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PA Native & Invasive Plants

2011 Perennial Plant of the Year ™

Amsonia hubrichtii 'Arkansas Blue Star'

• Other names- Amsonia Arkansas Blue Star, Thread Leaf Blue Star
• Hardiness USDA Zones 4 to 9
• Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Prefers average, moist well-drained soil but tolerates less moisture. Once established, it can tolerate drier conditions.
• Unappealing to deer.
• No insect or disease pests are known to attack Arkansas blue star.

Amsonia hubrichtii is the Perennial Plant Association’s 2011 Perennial Plant of the YearTM. Amsonia hubrichtii, pronounced am-SO-nee-ah hew-BRIK-tee-eye, carries the common names Arkansas blue star, Arkansas amsonia, thread-leaf blue star, narrow leaf blue star, and Hubricht’s blue star. This all-season perennial has blue star-shaped flowers in spring and light green foliage all summer. The foliage turns a beautiful golden-yellow in fall. Arkansas blue star is very soil-adaptive and insects and diseases are rare.

Amsonia, a native of Arkansas and Oklahoma, is a member of the Apocynaceae family. The species was named after Leslie Hubricht who first discovered it growing in Arkansas in 1942. The foliage is finer than a feather duster and leaves reach three inches long. This amsonia grows 36 inches tall and 36 inches wide in a mounded form. From late spring to early summer, two- to three-inch wide clusters of small, light blue, star-shaped flowers are borne above the ferny foliage. The alternate arranged leaves are bright green in spring and summer, but turn a bright yellow-golden color in fall.

Amsonia hubrichtii grows best in full sun and partial shade and in well-drained soil. Stems tend to open and flop if plants are grown in too much shade. Once well established, this blue star is drought tolerant and can withstand a season of neglect. The foliage and stems contain a milky sap, which seems to make the plant unappealing to deer. No insect or disease pests are known to attack Arkansas blue star.

Arkansas blue star is a timeless plant. The foliage in spring and summer is one of the best for contrast with medium to large perennials or shrubs. This blue star adds a billowy, finely-textured feature to the perennial landscape. It grows into a dense mass, very much like a small shrub. The cool blue flowers are useful for toning down adjacent flower colors. The color of the foliage and flowers of blue star blend easily with other plants. Although the delicate light blue spring flowers are the inspiration for its common name, the autumn color of the feathery leaves is a major reason that gardeners grow it.

The stunning pale pumpkin color of the foliage creates an excellent combination with purple coneflower, gayfeather, and ornamental grasses. Try a combination of Black Lace elderberry and Arkansas blue star. The brilliant yellow foliage of amsonia combined with the dark foliage of elderberry is a knockout combination. Arkansas blue star can be used in sunny borders, cottage plantings, native gardens, and in large container plantings. The ornamental qualities and many uses make amsonia an invaluable perennial garden plant. This perennial workhorse provides three splendid seasons of ornamental features.

Amsonia hubrichtii may be propagated by seed, division or softwood cuttings. The seeds of this perennial germinate very irregularly over a long period. Softwood cuttings are usually rooted in early summer. The easiest propagation for gardeners is by division in spring.

And the Award Goes to…

2011 All-America Selections Winners

You’ve probably seen the logo for the All-America Selections Winners – with its bright red, white and blue shield on seed packets and starter plants – but what’s it all about? Does it mean a particular plant is among the best, will grow just about anywhere and anytime, and will probably be a great addition to your garden? Well, if you’re into new plant varieties, the answer is yes, yes and yes!

The All-America Selections logo means you can be assured it’s one of the best new varieties on the market.

All-America Selections (AAS) is a well-established horticulture group with the mission of promoting “new garden seed varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America.” The group was the brainchild of Southern seedsman Ray Hastings back in the “dark ages” of gardening in 1932.

Ray came up with the brilliant idea of establishing a network of trial grounds for new varieties of flowers and vegetables throughout the country. He figured the plants could be grown and assessed by impartial judges to find out which ones were top picks. With the help of the Southern Seedsman’s Association (of which he was president), Ray set up 20 trial grounds nationwide. And that was just the beginning. Now there are nearly 50 trial grounds and about 200 display gardens growing AAS plants throughout the US and Canada!

Today, seed professionals all over the world vie for the chance to win the coveted award and be added to the list of AAS winning varieties. And we home gardeners benefit, too – we don’t have to wade through countless packets of seeds to find the best! Instead, we can just look for that AAS logo to find out what’s new, as well as determine which plants have better disease resistance, earlier bloom or yield, good uniformity, new flower colors and better veggie flavor.

Of course, that said, not every AAS winner is going to be a winner in your garden every time. (There are just too many variables to make that happen.) Nevertheless, you can be assured that if the seed packet or plant tag bears that AAS logo, you’re trying to grow something new and different in your garden or container that has grown well around North America.

