Top New Blue, Pink, and Purple Annuals for 2013

Be the first on your block to grow these brand-new flowers that are more beautiful and easier to grow than ever.

By Doug Jimerson and Karen Weir-Jimerson

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'Glamouflage Grape' Petunia

Hot Springs Lobelia Family

Supercal Artist Rose Petchoa

'Estrella Pink Star' Verbena

Lanai Lime Green Verbena

Frosty Knight Sweet Alyssum

'Blue A Fuse' Petunia

Blue My Mind Evolvulus

Trilogy Petunia Family

Crackling Fire Begonia Family

Colorblaze Marooned Coleus

Tumbler Impatiens Family

Go-Go Rose Bicolor Tuberous Begonia

Blushing Princess Sweet Alyssum

Surfinia Summer Double Petunia Family

Can-Can Dark Purple Calibrachoa

Sungelonia Angelonia Family

Calipetite Calibrachoas

Lanai Candy Cane Verbena

Supertunia Picasso In Pink Petunia

Supertunia Watermelon Charm Petunia

Cora Cascade Strawberry Vinca

Caliente Deep Rose Geranium

Lanai Vintage Rose Verbena

Can-Can Hot Pink Star Calibrachoa

'Vino' Coleus

Suncatcher Vintage Rose Trailing Petunia

'Snow Globe Purple' Sweet Alyssum

Supercal Blushing Pink Petchoa

Senorita Blanca Spider Flower

Marvel Beauty Raspberry Petunia

'Green Ball' Dianthus

'Pinto Premium White to Rose' Geranium

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'Glamouflage Grape' Petunia

Wow! That's all any of us could say the first time we saw 'Glamouflage Grape' petunia. That's because this amazing new variety has variegated foliage that's as eye-catching as the plant's grape-color flowers. Even when the plant is not in bloom, it still looks phenomenal in the garden.

Name: Petunia 'Glamouflage Grape'

Growing Conditions: Sun or part shade

Size: To 8 inches tall

Grow It With: Sweet alyssum

Source: Order now from White Flower Farm or visit hortcoutureplants.com for more information.

Discover other top petunia varieties in Plant Encyclopedia.

Hot Springs Lobelia Family

In the past, hot weather and lobelia didn?t mix well. As temperatures rose, the plants would stop blooming and die. But those days are over with the introduction of the Hot Springs lobelia family. These compact overachievers bloom all summer long and won?t knuckle under when the mercury rises. There are four colors available, including white, dark blue, lavender-pink, and sky blue. Enjoy them all summer!

Name: Hot Springs Lobelia

Growing Conditions: Sun or part shade

Size: To 14 inches tall

Grow It With: Bidens

Source: Visit ballfloraplant.com for more information.

Learn more about blue lobelia.

Supercal Artist Rose Petchoa

Petchoas bring together the best traits of petunia and calibrachoa and are a sure hit in our Test Garden. We use them in a variety of containers as well as in garden beds. Supercal Artist Rose is a good example of excellent breeding. It has light rose-color flowers that are delicately veined in darker pink with just a hint of yellow on the base of the petals. In cooler temperatures, the flowers are deeper in color.

Name: Supercal Artist Rose Petchoa

Growing Conditions: Sun or part shade

Size: To 15 inches tall and wide

Grow It With: Other petchoa varieties

Source: Learn more at sakataornamentals.com.

'Estrella Pink Star' Verbena

Sunny, hot conditions won?t stop ?Estrella Pink Star? verbena from blooming its head off in the landscape or containers. It?s a trailing form that can grow up to 18 inches long with bright pink and white blooms covering each plant. The flowers are also popular with butterflies and hummingbirds.

Name: Verbena ?Estrella Pink Star?

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: Trailing to 18 inches

Grow It With: Ivy geranium

Source: Look for this new variety at your local garden center.

Learn more about more varieties of verbena.

Lanai Lime Green Verbena

Green isn't a color you usually associate with verbena, but Lanai Lime Green is simply stunning. Every flower head on this vigorous plant is smothered in pale chartreuse petals. Use Lanai Lime Green verbena by itself in a basket or container, or use it as a foil to complement annuals that bloom in brighter colors.

