New woody plants for 2017
Spiraea japonica ‘NCSXI’
Double Play Candy Corn spirea
This sweet new spirea delights from early spring to fall. The show begins with candy apple red foliage in early spring, and the colour is rich and intense. As the season progresses the foliage transforms to pineapple yellow, creating a unique contrast with the orange new growth. Dark carmine-purple flowers in late spring make this one of the most eye-catching spireas on the market. It will grow in full sun or partial shade, and has good deer resistance. It can be trimmed after flowering. Hardy to Zone 4. Grows 46-74 cm tall and wide.
Canadale Nurseries
Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘HSI1’
Claim Jumper katsura tree
A stunning new form of katsura tree with soft golden leaves from spring to frost. The leaves emerge with a pink blush and unfurl to soft yellow. The more shaded leaves turn green throughout the summer while those in the sun remain yellow. As the leaves drop in fall the air is filled with a delightful scent similar to cotton candy. It needs to be grown with some protection and irrigation to avoid burning, which is typical of many yellow foliaged plants, and it prefers full sun to part shade. Grows to a height of 7 m with a spread of 3.5 m. Hardy to Zone 4.
Hillen Nursery
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘QUFU’
Tilt-A-Swirl hydrangea
Tilt-A-Swirl’s bold red and green bi-colour blooms deepen to a bright red and green swirl, and keep transforming into new variations from spring to fall. Tilt-A-Swirl was awarded a Gold Medal from Holland’s prestigious Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society, and is new to North America. Grows 91-122 cm tall and wide. Hardy to Zone 5.
Van Belle Nursery
Potentilla fruticosa ‘Jefman’
Mandarin Tango potentilla
Mandarin Tango is a compact plant with orange flowers that have a touch of red from its ‘Red Robin’ parent. This new cultivar blooms all summer and is an excellent choice for foundation plantings that offer full sun. The goal for Mandarin Tango is to be the replacement for the ‘Orange Whisper’ in the nursery trade. Grows 75 cm tall and wide. Hardy to Zone 2.
Jeffries Nurseries
Aronia ‘UCONNAM165’
Mound chokeberry
The Mound chokeberry provides an abundance of small blush-white flowers in spring and has an extreme dwarf mounding. Its foliage turns a bright scarlet-red in fall, giving this North American native three-season interest. Ideal for low-maintenance gardening and mass plantings. Developed by Dr. Mark Brand of the University of Connecticut. Grows 30-60 cm tall and 30 cm wide. Hardiness Zones 3-9.
Sheridan Nurseries
Betula x plettkei ‘Golden Treasure’
‘Golden Treasure’ birch
A dwarf, very compact, cold tolerant birch with a fan-like growth habit. New growth appears in combinations of yellow, red, and orange, while the foliage during the rest of the growing season is a bright green/yellow (chartreuse). Best planted in full to partial sun, its very small flowers appear in early spring. The ‘Golden Treasure’ birch responds well to pruning if a small plant is desired, and it can be pruned to become a low hedge or left to grow naturally and become an accent plant. Once established, this shrub is care free. Hardiness Zone 2. Grows to 60-125 cm tall with a spread of 45-90 cm.
Bylands Nurseries
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Rendia’
Diamond Rouge hydrangea
Diamond Rouge is the reddest Hydrangea paniculata on the market, according to Bailey Nurseries. This new variety has abundant, long lasting flowers on strong stems that start white and progress to pink, raspberry red and finally wine red. Flowers start blooming in July and take on red colouration earlier in the season than other pink Hydrangea paniculatas. Compared to Strawberry Sundae, Diamond Rouge is slightly bigger and has distinct raspberry-red flowers that colour earlier in the season. Bred by Jean Renault in France. Hardiness Zones 4-8. Grows to 1.5 m high and 1.2 m wide.
Bailey Nurseries
Physocarpus opulifolius ‘SMNPOBLR’
Ginger Wine ninebark
Rich hues of orange-red and burgundy foliage add appealing colour to landscapes all summer long. It’s especially showy in spring, when large white flowers cover the branches before transforming into bright red seed heads. It has sturdy stems and a compact, upright growth habit. Its manageable size makes it a good fit for most landscapes, and the coppery colour combines nicely with many popular landscape plants, especially ornamental grasses. Hardiness Zones 3-7. Grows to 1.5-1.8 m in height and width.
Canadale Nurseries