Best New Plants for Your 2022 Gardens
By George Weigel/www.georgeweigel.net
Trees:
Kousa dogwood Scarlet Fire®. The first, deep, rich-pink Kousa dogwood, a result of decades of breeding at Rutgers intro. Grows 18 to 20 feet tall and wide. Red fruits, peeling bark, disease-resistant. Sun or part shade.
Kousa dogwood ‘Heart Throb.’ Similar to above but with slightly lighter pink flowers.
Variegated Kousa dogwood ‘Wolf Eyes.’ Heavily variegated, creamy-edge leaves. White June flowers. Berries, peeling bark, slow-growing and compact to about 12 feet. Won 2019 PHS Gold Medal award.
Variegated Kousa dogwood ‘Summer Fun.’ Heavily variegated, creamy-edge leaves as with ‘Wolf Eyes’ but with pink-tinged new foliage. White June flowers, berries, peeling bark, slow-growing to 18-20 feet.
Redbud Flame Thrower®. Multi-colored foliage. Leaves emerge burgundy-red, then turn bright yellow, then green with 4-5 shades often showing at same time. Light pink flowers. Native. Best out of afternoon sun.
Seven-son flower Tianshan® (Heptacodium). Trouble-free small tree with late-summer white flower clusters that turn purplish in fall. Peeling bark. More dwarf than the species at about 12’ x 7.’ Sun to part shade.
Golden dawn redwood ‘Soul Fire.’ Brightest golden dawn redwood yet. Foliage doesn’t scorch or fade in full sun. Soft needles turn coppery in fall before dropping for winter. Slow, dwarf grower, to about 20’ tall in 25 years.
Dwarf arborvitae Virginian® and ‘Junior Giant.’ Both of these are dwarf forms of the popular ‘Green Giant,’ a western U.S. native that deer usually don’t bother. Figure on 15’-18’ x 6’ in 20-25 years. Full sun to part shade.
Shrubs:
Dwarf panicle hydrangea Little Hottie® (Hydrangea paniculata). Blooms late summer with the same large, white, cone-shaped flowers as full-sized varieties but at a size of 3’-4’. Flowers morph into pink. Sun or part shade.
Dwarf panicle hydrangea Early Evolution® (Hydrangea paniculata). Similar to above but blooms earlier (starts in June) and is even more compact at about 3’. Same white-turning-pink flowers. Sun or part shade.
Dwarf panicle hydrangeas Bobo® and Little Quick Fire®. Two other good dwarf panicles that have been around a few years but very good. These grow about 5’ tall and 4’-5’ wide. Sun or part shade.
Panicle hydrangeas Quick Fire®, Pinky Winky® and Limelight Prime®. Three excellent full-sized panicle hydrangeas. Big, cone-shaped flowers turn white to pink from mid-summer into fall. 7’-8’ x 5’-6’. Sun/part shade.
Dwarf oakleaf hydrangeas ‘Ruby Slippers’ and ‘Munchkin.’ Smaller version of our native oakleaf hydrangea, growing 4-5’ tall x 5-6’ wide instead of 8-10’ tall and wide. ‘Ruby Slippers’ blooms pink in mid-summer. ‘Munchkin’ is white turning pale pink. Both have excellent burgundy fall foliage. Sun/part shade.
Dwarf oakleaf hydrangeas Snowcicle®. New-for-2022 native oakleaf with unusually long flower cones (14”) and double-petaled white flowers that fade to pink. Strong stems, too. Burgundy fall foliage. Sun/part shade.
Dwarf smooth hydrangeas Wee White®, Mini Mauvette®, and Limetta® (Hydrangea arborescens). These compact natives get rounded flowers in June and July. Mini Mauvette® blooms pink; other two are white with lime undertones. All are less floppy than the species and grow about 3’-4’ tall and wide. Shade to part shade.
Smooth hydrangea ‘Haas Halo.’ Strong-stemmed, non-flopping native with lacecap white flowers in summer. 5-footer. Blew away the competition in Mt. Cuba Center trials. Shade or part shade.
Mountain hydrangea Let’s Dance Can Do® (Hydrangea serrata). Looks like common bigleaf hydrangeas but with cold-hardier flower buds for more reliable blooming. This one reblooms in pink or blue (depending on soil acidity). Grows 3’x4’. Purplish fall foliage. Best in morning sun, afternoon shade.