Name: Lanai Lime Green Verbena

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 15 inches tall

Grow It With: Scaevola

Source: Visit syngentaflowers.com for more information.

Learn more about growing verbenas.

Frosty Knight Sweet Alyssum

Are you looking for a pretty and fragrant companion plant to complement your other annuals? Well you can?t go wrong with Frosty Knight sweet alyssum. Its small, snow-white flowers go with other plants, no matter what color they are. Plus, when the going gets tough, this vigorous new alyssum just keeps blooming because it?s heat- and drought-tolerant. Best of all, the nectar-rich flowers are prized by butterflies.

Name: Frosty Knight Lobularia ?INLBUPRIPR?

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: Trailing to 2 feet

Grow It With: Verbena

Source: Visit provenwinners.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about growing sweet alyssums.

'Blue A Fuse' Petunia

The flowers of 'Blue A Fuse' petunia are a lot like snowflakes -- no two are alike. Each stunning bloom sports stripes and blotches of violet, yellow, and white with purple throats. The plants have a mounded habit that makes them a good choice for containers or the landscape. Like other petunias, 'Blue A Fuse' blooms from spring till frost.

Name: Petunia 'Blue A Fuse'

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 8 inches tall

Grow It With: Other petunias

Source: Visit burpeehomegardens.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about petunias.

Blue My Mind Evolvulus

In our home garden, and the Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden�, Blue My Mind evolvulus never stops blooming, even when summer temperatures remain above 100 degrees F for several weeks. What?s more, its bright blue blooms stay colorful even when light October frosts knock out tender annuals in nearby beds. Blue My Mind is an awesome trailer that easily spills over the edges of tall planters or window boxes.

Name: Blue My Mind Evolvulus ?USEVO1201?

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 12 inches tall

Grow It With: Sweet alyssum

Source: Visit provenwinners.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about growing evolvulus.

Trilogy Petunia Family

Designed to remain tidy and compact, the Trilogy petunia family is a top pick for containers and landscape beds. The plants stay in bloom all summer and are sturdy enough to look good even after a heavy downpour. Trilogy petunias are available in seven different colors: white, lavender blush, rose, salmon, scarlet, purple, and salmon morn.

Name: Trilogy Petunia

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 12 inches tall

Grow It With: Geranium

Source: Visit trilogypetunia.com for more information.

Learn more about petunias.

Crackling Fire Begonia Family

The innovative plant breeders at Suntory have done it again! This time, their new begonia series, Crackling Fire begonia, caught our eye. These are fast-growing flower factories, blooming in both full and partial sun. The extraordinarily showy blooms sit atop slightly pendulous stems, making Crackling Fire begonia a good choice for containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes. This new series is available in four colors: orange, pink, white, and creamy yellow.

Name: Crackling Fire Begonia boliviensis

Growing Conditions: Sun or part shade

Size: To 10 inches tall

Grow It With: Bacopa

Source: Visit suntorycollection.com for more information.

Learn more about begonias.

Colorblaze Marooned Coleus

In our Test Garden, we grew Colorblaze Marooned coleus in planters as well as in the landscape. In both situations, this hardworking plant was absolutely beautiful all summer long. The dark, burgundy foliage was the perfect foil for brightly colored companion plants such as Watermelon Charm petunia and Frosty Knight sweet alyssum. Thriving in sun or shade, Colorblaze Marooned coleus can grow up to 3 feet tall. To keep the plant looking its best, pinch off any flowers that might develop late in the season.

Name: Colorblaze Marooned Solenostemon

Growing Conditions: Sun or shade

Size: To 3 feet tall

Grow It With: Supertunia petunias

Source: Visit provenwinners.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about growing coleus.

Tumbler Impatiens Family

Developed especially for containers and baskets, the Tumbler family of impatiens is a vigorous trailing form available in a variety of colors including pink, scarlet, rose, rose star, violet star, white, salmon, and violet. Fill a few hanging baskets with Tumbler impatiens and use them to brighten shady spots under arbors or porches.

Name: Tumbler Impatiens walleriana

Growing Conditions: Shade

Size: Trailing to 14 inches

Grow It With: Tuberous begonia

Source: Visit syngentaflowers.com for more information.

