Must-Grow New Perennials for 2011
These brand-new varieties offer exciting colors, more flowers, and other features so you can enjoy your best perennial garden ever.
- view all thumbnails
We love blanketflowers because they offer tons of blooms and attract butterflies, yet hold up well to heat and drought. 'Arizona Apricot' is an All-America Selections winner that features soft apricot-color blooms that fade to yellow at the petal edges.
Name: Gaillardia 'Arizona Apricot'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 12 inches tall and wide
Zones: 3-10
Grow it with: 'Rozanne' perennial geranium, which offers a lovely contrast with its soft blue-violet blooms
Source: jungseed.com/
Photo courtesy all-americaselections.org/
We love plants that have variegated foliage because they add a much longer season of interest to the garden. It's no surprise that 'Shockwave' immediately caught our attention. It features green leaves boldly edged in gold and lavender-pink flowers in summer. Wow!
Name: Phlox paniculata 'Shockwave'
Growing conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 18 inches tall and 12 inches wide
Zones: 4-8
Grow it with: 'Red Dragon' persicaria, which shows off purple foliage that's a great contrast to the phlox leaves (and picks up on the purple tones in the flowers)
Source: waltersgardens.com
Photo courtesy waltersgardens.com
If you've been let down by peonies drooping to the ground after a heavy late-spring rain, we bet you'll love Misaka, a hybrid between shrubby tree peonies and garden peonies. This variety features wonderfully strong stems and an amazing number of 8-inch-wide peachy-yellow blooms.
Name: Misaka Paeonia 'Smith Opus 1'
Growing conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 30 inches tall and wide
Zones: 4-8
Grow it with: 'Butter and Sugar' Siberian iris, which offers lovely butterfly-shape blooms in creamy yellow
Source: monrovia.com
Photo courtesy monrovia.com
A top-notch yarrow, butterfly attractor, and all-around good garden plant, 'Peachy Seduction' yarrow shows off large clusters of warm peachy-pink flowers in midsummer. It's great in beds, borders, and containers.
Name: Achillea millefolium 'Peachy Seduction'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 23 inches tall and wide
Zones: 4-8
Grow it with: 'Arizona Apricot' blanketflower, another heat- and drought-tolerant new variety with softly colored blooms
Source: bloomsofbressinghamplants.com
Photo courtesy bloomsofbressinghamplants.com
Gone are the days when coneflowers came just in purple! Today there's a wealth of colors, including stellar 'Orange Luxury', which shows off warm, glowing-orange blooms throughout the summer.
Name: Echinacea 'Orange Luxury'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 4-8
Grow it with: 'Blue Paradise' phlox, which shows off fragrant purple-blue flowers that highlight 'Orange Luxury'
Source: heronswood.com
Photo courtesy heronswood.com
Red hot pokers stand out in the landscape with their thick, strappy foliage and cheery spikes of flowers that are reminiscent of pineapples bedecked in tropical colors. 'Elvira' features bright orange blooms from midsummer to early fall and evergreen foliage.
Name: Kniphofia 'Elvira'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 30 inches tall and 14 inches wide
Zones: 6-9
Grow it with: Blanketflower, which softens the base of the more architectural red hot poker
Source:bloomsofbressinghamplants.com
Photo courtesy bloomsofbressinghamplants.com
An ideal plant for beginning gardeners, yarrow holds up to heat and drought, blooms for a long time, and offers great resistance to deer and rabbits. Plus, it's perfect for attracting butterflies! 'Pineapple Mango' is a fun variety that changes colors in the garden. The blooms start pink and then fade to salmon-yellow before finishing pale primrose.
Name: Achillea millefolium 'Pineapple Mango'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 23 inches tall and wide
Zones: 4-8
Grow it with: Liatris, which bears purple spikes of flowers that create wonderful contrast with yarrow
Source: bloomsofbressinghamplants.com
Photo courtesy bloomsofbressinghamplants.com
The perfect solution for small-space gardeners, 'Little Annie' coneflower is the tiniest variety we've ever seen! It features 2- to 3-inch-wide flowers on strong stems over 12-inch-tall plants. As you would expect from a coneflower, it blooms for months, attracts butterflies, and holds up to heat and drought.
Name: Echinacea purpurea 'Little Annie'
Growing conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 1 foot tall and wide
Zones: 3-8
Grow it with: Blue fescue, which is a small-stature ornamental grass that likes the same growing conditions
Source: waltersgardens.com
Photo courtesy waltersgardens.com
A stunning cut flower, 'White Double Delight' coneflower features masses of double blooms on strong stems all summer long. It's an ideal selection for butterfly gardens, low-maintenance gardens, and even large containers.
Name: Echinacea 'White Double Delight'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 30 inches tall and 24 inches wide
Zones: 3-8
Grow it with: 'Karl Foerster' feather reedgrass, which creates stunning textural contrast in the garden
Source: burpee.com, heronswood.com
Photo courtesy burpee.com
An outstanding selection for the sunny garden, 'Big Blue' sea holly is a deer-, rabbit-, and drought-resistant perennial that shows off silvery foliage and iridescent silvery-blue flowers in midsummer. It makes for a wonderful cut flower and is also a prime choice for butterfly gardens.