Mountain hydrangea Tuff Stuff™ (H. serrata). Similar to above but with lacecap pink or blue flowers.
Dwarf ninebark Sweet Cherry Tea®. Compact version of a native shrub with white spring flowers that rebloom modestly in late summer. Dark leaves, reddish seed pods follow flowers. Bushy habit to 3’-4’ tall and wide. Sun or part shade. Good replacement for newly banned barberries.
Dwarf purple smokebush Velveteeny®. Purple-leafed smokebush shrunk down to 3’-4’. Smoky, puffy pink flowers in summer. Can grow in pot. Sun/light shade.
Elderberry Lemony Lace®. New variety that has cut leaves and bright golden spring leaves that green out a bit in summer. 5’-6’ tall and wide. Best in morning sun, afternoon sun. Eye-grabbing specimen. A few red fall berries.
Dwarf Virginia sweetspire Fizzy Mizzy®. Compact version of a native shrub that produces white flower spires in late spring and brilliant red foliage in fall. Unusual in that flower spires are more upright than arching. 3’ tall. Sun/part-shade and prefers damp soil.
Korean spice viburnum Spice Island®. New variety of a very fragrant shrub. Gets white flowers earlier than most, just as leaves emerging in mid-spring. Burgundy-red fall foliage. 4’-5’ tall and wide. Sun/part-shade.
True Bloom® roses. New class of roses from Altman Plants… “hybrid tea shrub.” They have big flowers, bloom/look like floribundas, grow 5 feet tall, disease-tough. Six colors – all good. Full sun to light shade.
Petite Knock Out® rose. Miniature version of the popular Knock Out® rose, topping out at about 2’ tall instead of 4’ or so. Same red-fading-to-pink long-blooming flowers the original Knock Out®.
NewGen® boxwoods. New two-variety series of blight-resistant boxwoods. Independence® is more rounded, Freedom® is slightly more upright. Both grow about 3’-4’ tall and wide. Best in morning sun, afternoon shade.
Perennials:
Amsonia String Theory®. This is a compact new version of our deer-resistant, drought-tough native with the star-shaped blue spring flowers and narrow leaves that turn golden in fall. Grows 2’ instead of 3’. Sun/part-shade.
Hibiscus Summerific® series. Long- and heavy-blooming hardy hibiscus (native) with big 8-inch flowers, bushy 4-foot habits, and dark leaves. ‘Edge of Night’ blooms bubble-gum pink, ‘Perfect Storm’ has white flowers with maroon centers, and ‘Berry Awesome’ has ruffled lavender-pink flowers. Full sun.
Hibiscus Head Over Heels Desire®. New Star Roses introduction with huge red flowers and dark foliage. 4’ tall and wide. Native. Full sun.
Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium) Euphoria Ruby®. Compact version of a summer-blooming native with strong stems and heavy bloom of pink-lavender umbrella-like flowers. Grows 3’ instead of 4’ to 6’. Sun or part shade.
Anemone Spring Beauty Pink®. Touted as the first deep-pink, spring-blooming perennial windflower, which normally bloom white. Although not native, pollinators like it. Grows 10”-12” tall. Sun/part-shade.
Sedum Rock ‘n Grow® ‘Back in Black.’ Drought-tough, late-summer bloomer with dark, succulent leaves and pink umbrella flower clusters. Resists flopping. 2’ tall. Full sun. Avoid wet soil.
Sedum Atlantis® and ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’ Succulent-leafed short perennials. Atlantis® is a variegated creeper, and ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is a short, mounder nearly covered with yellow blooms in early summer. 6 inches tall. Full sun, avoid wet soil.
Ajuga Feathered Friends® series (bugleweed). This creeping groundcover comes in 7 new leaf colors, including golden ones and chartreuse/burgundy blends. Spring blue flower spikes. 4” tall. Best in shade to part shade.
Artemisia SunFerns®. New brand of foliage plants that look like ferns but are actually sun-loving artemisia. Being marketed as a “fern” for full sun. SunFern® ‘Olympia’ has dark-green leaves with red stems, while SunFern® ‘Arcadia’ has gray-green foliage. 18” tall. Avoid wet soil.
