2013 Perennial Plant of the Year

 

Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ or Variegated Solomon’s Seal has been named the 2013 Perennial Plant of the year by the Perennial Plant Association.

This shade-loving ground cover was picked for it’s hardiness in a wide planting zone range (Zones 4 to 8) .  Growing 18 to 24-inches tall and wide, the plant spreads by underground rhizomes to form “colonies” or mass plantings.  Solomon’s Seal is an excellent choice for the shady to partly sunny woodland garden as its variegated foliage can be used to lighten up a dark or shady spot in the garden.  The plant is known better for its arching evergreen leaves that are lush and variegated than for its hanging white flowers that bloom in Spring. 

 

Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica) is an excellent companion plant for Variegated Solomon’s Seal!  And you all know that I am a HUGE fan of planting bulbs in with groundcovers.  I do it all the time in my practice - it gives more seasonal interest to a mass of groundcover.

 

You’ll want to plant Solomon’s Seal in a shady spot that is moist but well-drained.  Variegated Solomon’s Seal is an excellent low-growing ground cover that will colonize but not spread all over the garden.

 

 

Each year, Perennial Plant Award winners are chosen by the members of the Perennial Plant Association for the plant's beauty, durability, suitability to a wide range of climate types, low maintenance, multiple seasonal interest, and easy growing nature.

Invasion of the Purple Pixies

You heard it here first.  The Purple Pixies are coming!  Just watch how fast this plant takes over the residential and commercial landscape in the next few years!

Photo from Heinz Nurseries

At long last, here is a plant that we will be seeing a lot more of in the future as it will find a spot in almost any garden in Zones 7 to 10! The plant is Loropetalum chinensis ‘Shang-lo’ commonly known as Purple Pixie Loropetalum.

Like other loropetalums, Purple Pixie is evergreen and has beautiful burgundy foliage combined with showy pink blossoms that almost always repeat bloom. Loropetalums do well in both sun and shade, but bloom best with more sun. So far, the loropetalums appear to be resistant to both disease and insect damage. What more could you ask for in a plant? I’ll tell you. Unlike the other Chinese loropetalums, Purple Pixie is dwarf and has a weeping and cascading habit.  This plant grows only one to two feet in height by four to five feet wide! What a great choice for ground covers for sun or container gardening!

With it’s burgandy color and cascading habit, Purple Pixie Loropetalum will make a striking addition to any planter!

The strong points of the loropetalums for me have been their ability to form a dense architectural hedge. Also, their deep burgundy foliage adds year-round color to the garden and contrasts nicely with other evergreens. Their dense foliage also complements other evergreen plants such as boxwoods and hollies. The downside of the plant is that too many landscapers have planted it without paying any regard to the size this plant wants to grow, sometimes as large as 20-feet tall and wide! Because of this, often times these plants are the victim of the wrong plant in the wrong place. For this reason, I have always specified the “Ruby” variety that only grows three to six feet tall and wide.

 Other Loropetalums grow very large – sometimes up to 20-feet!

With Purple Pixie, this will change. Now we’ve got a beautiful dense groundcover for sun that won’t overtake the garden! My prediction is that this plant will catch on like wildfire!