New Plants of 2023: Shrubs
Last month, we talked about some of our favorite new perennials for 2023, and this month we’re taking a moment to highlight the top-performing new and newer shrub varieties of the season. When we compare the differences between shrub and perennial production, time is obviously one of the most significant distinguishing factors. The quick finishing time of most perennials allows us a lot of flexibility when it comes to trialing new varieties. We can usually get a fairly strong sense of how well they perform over the course of a few months. If we’re impressed with a new perennial and we feel the demand is there, we can easily and quickly ramp up production the following year. If not, the cost impact of trialing a few hundred plants was ultimately not that significant.
But shrub production requires a little more patience. Very often, new shrub varieties don’t reach a saleable size the first season. This is due, in large part, to the type and size of the liners available and the timing of when we can plant them. Because of this, we tend to be a little more selective when choosing new shrubs to trial – we must feel that the variety is significantly different or improved when compared to similar varieties that we already have in production in order to invest two (or more) seasons of resources into it.
Hydrangea paniculata Tiny Quick Fire® is a perfect example of a new variety that tested our patience but won us over in the end. In recent years, deceptive naming practices have caused a lot of confusion in our industry, especially with many of the newer branded shrub varieties (we’re looking at you, Physocarpus Tiny Wine® and Wee White® Hydrangea). But Tiny Quick Fire® is true to its name. There’s no doubt about it: it’s tiny. It’s the smallest paniculata Hydrangea to date, growing to only 3’ tall and wide, and it’s one of the earliest to bloom in spring. But it’s also very slow-growing, taking almost two full seasons to reach a saleable size in a 2-gallon pot. There has to be a payoff in order for us to devote two seasons of space and resources to a plant this size, and we ultimately decided that Tiny Quick Fire® is worth it. Its size makes it versatile and unique, it’s performed well for us in the container, and did I mention how cute it is?
On the other end of the spectrum are the roses: most of our roses are potted in early spring and finish by the middle of June. Since we made the decision to stop producing Knock Out® roses last year, we’ve been able to aggressively trial most of the Oso Easy® and other Proven Winners® varieties of roses, and we easily ramped up production over the course of just two seasons. This year, two varieties really stood out to us. Rosa Ringo All-Star™ made an impact on us right away with the kaleidoscopic and somewhat iridescent quality of the flower color. But what really impressed us was that the flowers hold their color as they age and don’t fade in the heat of summer as a lot of older varieties do. Flower petals transition from orange and red to pink and lavender, and plants rebloom later in the season. Rosa Rise Up Emberays™ quickly became another one of our favorites. While the jury is still out on the meaning of the word ‘emberay’, the vibrant and bold bright orange flowers of this climbing rose are striking. It can be trained as a climber or allowed to grow freely on its own, making it a versatile choice for landscapes or containers.
Based on first impressions, we love Weigela Bubbly Wine™ so far. It’s a variegated selection of Fine Wine® that has reportedly been stable in the landscape with only occasional reversion. We’ll continue to monitor it, both in production and in our trial garden, but, in the meantime, we’ve all been charmed by its stunning combination of foliage color and texture. The combination of burgundy stems with the variegated foliage make this compact Weigela attractive all year, even after the pink bell-shaped flowers are finished blooming.
Finally, Hydrangea Let’s Dance İArriba!® rounds out our list of favorite new shrubs for the year. It’s a hybrid between H. macrophylla and H. serrata that blooms on new and old wood. Flower buds occur on the entire length of the stem, giving it a better chance of reblooming after a late spring freeze, and we liked that it continued to set new buds all season long. This is another variety that we’ll be keeping a close eye on in our trial garden.
As always, we love hearing what you have to say when it comes to your experiences with and feedback on new plants. We have our lineup of new shrubs and perennials chosen for 2024, and we’re already excited about what the next season will bring.