Ironweed ‘Summer’s Swan Song.’ Compact version of native ironweed that grows 3’ tall instead of 5’. Heavy bloomer, too. And disease-resistant. Scored near the top in Chicago Botanic Garden trials. Sun/part-
shade.
Indian pinks ‘Little Redhead.’ Native part-shade perennial that blooms heavier than the species. Gets red-gold upright tubular flowers in late spring to early summer. Hummingbirds love it. 2’ tall.
Dwarf golden fountain grass ‘Yellow Ribbons’ and Lumen Gold®. Two new compact hardy pennisetums that grow to 2’ tall and get tan, upright foxtail plumes in mid-summer. ‘Yellow Ribbons’ has a uniform habit and foliage that starts yellow, then fades to green in summer, then turns more yellow again in fall. Lumen Gold® morphs from yellow to lime-green and then to orange by fall. Deer-resistant. Full sun.
Sedge EverColor ‘Everglow.’ Colorful, grassy perennial that tolerates shade and damp soil. Deer-resistant, too. ‘EverGlow’ has creamy margins in spring and summer that turn orangish in fall and winter. 2’ tall.
Betony ‘Hummelo.’ Won 2019 Perennial Plant of the Year and 2019 PHS Gold Medal. Long-blooming, trouble-free lamb’s ear cousin with lavender spiky blooms for two months in summer. Good pollinator attractor. 18 inches tall. Sun to part shade.
Allium ‘Millenium,’ ‘Windy City,’ and ‘Serendipity.’ Three excellent varieties of flowering onions that are deer-resistant, drought-tough, and long-blooming (late spring through late summer). 15-inch-tall plants produce golfball-sized purple flower balls. Not native but pollinators love them. Full sun.
Rudbeckia American Gold Rush®. New best black-eyed susan since it resists the leaf-blackening fungal disease that’s attacking old-favorite ‘Goldsturm.’ Heavy gold flowers for weeks in mid-summer. Native. 2’ tall. Sun.
Hardy geranium Azure Rush®. Rozanne® might be better known, but this newer sport of that top-seller is better for winter-hardiness, compactness, and long bloom time. Bluish-purple flowers keep coming almost all season from late May into fall on 18-inch plants. Full sun to part shade. Deer-resistant.
By George Weigel/www.georgeweigel.net
Trees:
Kousa dogwood Scarlet Fire®. The first, deep, rich-pink Kousa dogwood, a result of decades of breeding at Rutgers intro. Grows 18 to 20 feet tall and wide. Red fruits, peeling bark, disease-resistant. Sun or part shade.
Kousa dogwood ‘Heart Throb.’ Similar to above but with slightly lighter pink flowers.
Variegated Kousa dogwood ‘Wolf Eyes.’ Heavily variegated, creamy-edge leaves. White June flowers. Berries, peeling bark, slow-growing and compact to about 12 feet. Won 2019 PHS Gold Medal award.
Variegated Kousa dogwood ‘Summer Fun.’ Heavily variegated, creamy-edge leaves as with ‘Wolf Eyes’ but with pink-tinged new foliage. White June flowers, berries, peeling bark, slow-growing to 18-20 feet.
Redbud Flame Thrower®. Multi-colored foliage. Leaves emerge burgundy-red, then turn bright yellow, then green with 4-5 shades often showing at same time. Light pink flowers. Native. Best out of afternoon sun.
Seven-son flower Tianshan® (Heptacodium). Trouble-free small tree with late-summer white flower clusters that turn purplish in fall. Peeling bark. More dwarf than the species at about 12’ x 7.’ Sun to part shade.
Golden dawn redwood ‘Soul Fire.’ Brightest golden dawn redwood yet. Foliage doesn’t scorch or fade in full sun. Soft needles turn coppery in fall before dropping for winter. Slow, dwarf grower, to about 20’ tall in 25 years.
Dwarf arborvitae Virginian® and ‘Junior Giant.’ Both of these are dwarf forms of the popular ‘Green Giant,’ a western U.S. native that deer usually don’t bother. Figure on 15’-18’ x 6’ in 20-25 years. Full sun to part shade.
Shrubs:
Dwarf panicle hydrangea Little Hottie® (Hydrangea paniculata). Blooms late summer with the same large, white, cone-shaped flowers as full-sized varieties but at a size of 3’-4’. Flowers morph into pink. Sun or part shade.
