New Proven Winners Perennials

Hot off the press! There are 21 new introductions to the Proven Winners perennial program for the upcoming seasons (2017-18). Here are a few of our favorites:

Aruncus Chantilly Lace

Although aruncus (goatsbeard) isn’t necessarily the most popular perennial in town, don’t underestimate its landscape potential. Chantilly Lace thrives in partial shade and produces beautiful sprays of lacy, cream-colored flowers— somewhat reminiscent of astilbe—in the late spring to early summer.

It’s a slow grower, but once established Chantilly Lace requires a bit of space, as it grows nearly 3-ft. high and 4-ft. across. Aruncus is very floriferous and can handle dry periods better than astilbe. Hardy to Zone 3.

Clematis Stand By Me

I was amazed when I first saw this one. Stand By Me develops upright, non-vining clumps growing 36 in. high by 24 in. across. For the best landscape appearance, consider staking or growing them in cages. The beautiful blue bell-shaped flowers appear atop the attractive broad green foliage in the late spring and early summer. Some reblooming often occurs in the late summer. I think this Zone 3 herbaceous clematis has great potential.

Phlox Cloudburst

Here’s a great hybrid phlox that combines the rich color of tall garden phlox with the dome-like habits of cushion phlox. It has a mounding, billowy habit growing up to 28 in. tall. Cloudburst explodes into color in the early summer and blooms continues until early fall. The lavender-purple flowers completely cover the glossy, dark-green leaves. Colorburst is a great Zone 4 phlox that will add tons of flower power to landscapes across much of the country.

Sedum Superstar

As its name suggests, this sedum is destined to become a Superstar. This low-maintenance stonecrop has dark turquoise succulent leaves with smoky gray overlays. Superstar covers itself completely with rosy pink flowers with hot pink carpels in the late summer. The season is extended with its attractive dark purple seed heads. Superstar has an intermediate growth habit, reaching 10 in. tall and 20 in. across. Be sure to try this new Zone 3 perennial and watch it perform throughout the seasons.

Check back this summer to see all 21 of the 2017-18 Proven Winners perennial introductions.