2016 winners announced!
December 29th, 2015
Each year, new plants are chosen as winning plants from the official trials at Colorado State University and Denver Botanic Gardens. This year’s winners include:
NEW INTRODUCTIONS!
Alan’s Apricot ice plant (Delosperma ‘Alan’s Apricot’PPAF) This superior form of ice plant has larger (2”) showy blooms covering the foliage nearly all summer long. Flower color changes seasonally from a true orangey-apricot to soft orangey-pink and then back again. The hardiest and longest-blooming of all of our ice plant selections! Grows 1-2” tall x 12-18” wide in full sun to part shade. Hardy in USDA Zones 4-9. Click here for more info.
RED MOUNTAIN® Flame ice plant (Delosperma ‘PWWG02S’). A truly stunning new hybrid selection of South African ice plant that is tough, vigorous and cold-hardy with large, blazing orange-red flowers in late spring and early summer. Grows 1–2” tall x 12-24” wide in full sun to part shade. Hardy in USDA Zones 4-9. For more information on this beauty, click here .
Autumn Sapphire™ sage (Salvia reptans ‘P016S’) Glossy green, willowy leaves all season long are topped with clouds of small, sapphire-blue flowers through autumn. Pollinator-friendly, this late-blooming native provides a rich nectar source when many other flowers have faded. Grows 18-24” tall by 18-24” wide in full sun. Hardy in USDA Zones 5-10. Read more here.
RECOMMENDED (from our 2-year perennial and 3-year shrub trials)
Standing Ovation little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’PP25,202) This new grass from North Creek Nurseries deserves a big round of applause. A warm season grass that does well in poor, dry soils, this selection keeps a tight habit throughout the entire growing season. Spikey bluish-green leaves transition to a brilliant display of shades of red changing to deep purple in the autumn. Grows 2-3 tall x 12-18” wide in full sun. Hardy in USDA Zones 3-8. Read more here.
Mini Man™ dwarf Manchurian viburnum (Viburnum burejaeticum ‘P017S’) A charming, easy-to-grow shrub, Mini Man™ has all of the same great features of the species in a compact form: medium green felty leaves in summer, clusters of white flowers in spring, persistent red to blue-black fruit and red fall color. Grows 4-6’ tall x 4-6’ wide in full sun to part shade. Hardy in USDA Zones 4-9. Click here for more info.
Dog tuff™ grass (Cynodon ‘PWIN04S’) is a fabulous xeric alternative lawn grass for high traffic areas, and is named for its exceptional durability in yards with dogs. A sterile hybrid African form that spreads via runners, this grass is similar to American buffalo grass but more resilient to wear and tear. Grows 2- ½”–4” tall x 2’+ wide in full sun. Hardy in USDA Zones 5-10. Click here and learn everything there is to know about Dog tuff. Amaze your friends!
Plant Select® Petites winners include:
Yellow stardust draba (Draba rigida) To appreciate this treasure with its tiny green leaves and bright yellow flowers locate yellow stardust draba in an easily observable site – close to the edge of a rock or in a container garden. Its slow growth will reward you with tight green cushions and bright yellow starry flowers in the spring. Grows 2-3” tall x 6-10” wide in full sun to part shade. Hardy in USDA Zones 4-8. Read more about this little gem here.
Blue Jazz pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla ‘Blue Jazz’) is the most ornamental of all the dwarf pinyon pines. A dwarf globe shape, true blue needle color, and xeric nature make this conifer a real winner for water-wise gardens. Grows 1-3” per year in full sun to part shade. Hardy in USDA Zones 4-7. Click here to find out more about this jazzy little number.
Moroccan pincushion flower (Pterocephalus depressus) This high-altitude native of the Moroccan Atlas Mountains possesses many ornamental characteristics: low mat-like growth with textured evergreen greyish leaves, short-stemmed pincushion-like dusty-rose-colored flowers, and attractive silvery seed heads. It is truly a four season stunner. Grows 3″ x 12″ wide in full sun to very partial shade. Hardy in USDA Zones 4-8. Click here for more info.