Dwarf panicle hydrangea Early Evolution® (Hydrangea paniculata). Similar to above but blooms earlier (starts in June) and is even more compact at about 3’. Same white-turning-pink flowers. Sun or part shade.
Dwarf panicle hydrangeas Bobo® and Little Quick Fire®. Two other good dwarf panicles that have been around a few years but very good. These grow about 5’ tall and 4’-5’ wide. Sun or part shade.
Panicle hydrangeas Quick Fire®, Pinky Winky® and Limelight Prime®. Three excellent full-sized panicle hydrangeas. Big, cone-shaped flowers turn white to pink from mid-summer into fall. 7’-8’ x 5’-6’. Sun/part shade.
Dwarf oakleaf hydrangeas ‘Ruby Slippers’ and ‘Munchkin.’ Smaller version of our native oakleaf hydrangea, growing 4-5’ tall x 5-6’ wide instead of 8-10’ tall and wide. ‘Ruby Slippers’ blooms pink in mid-summer. ‘Munchkin’ is white turning pale pink. Both have excellent burgundy fall foliage. Sun/part shade.
Dwarf oakleaf hydrangeas Snowcicle®. New-for-2022 native oakleaf with unusually long flower cones (14”) and double-petaled white flowers that fade to pink. Strong stems, too. Burgundy fall foliage. Sun/part shade.
Dwarf smooth hydrangeas Wee White®, Mini Mauvette®, and Limetta® (Hydrangea arborescens). These compact natives get rounded flowers in June and July. Mini Mauvette® blooms pink; other two are white with lime undertones. All are less floppy than the species and grow about 3’-4’ tall and wide. Shade to part shade.
Smooth hydrangea ‘Haas Halo.’ Strong-stemmed, non-flopping native with lacecap white flowers in summer. 5-footer. Blew away the competition in Mt. Cuba Center trials. Shade or part shade.
Mountain hydrangea Let’s Dance Can Do® (Hydrangea serrata). Looks like common bigleaf hydrangeas but with cold-hardier flower buds for more reliable blooming. This one reblooms in pink or blue (depending on soil acidity). Grows 3’x4’. Purplish fall foliage. Best in morning sun, afternoon shade.
Mountain hydrangea Tuff Stuff™ (H. serrata). Similar to above but with lacecap pink or blue flowers.
Dwarf ninebark Sweet Cherry Tea®. Compact version of a native shrub with white spring flowers that rebloom modestly in late summer. Dark leaves, reddish seed pods follow flowers. Bushy habit to 3’-4’ tall and wide. Sun or part shade. Good replacement for newly banned barberries.
Dwarf purple smokebush Velveteeny®. Purple-leafed smokebush shrunk down to 3’-4’. Smoky, puffy pink flowers in summer. Can grow in pot. Sun/light shade.
Elderberry Lemony Lace®. New variety that has cut leaves and bright golden spring leaves that green out a bit in summer. 5’-6’ tall and wide. Best in morning sun, afternoon sun. Eye-grabbing specimen. A few red fall berries.
Dwarf Virginia sweetspire Fizzy Mizzy®. Compact version of a native shrub that produces white flower spires in late spring and brilliant red foliage in fall. Unusual in that flower spires are more upright than arching. 3’ tall. Sun/part-shade and prefers damp soil.
Korean spice viburnum Spice Island®. New variety of a very fragrant shrub. Gets white flowers earlier than most, just as leaves emerging in mid-spring. Burgundy-red fall foliage. 4’-5’ tall and wide. Sun/part-shade.
True Bloom® roses. New class of roses from Altman Plants… “hybrid tea shrub.” They have big flowers, bloom/look like floribundas, grow 5 feet tall, disease-tough. Six colors – all good. Full sun to light shade.
Petite Knock Out® rose. Miniature version of the popular Knock Out® rose, topping out at about 2’ tall instead of 4’ or so. Same red-fading-to-pink long-blooming flowers the original Knock Out®.
NewGen® boxwoods. New two-variety series of blight-resistant boxwoods. Independence® is more rounded, Freedom® is slightly more upright. Both grow about 3’-4’ tall and wide. Best in morning sun, afternoon shade.
Perennials:
Amsonia String Theory®. This is a compact new version of our deer-resistant, drought-tough native with the star-shaped blue spring flowers and narrow leaves that turn golden in fall. Grows 2’ instead of 3’. Sun/part-shade.
