Constantly on the lookout for great plants, we are adding three new selections for 2018. Each offers an exciting twist on classic performers.
The color purple is all the rage for 2018. That’s one of the reasons we are so excited to bring you Panicum virgatum ‘Purple Tears’ PP28518. The other reason? This new Switchgrass comes to us from renowned plantsman and designer Piet Oudolf. It bears flowering spikes with soft gray color at the top, followed by splendid, purple seed heads. It has the same toughness and adaptability you’ll find in other Switchgrass cultivars. With a manageable height of 4’, its narrow, upright habit makes it picture-perfect for a range of landscape applications.
Next, we have a Fountain Grass with foliage as eye-catching as its bottlebrush plumes. Pennisetum alopecuroides Lumen Gold PP27435 offers splendid, golden color and a rounded, compact habit. The foliage emerges bright gold in spring and softens to lemon in early summer. Lumen Gold, which bears the varietal name ‘JS Jommenik’, was discovered as a branch mutation of P. alopecuroides ‘Gelbstiel’ by Jan Spruyt in his nursery in Buggenhout, Belgium.
Finally, we have a sedge for those who love bright and showy. Carex scaposa stands out from the crowd with cherry-blossom-pink spikes that rise above wide, green foliage. Dr. Richard Olsen, Director of the US National Arboretum, brought us this delightful sedge from the Kunming Botanical Garden in China. The foliage is arching and attractive, with broad blades up to 1.25” wide, narrowing at the tips. In our experience and in reports from others, it is a repeat bloomer, offering pink flowers in early spring and early fall.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek of our newest arrivals for 2018. Click here for more info and photos.
