Plant Select 2022 new introductions

Here are the new and exciting selections for Plant Select this year. Every year Plant Select picks plants from their trial that are proven to withstand our extreme weather conditions. If you are ever interested in purchasing any of the selections, go to plantselect.org and there is a listing of both retail and wholesale growers. Get your requests in early, especially with new introductions since supplies may be limited.

HALF PINT® Pineleaf Penstemon — Penstemon pinifolius ‘Compactum’ is a plant that will provide green foliage in the winter if you deadhead it in fall. It needs full sun and prefers to be mulched with gravel. It needs well-drained loam soil or clay loam. It grows to about 10 inches by 12 inches wide. From June through August, this pinifolius will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. It grows in zone 4. It is native to Arizona and New Mexico.

FREEDA® Caterpillar Grass Harpochloa falx ‘Compactum’ is different than grama grass in that it can grow in sun and partial shade. It also grows in average to well-drained soil. It flowers black blossoms from June through fall, getting about 2 feet tall and 20 inches wide. According to Plant Select, the flowers form loops atop stems that resemble caterpillars, only to unfurl into playful, horizontal, fuzzy-looking eyebrows! It is native to South Africa.

OLYMPUS™ Gold Leaf Sage Salvia chrysophylla produces large lavender flowers July through August with large upper lips and white lower lips. The foliage is slightly cupped, and at each node on the upper part of the stem, there will be multiple flowers encircling the stem. It grows to be 20 inches tall and 18 inches wide. Gold leaf sage likes well-drained loam soil or clay loam. It grows in full sun to partial shade and does well in zone 5. It likes gravel mulch and can reseed in the gravel mulch. It does like moderate watering.

WAGGON WHEEL® Bluemat Penstemon — Penstemon caespitosus ‘P022S’ is a plant that does not like to be overwatered. So, when we talk about water-wise gardening, this is a perfect candidate for that type of garden where it is placed in a group of plants with the same requirements. This plant has spoon-like leaves that sprout on prostrate stems which grow into circular, evergreen mats. It grows to 2 inches high and 14 inches wide. It blooms with blue to light purple flowers in June through early July. It is a native of the Colorado mountains and does well in zone 4. It likes well-drained clay loam soil. The water requires are low to xeric.

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