Hibiscus Summerific® series. Long- and heavy-blooming hardy hibiscus (native) with big 8-inch flowers, bushy 4-foot habits, and dark leaves. ‘Edge of Night’ blooms bubble-gum pink, ‘Perfect Storm’ has white flowers with maroon centers, and ‘Berry Awesome’ has ruffled lavender-pink flowers. Full sun.
Hibiscus Head Over Heels Desire®. New Star Roses introduction with huge red flowers and dark foliage. 4’ tall and wide. Native. Full sun.
Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium) Euphoria Ruby®. Compact version of a summer-blooming native with strong stems and heavy bloom of pink-lavender umbrella-like flowers. Grows 3’ instead of 4’ to 6’. Sun or part shade.
Anemone Spring Beauty Pink®. Touted as the first deep-pink, spring-blooming perennial windflower, which normally bloom white. Although not native, pollinators like it. Grows 10”-12” tall. Sun/part-shade.
Sedum Rock ‘n Grow® ‘Back in Black.’ Drought-tough, late-summer bloomer with dark, succulent leaves and pink umbrella flower clusters. Resists flopping. 2’ tall. Full sun. Avoid wet soil.
Sedum Atlantis® and ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’ Succulent-leafed short perennials. Atlantis® is a variegated creeper, and ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is a short, mounder nearly covered with yellow blooms in early summer. 6 inches tall. Full sun, avoid wet soil.
Ajuga Feathered Friends® series (bugleweed). This creeping groundcover comes in 7 new leaf colors, including golden ones and chartreuse/burgundy blends. Spring blue flower spikes. 4” tall. Best in shade to part shade.
Artemisia SunFerns®. New brand of foliage plants that look like ferns but are actually sun-loving artemisia. Being marketed as a “fern” for full sun. SunFern® ‘Olympia’ has dark-green leaves with red stems, while SunFern® ‘Arcadia’ has gray-green foliage. 18” tall. Avoid wet soil.
Ironweed ‘Summer’s Swan Song.’ Compact version of native ironweed that grows 3’ tall instead of 5’. Heavy bloomer, too. And disease-resistant. Scored near the top in Chicago Botanic Garden trials. Sun/part-
shade.
Indian pinks ‘Little Redhead.’ Native part-shade perennial that blooms heavier than the species. Gets red-gold upright tubular flowers in late spring to early summer. Hummingbirds love it. 2’ tall.
Dwarf golden fountain grass ‘Yellow Ribbons’ and Lumen Gold®. Two new compact hardy pennisetums that grow to 2’ tall and get tan, upright foxtail plumes in mid-summer. ‘Yellow Ribbons’ has a uniform habit and foliage that starts yellow, then fades to green in summer, then turns more yellow again in fall. Lumen Gold® morphs from yellow to lime-green and then to orange by fall. Deer-resistant. Full sun.
Sedge EverColor ‘Everglow.’ Colorful, grassy perennial that tolerates shade and damp soil. Deer-resistant, too. ‘EverGlow’ has creamy margins in spring and summer that turn orangish in fall and winter. 2’ tall.
Betony ‘Hummelo.’ Won 2019 Perennial Plant of the Year and 2019 PHS Gold Medal. Long-blooming, trouble-free lamb’s ear cousin with lavender spiky blooms for two months in summer. Good pollinator attractor. 18 inches tall. Sun to part shade.
Allium ‘Millenium,’ ‘Windy City,’ and ‘Serendipity.’ Three excellent varieties of flowering onions that are deer-resistant, drought-tough, and long-blooming (late spring through late summer). 15-inch-tall plants produce golfball-sized purple flower balls. Not native but pollinators love them. Full sun.
Rudbeckia American Gold Rush®. New best black-eyed susan since it resists the leaf-blackening fungal disease that’s attacking old-favorite ‘Goldsturm.’ Heavy gold flowers for weeks in mid-summer. Native. 2’ tall. Sun.
Hardy geranium Azure Rush®. Rozanne® might be better known, but this newer sport of that top-seller is better for winter-hardiness, compactness, and long bloom time. Bluish-purple flowers keep coming almost all season from late May into fall on 18-inch plants. Full sun to part shade. Deer-resistant.