New for 2022
Plant Select brings new plants to garden centers and wholesale suppliers every year! Plants are trialed and tested for 2-5 years at Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University, and public and private gardens. Learn about our 2022 plant introductions below. Search our tab ‘Where to Buy’ to find a grower or a garden center near you to purchase your favorite Plant Select plants!
HALF PINT® pineleaf penstemon has scarlet-red trumpet flowers that call hummingbirds and butterflies from June to August. A profusion of flowers blooms right above a tidy mound of soft, needle-like foliage. Deadhead the flowers in late fall and HALF PINT® pineleaf penstemon will provide views of green plants throughout winter. HALF PINT® prefers a little elbow room in the garden to provide it with maximum sun and heat. Because it’s native to Arizona and New Mexico, using small gravel mulch will make HALF PINT® at home in the garden.
FREEDA®caterpillar grass flowers above the foliage in July, forming loops atop stems that resemble eyebrows only to unfurl into playful horizontal fuzzy-looking caterpillars! To top it off, this evergreen tuft of needle-like grass turns dark chocolate in the winter! Native to South Africa, FREEDA Caterpillar grass is also ideal for the North American steppe region- drought tolerant in full to partial sun in average, to well-draining soil.
OLYMPUS™ Gold Leaf Sage is named for the hint of gold color in its fuzzy, leather leaves, OLYMPUS™ gold leaf sage is treasure waiting to be planted in USDA zone 5 gardens. One-inch, bicolor flowers emerge in July, sporting large lavender upper lips and white lower lips. Multiple flowers will encircle the upper stems at the nodes above foliage of slightly cupped leaves. It can lightly self-sow in the gravel mulch of water-wise gardens.
WAGGON WHEEL® Bluemat Penstemon has tiny, spoon-like leaves sprout on prostrate stems that grow into circular, evergreen mats, outfitting this plant’s name, WAGGON WHEEL® bluemat penstemon. Centimeter-long tubular flowers glow blue to lavender throughout the foliage from early June to July. Native to Colorado and Wyoming mountains, it prefers well-drained soil, but is adaptable to clay loam conditions. It does not like to be over-watered, making it perfect for water-wise gardens!
WINTER FIRE® Sedum is a succulent groundcover with foliage that drastically burns through its summer rustic green, becoming ember-like in the fall until the entire plant is dark burgundy for the coldest months of the winter. It’s perfect for containers or to plant along pathways and around shrubs, as it can act as fire-retardant mulch. The soft, pointed, fleshy leaves return to rustic green in warm weather, revealing clusters of yellow flowers in July into August. Native to the mountains of Italy, this plant was discovered by the owner of Gardens of Rice Creek, who named it after their nursery.
Guernsey Green Juniper, WINDWALKER® Series is a ground-hugging evergreen with silver to black berries hales from the windy prairies of Eastern Wyoming, where this semi-desert variety is highly drought tolerant. Just as happy in the shade as it is in full sun, Guernsey Green joins but a handful of western native nursery plants that tolerate dry shade. Plant Guernsey Green as a living mulch around other xeric shrubs, perennials, and grasses. Enjoy it for its versatility, salt tolerance, and its lush evergreen beauty.
Meadow Blazing Star will punctuate your garden with rosy-purple flowers! This native is tolerant of heat, humidity, drought and prefers a sunny to a partly sunny location. Pair it with other prairie plants such as WINDWALKER® Royal Red salvia, big bluestem grass and Engelmann’s daisy for a feast for the eyes! It isn’t fussy about soils and is a calling card for hummingbirds, native bees, and many butterflies!