Name: Eryngium 'Big Blue'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 30 inches tall and wide
Zones: 4-9
Grow it with: Lamb's-ears, which also offers gorgeous silvery foliage
Source: highcountrygardens.com
Photo courtesy highcountrygardens.com
An improvement over 'Butterfly Blue', an award-winning variety, 'Blue Note' shows off more flowers that are a richer blue color -- and has a more compact plant habit. It's a wonderful choice for growing in containers, in butterfly gardens, or at the front of a border.
Name: Scabiosa columbaria 'Blue Note'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 10 inches tall and 14 inches wide
Zones: 5-8
Grow it with: Rozanne geranium, which offers similar blue flowers over a long period
Source: Look for this variety at your local garden center
A stunner for rock gardens and other sunny spots, this creeping plant becomes a carpet of color for several weeks in spring when it's covered in violet-blue flowers. It often reblooms in fall, giving you more interest in the garden.
Name: Aubrieta 'Madly Blue Violet'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 inches tall and 12 inches wide
Zones: 4-9
Grow it with: White bloody geranium adds pretty flowers in spring and summer, and features foliage that turns bright red in fall.
Grow it with: Spring-blooming bulbs, such as hyacinths, for an unforgettable combo
Source: Find a garden center near you at provenwinners.com
Few plants are better at attracting bees and butterflies (while resisting deer and rabbits) than anise hyssop. 'Blue Blazes' is an outstanding selection that shows off large violet-blue flower clusters from midsummer to fall on a compact plant with mint-scent foliage.
Name: Agastache 'Blue Blazes'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 54 inches tall and 36 inches wide
Zones: 5-9
Grow it with: Russian sage, another practically carefree, summer-blooming pollinator plant
Source: highcountrygardens.com
Photo courtesy highcountrygardens.com
This charming groundcover is sure to bring a smile as it brightens your garden in spring, when it's covered in hot-pink flowers. 'Madly Magenta' is an easy-to-grow rock cress that thrives with little care in full sun and a well-drained spot.
Name: Aubrieta 'Madly Magenta'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 inches tall and 12 inches wide
Zones: 4-9
Grow it with: Spring-blooming bulbs, such as white tulips and daffodils, for an elegant early-season combo
Source: Find a garden center near you at provenwinners.com
Double coneflowers offer your garden extra pizzazz. 'Pomegranate' is one such selection that bears eye-popping magenta-rose blooms for weeks throughout the summer. Like other coneflowers, it's perfect for cutting and displaying in bouquets.
Name: Echinacea 'Pomegranate'
Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 30 inches tall and 18 inches wide
Zones: 4-8
Grow it with: 'White Double Delight' coneflower, which features similar flowers but in pure white
Source: heronswood.com
Photo courtesy heronswood.com
Offering gardeners a compact habit and beautiful flowers, 'Winky Double Rose and White' columbine is a shade garden stunner. It shows off pretty pink flowers with full white cups in late spring, then attractive blue-green foliage. It is a good cut flower and also attracts butterflies.
Name: Aquilegia 'Winky Double Rose and White'
Growing conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide
Zones: 3-9
Grow it with: Lungwort, which features attractive foliage and soft-blue flowers
Source: bluestoneperennials.com
What's cheerier than a daisy? We bet you'll want to add this lovely selection to your garden this year! Daisy May shows off great heat tolerance, a longer bloom season than other daisies, and a nice upright habit. It's perfect for bouquets, cottage gardens, and containers.
Name: Daisy May Leucanthemum 'Daisy Duke'
Growing conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Zones: 5-9
Grow it with: Salvia, which features spiky purple flowers that look great with the pure white daises
Source: shop.provenwinners.com
Add sparkle to your shade with 'Sonic Smash', a stunning hybrid between foamflower (Tiarella) and coralbells (Heuchera). This selection offers green leaves dusted in silver and marked with rich purple-red. It's a sure bet for brilliant color from spring to fall.
Name: X Heucherella 'Sonic Smash'
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Growing conditions: Sun or shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 12 inches tall and 28 inches wide
Zones: 4-8
Grow it with: 'Mocha' coralbells, which features deep purple foliage that complements this plant beautifully
Source: waltersgardens.com
Photo courtesy waltersgardens.com
Put on an extraordinary spring display in your garden with the spectacular 'Razzmatazz' primrose. It features dark burgundy red double flowers highlighted by cheery yellow centers and crisp white edges.
Name: Primula 'Razzmatazz'
Growing conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 10 inches tall and 8 inches wide
Zones: 6-8
Grow it with: Japanese painted fern, which creates a stunning contrast with its burgundy-flushed silvery foliage
Source: heronswood.com
Photo courtesy heronswood.com
Need flowers or plants that do good in mostly shade
1/23/2012 09:22:38 ?? Report AbuseToday is Aug 13 2010, and just saw about the Marmalade cornflower. I love it. I will try my local nursery to see if they have some.
8/13/2010 06:04:40 ?? Report AbuseI have had obedience plants for years and I have a hard time keeping just a few of them.
6/10/2010 10:27:44 ?? Report AbuseI haven't had any problem with my Obedient plants spreading too much, but the japenese beetles seem to swarm to them, so I would not recommend planting near any roses!
4/25/2010 05:37:02 ?? Report Abuse