Learn more about impatiens.

Go-Go Rose Bicolor Tuberous Begonia

The Go-Go family of tuberous begonias has always been a top choice for container gardeners. This year, the Go-Go family gets even better with the addition of Go-Go Rose Bicolor. Each of its ball-like flowers develops white petals that are edged with deep pink. The plants remain compact, forming a 10-inch-tall mound of dark green foliage that sets off the bicolor blooms. Use Go-Go Rose Bicolor to brighten the dark corners of your garden.

Name: Go-Go Rose Bicolor Begonia tuberhybrida

Growing Conditions: Shade or part shade

Size: To 10 inches tall

Grow It With: Euphorbia

Source: Visit syngentaflowers.com for more information.

Learn more about tuberous begonias.

Blushing Princess Sweet Alyssum

Thousands of tiny, fragrant, pale bluish-lavender flowers make Blushing Princess a must-have for your garden. It?s heat-resistant and doesn?t require deadheading to keep it in bloom. This robust little charmer only grows 4-8 inches tall, but it can trail up to 3 feet, perfect for tall pots, planters, or window boxes. Blushing Princess also does well in cool temperatures.

Name: Blushing Princess Lobularia ?INLBUBLUPR?

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: Trailing to 3 feet

Grow It With: Angelonia

Source: Visit provenwinners.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about growing sweet alyssums.

Surfinia Summer Double Petunia Family

This summer, double your gardening pleasure with Surfinia Summer Double petunias. A robust trailing family of petunias, the plants offer gorgeous, carnationlike flowers that will tumble and ramble over the edges of hanging baskets, window boxes, or large pots. There are three colors to choose from: pink, rose, and white.

Name: Surfinia Summer Double Petunia Surfinia Summer Double series

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 16 inches tall

Grow It With: Scaevola

Source: Visit suntorycollection.com for more information.

Learn more about petunias.

Can-Can Dark Purple Calibrachoa

The flowers of Can-Can Dark Purple calibrachoa are so dark, they almost look black. A profuse bloomer, this velvety new variety stays in flower all summer long and its color doesn?t fade in strong sun. Plus, every bloom has a pretty yellow throat that provides just enough contrast with the dark petals to make this calibrachoa a standout in your garden.

Name: Can-Can Dark Purple Calibrachoa

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: Trailing to 15 inches

Grow It With: Other calibrachoa

Source: Visit ballhort.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about calibrachoas.

Sungelonia Angelonia Family

When it comes to performance, it's hard to beat angelonia. Also called summer snapdragon, angelonia blooms like crazy, even when rainfall is scarce and temperatures soar. And the new Sungelonia angelonia family is no different. Sungelonia varieties are compact and produce lots of flower stalks from the base of each plant. They come in three colors: white, deep pink, and blue. All are perfect for containers or beds and borders.

Name: Sungelonia Angelonia series

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 15 inches tall

Grow It With: Verbena

Source: Visit suntorycollection.com for more information.

Learn more about angelonias.

Calipetite Calibrachoas

Compact and packed with flowers, Calipetite calibrachoa is an excellent choice for pots, planters, and hanging baskets. The family is available in five colors, including white, red, blue, yellow, and pink. All five can tolerate poor soil and remain blooming.

Name: Calipetite Calibrachoa

Growing Conditions: Sun or part shade

Size: To 8 inches tall

Grow It With: Oxalis

Source: Learn more at sakataornamentals.com.

Learn more about calibrachoas.

Lanai Candy Cane Verbena

It?s pretty obvious where the name of this sweet new verbena comes from. Every pure white flower of Lanai Candy Cane has vivid red stripes that radiate out from the center, making the blooms look like peppermint candies. Like other verbena, Lanai Candy Cane is a trailer that looks best in hanging baskets or tall pots and planters. Plus, this floral treat won?t melt when summer temperatures rise.

Name: Lanai Candy Cane Verbena

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 15 inches tall

Grow It With: Bidens

Source: Visit syngentaflowers.com for more information.

Learn more about growing verbenas.

