2018 Plant Select new introductions

     From the Plant Select trials comes another round of plants added to the Plant Select list. With water continuing to be a limited and precious commodity, these plants are perfect for our gardens. Since they are drought tolerant, they save a tremendous amount of water. Over half the domestic water we use goes to water our lawns, in contrast these are xeric plants needing little to no supplemental water, once established. This saves money on water bills and saves us from getting to the point of making a choice between having drinking water and watering our lawns.  
     In the petite series, there is only one selection for 2018:
    —Wee One dwarf English lavender — lavandula angustifolia ‘Wee One.’ This is a dwarf, compact English lavender which is hardy in zone 5. It will take two to three growing seasons for ‘Wee One’ to reach its mature growing height of 10 inches. It is extremely tolerant of heat and cold and a great little plant for small spaces. Be sure to plant this in well-drained soil of either sand or loam. It is a great pollinator plant and has winter interest.
     From the other plants on trial, here are the 2018 introductions:
    —Sungari redbead cotoneaster — cotoneaster racemiflorus var. soongoricus. For over 40 plus years, this cotoneaster has survived at the Cheyenne High Plains Horticultural Research Center. The shrub has a graceful arching habit. The leaves are dark green above and gray-white beneath. In the fall it has red fruit. This plant does well in zone 3.  Besides being the hardiest of all cotoneasters, this plant is resistant to many pests and diseases. If a space needs some privacy or a windbreak, this shrub gets 6-8 feet in height and as wide. It grows in any type of soil. It is deer resistant and a great pollinator plant.
    —Shangri-la sage — salvia moorcroftiana x indica. This plant was discovered as a chance seedling at Suncrest Nurseries in Watsonville, California. This plant has basal leaves at the base. Wide, sturdy leaves are broad and an attractive blue grey shade. Flower stems lean over the leaves and display lavender-blue flowers with a paler lip spotted purple. This plant can flower for months. It initially starts blooming in spring. It can grow in zone 5 and in any soil type. It is deer resistant and a good pollinator plant.

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