR) I have a bone to pick with misleading Well, I knew I should include an description tags. The next plants are echinacea in my comments. I happen newish, but you may have killed or to like single echinaceas (my personal discarded them by now because the preference). This newish one is called plant did not match their tag. One ‘Sensation Pink’. I think this name is Hosta ‘Empress Wu’. The main has been used before on other plants selling point is its gigantic size. so that will certainly cause confusion. Some gardeners discarded it after However, the hot magenta pink flowers the second year because the size was are definitely discernable in the garden. of a slightly bigger medium hosta. It is 24" tall, hardy in Zones 4–9, sports What the tags neglected to include is dark stems with a compact habit, and that it takes three to five years for it blooms in summer. We are noticing that to reach bragging size. So much for some of the newer hybrids of Marco transparency. van Noort of the Netherlands are quite photo courtesy of Sugar Creek Gardens attractive, but the jury is still out. This very floriferous small 'Medusa' Wild Swan Windflower ornamental onion and its twisty leaves Another is Anemone Wild Swan = before flowering will definitely attract 'Macane001' (PBR), a beautiful white attention. Deer and rabbits leave them anemone with some of the undersides alone—need I say more! in a pale blue. I happened to actually read a report from the hybridizer who Medusa Flowering Onion lives in Scotland, which has terrible Check out Allium cepa (Cepa Group) winter weather. It can survive cold ‘Medusa’ (PBR), a newish ornamental weather but to get good establishment, onion. It has a gray-green, thin foliage. it must be planted in spring. Usually I love the way the exceptional, twisty we don’t get to see fall perennials until foliage forms a low mound, and the late summer or fall. I did plant in late nodding buds look like a head of fall because my daughter was getting snakes before they open to a chive-like married and I needed white flowers. photo courtesy of Creek Hill Nursery light amethyst-purple flower. It flowers I planted plugs. They looked fine for late summer to fall when most gardens The flower petals are what makes this the wedding, but the survival rate was 'Wild Swan' a standout. 4 Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Group June 2018 showy for such a small plant with many new plants hit the market at the petals veined lilac peach and the center same time.) So I am giving it a shout- a dark purple. It is hardy in Zones 5–9. out. This lovely woodland plant is 26" Its form is a compact mound. (I have tall and is taller than ‘Double Wide’. always said shorter is better.) I must tell It spreads by creeping rhizomes. It is you that this is plant pornography—it known as Polygonatum odoratum var. is not readily available yet. pluriflorum and is generally called Sol- omon’s seal or variegated Solomon’s seal. It is hardy in Zones 2–8. It has the standard white flowers, but the leaf has a double white margin which makes it very showy. The foliage is lovely from spring to fall. Many florists use it in flower arrangements. It likes moist, photo courtesy of Proven Winners photo courtesy of Proven well-drained soil. My plant has pro- The bicolored flowers with purple duced a slightly bigger plant, but has leaves make 'Midnight Masquerade' a photo courtesy of Darwin Nursery not travelled at all. Planted with green knockout. So does the easy care. The sunny golden colors of 'Golden and white hostas or some lovely ferns, Penstemon ‘Midnight Spring' make us aware that spring it makes a handsome combination from Masquerade’ has arrived. It can mix with all the early spring to fall. I love penstemons because they are bloomers.

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