Supertunia Picasso In Pink Petunia

This lovely new petunia is a true work of art, creating a bold canvas of bright pink flowers delicately etched with chartreuse. Like other petunias in the Supertunia family, Picasso in Pink will cover a lot of ground in your garden, with trailing branches that can grow 3 feet long. It's a top pick for containers or the landscape. Just be sure to fertilize frequently to keep the flower show going right up until frost.

Name: Supertunia Picasso In Pink Petunia 'USTUN48002'

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 1 foot tall

Grow It With: Angelonia

Source: Visit provenwinners.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about petunias.

Supertunia Watermelon Charm Petunia

Supertunia Watermelon Charm is awash in bold red-pink flowers all summer long. A trailing petunia, it?s an ideal choice for tall containers, window boxes, or hanging baskets. Because of its bold color, this easy-care petunia is also a favorite of hummingbirds, who love the nectar-rich blooms. Unlike older petunia varieties, Supertunia Watermelon Charm is also self-cleaning, so you won?t need to remove the flowers as they fade to keep the plants looking great.

Name: Supertunia Watermelon Charm Petunia 'USTUN47601'

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide

Grow It With: Coleus

Source: Visit provenwinners.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about petunias.

Cora Cascade Strawberry Vinca

Annual vinca is a summer standby in our Test Garden, and one of our brand-new favorites is Cora Cascade Strawberry. This trailing sun-worshipper is vigorous and disease-resistant, with large light pink flowers with darker centers. Because the plant can spread up to 2 feet, Cora Cascade Strawberry can even be used as an annual groundcover in your garden.

Name: Cora Cascade Strawberry Catharanthus

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 16 inches tall and 24 inches wide

Grow It With: Geranium

Source: Visit syngentaflowers.com for more information.

Learn more about annual vincas.

Caliente Deep Rose Geranium

If you?ve never grown a Caliente geranium, you are in for a fun surprise. Unlike old-fashioned geraniums, the Caliente series are disease-resistant, self-cleaning, and in almost constant bloom. They have a slightly trailing habit, so you can rely on them to perform well in hanging baskets or window boxes. One of the newest members of the Caliente family is Caliente Deep Rose, which produces an almost constant supply of bold pink blooms, even during summer heat and humidity.

Name: Caliente Deep Rose Pelargonium

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 18 inches tall

Grow It With: White scaevola

Source: Visit syngentaflowers.com for more information.

Learn more about geraniums.

Lanai Vintage Rose Verbena

The first time we laid eyes on Lanai Vintage Rose verbena, we were blown away by its creamy white flowers with delicate rose-color edging. Like standard verbena, Lanai Vintage Rose is heat- and drought-tolerant, with a trailing habit that?s ideal for baskets and containers. It is also mildew-resistant, so it remains in top form even in humid regions.

Name: Lanai Vintage Rose Verbena

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 15 inches tall

Grow It With: Calibrachoa

Source: Visit syngentaflowers.com for more information.

Learn more about growing verbenas.

Can-Can Hot Pink Star Calibrachoa

Another exciting introduction to the Can-Can calibrachoa family is Can-Can Hot Pink Star. It produces tons of pink flowers, each one with a distinct, darker pink star in the center. This stunning plant looks best when planted en masse in a big basket or window box. Can-Can Hot Pink Star also mixes well with other sun-loving annuals. A new purple version, Can-Can Purple Star, is available too.

Name: Can-Can Hot Pink Star Calibrachoa

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: Trailing to 15 inches

Grow It With: Other calibrachoa

Source: Visit ballhort.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about growing calibrachoas.

'Vino' Coleus

Stunning in either sun or shade, 'Vino' coleus has rich, wine-color leaves with serrated chartreuse edges. It also has a sturdy, upright habit that can reach 30 inches tall. In our Test Garden, we teamed 'Vino' with 'Honey Crisp' coleus in large tubs that were spectacular right up until frost.

Name: Solenostemon 'Vino'

Growing Conditions: Sun or shade

Size: To 30 inches tall

Grow It With: Other coleus

Source: Order now from White Flower Farm.

Learn more about coleus.

Suncatcher Vintage Rose Trailing Petunia

Every inch of Suncatcher Vintage Rose trailing petunia is covered in gorgeous dark pink flowers with pale pink margins. Like other trailing petunias, Suncatcher Vintage Rose grows wider than it does tall, quickly filling in bare spots in your garden. It?s also mildew-resistant, so it?s a good choice for humid regions.

Name: Suncatcher Vintage Rose Petunia

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: Trailing to 14 inches

Grow It With: Sweet alyssum

Source: Visit ballhort.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn about other fantastic petunias!

'Snow Globe Purple' Sweet Alyssum

In our Test Garden, we are always looking for flowers that smell as good as they look. That?s why we fell in love with ?Snow Globe Purple? sweet alyssum. This prolific bloomer develops an avalanche of richly perfumed, soft purple blooms all summer long. Because it only grows 8 inches tall, ?Snow Globe Purple? works well as an edging plant in beds and borders or containers.

Name: Lobularia ?Snow Globe Purple?

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 8 inches tall and 12 inches wide

Grow It With: Verbena

Source: Visit hortcoutureplants.com for more information.

Learn more about more varieties of sweet alyssums.

Supercal Blushing Pink Petchoa

Besides their glowing, trumpet-shape flowers, petchoas are also prized because they are more heat-tolerant than either of their parents: petunia and calibrachoa. Supercal Blushing Pink produces quantities of pale pink blooms with just a touch of darker pink sprinkled here and there over the petals. Supercal Blushing Violet petchoa is another new relative with shiny red-violet flowers.

Name: Supercal Blushing Pink Petchoa

Growing Conditions: Sun or part shade

Size: To 15 inches tall and wide

Grow It With: Euphorbia

Source: Learn more at sakataornamentals.com.

Senorita Blanca Spider Flower

Heat- and drought-tolerant, Senorita Blanca spider flower is an improved, dwarf form of the old-fashioned varieties your grandmother used to grow. But unlike Grandma's spider flower, Senorita Blanca is thornless with odorless, nonsticky foliage. Senorita Blanca is in almost constant bloom developing a crown of pretty silvery white flowers in warm temperatures. In cooler temps, flowers are pale lavender-pink. It's also a favorite with butterflies and won't self-sow.

Name: Senorita Blanca Cleome 'USCLESNABL'

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To4 feet tall and 2 feet wide

Grow It With: Cosmos

Source: Visit provenwinners.com to find a retailer near you.

Learn more about spider flowers.

Marvel Beauty Raspberry Petunia

The first time we saw Marvel Beauty Raspberry petunia, we almost mistook it for a primula or viola. That's because this unusual petunia offers masses of small pink and raspberry-color blossoms that practically smother the plant in flowers. It's a happy compact plant that easily thrives in containers or in the landscape. Its sibling, Marvel Beauty Blueberry, has the same habit but has refreshing lilac and purple blooms.

Name: Marvel Beauty Raspberry Petunia

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 12 inches tall

Grow It With: Sweet alyssum

Source: Visit danziger.co.il for more information.

Like petunias? See more varieties in Plant Encyclopedia.

'Green Ball' Dianthus

Talk about a surprising plant! Unlike most dianthus that have pretty single or double pink flowers, 'Green Ball' sends up bright chartreuse balls of bloom in the late spring and summer. The plant has a mounded habit with slender green foliage, making it an ideal companion for more colorful annuals in pots and planters. 'Green Ball' can be grown as a perennial in Zone 8 and warmer.

Name: Dianthus barbatus 'Green Ball'

Growing Conditions: Sun

Size: To 14 inches tall

Grow It With: Calibrachoa

Source: Visit ballhort.com to find a retailer near you.

'Pinto Premium White to Rose' Geranium

This All-America Selections winner for 2013 boasts cute clusters of flowers that start pure white and mature to soft rose. The blooms last a little longer than old-fashioned geraniums and appear in bold 5-inch-wide clusters. 'Pinto Premium White to Rose' offers dark green foliage and excellent heat resistance, too.

Name: Pelargonium 'Pinto Premium White to Rose'

Growing Conditions: Sun or part shade

Size: To 2 feet tall

Grow It With: Euphorbia

Source: Visit syngentaflowers.com for more information.

Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Top New Blue, Pink, and Purple Annuals for 2013

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