So what are the winners for 2011? Let’s check them out!

Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’, AAS Flower Award Winner

Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ offers a new and unique apricot color for this class. Blooms have yellow edges that deepen to a rich apricot in the center. Judges noted the award-winning distinctive flower color of the 3 to 3.5 inch daisy-like flowers, described as exceptionally lovely and lighter in color than traditional gaillardia. Just 105 days after sowing seed, this Gaillardia x grandiflora will bloom from early summer into autumn. The compact 12-inch tall plants offer bright green foliage and a tidy uniform habit best viewed when planted to the front of the flower bed. ‘Arizona Apricot’ is free-flowering, blooming heavily without vernalization, covering the plant with bright blooms that look great in mass. This long-flowering perennial is hardy in USDA Zones 2-10, is relatively maintenance free, and drought-tolerant once established. Gardeners will want to remove old flowers to encourage additional blooming. Bred by Ernst Benary of America Inc.


Genus species: Gailardia x grandiflora
Common name: Blanket flower 
Unique qualities: Earlier flowering, unique color for gaillardia
Flower size: 3 to 3.5 inches
Flower form: Daisy-like single flower
Flower color: Apricot
Foliage color: Bright green 
Plant height: 12 inches
Plant width: 12 inches
Garden location: Full sun
Length of time from sowing seed to flower: 90 days
Closest comparisons on market: ‘Granada’ and ‘Golden Goblin’

Ornamental Kale ‘Glamour Red’ F1, AAS Cool Season Bedding Plant Award Winner

This is All-America Selections’ first winning kale (edible or ornamental) in seventy-eight years of trialing! ‘Glamour Red’ is an excellent achievement in breeding for its unique shiny leaves. The waxless quality of the leaves makes them shiny with a more intense, vivid color as compared to existing ornamental brassicas. Judges noted that the shiny foliage is striking in the landscape and it out-performed comparisons with outstanding success. It is a fringed leaf type Brassica oleracea with flower head size of 10 to 12 inches. This full sun annual will bloom 90 days from sowing seed to first color. Leaf coloring begins when night temperatures fall below 55°F for approximately two weeks. Expect good disease tolerance in all regions and frost tolerant blooms from November to March in warmer climates. Bred by Takii & Co., Ltd.

Genus species: Brassica oleracea
Common name: Ornamental kale 
Unique qualities: Non-waxy shiny leaves, brighter color tone
Flower size: Head size is 10 to 12 inches
Flower form: Fringed leaf type
Flower color: Purple
Foliage color: Green 
Plant height: 12 inches
Plant width: 14 inches
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 12 inches apart
Length of time from sowing seed to flower: 90 days (for leaf coloring)
Closest comparisons on market: ‘Kamome Red’ and ‘Nagoya Red’

Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Red’, AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner

This Salvia coccinea was consistently rated “superior” or “above average” by the AAS judges because of its early and generous flower blossoms, continuing from spring to autumn. Additionally, each dwarf and densely branching plant remains a tidy 20 inches tall, even at full maturity. The bright red flower spikes are covered with half inch blooms making it perfect for the bird lover’s garden where the bright red color acts as a magnet for hummingbirds. As an added bonus, goldfinches swarm the plant for seeds. Even the leaves add beauty with their finer-textured, dark-green color. ‘Summer Jewel Red’, just 50 days from sowing to first flower, is approximately two weeks earlier than comparisons. Expect long season performance and superior holding ability in both wind and rain. This annual is ideal for full sun containers, mixed beds and borders where uniformity is desired. Bred by Takii & Co, Ltd.

Genus species: Salvia coccinea
Common name: Hummingbird sage, Scarlet sage, Texas sage 
Unique qualities: More compact and earlier to flower
Flower color: Bright red
Foliage color: Dark green
Flower form: Spike
Flower size: ½ inch 
Plant height: 20 inches at most
Plant width: 16 inches
Plant type: Dwarf, branching
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 10 to 12 inches apart
Length of time from sowing seed to flower: 50 days
Closest comparisons on market: ‘Lady in Red’

Viola ‘Shangri-La Marina’ F1, AAS Cool Season Bedding Plant Award Winner

This winning Viola cornuta is an early-flowering, mounding viola in a vibrant new color for this type. In trials, the 6-inch tall plants kept a low-growing mounding habit. Colorful and prolific 1¼  inch blooms have light blue petals with a velvety dark blue face that is surrounded by a narrow white border. Judges noted earlier (70 days from sowing to first flower) and showier blooms with noticeable drive-by flower power. Flower color was a consistent deep Marina blue throughout the season. This vigorous frost-tolerant biennial provides a solid mat of fall color until covered with snow followed by a great recovery in spring. Grow in full sun as a low edging in the garden or in hanging baskets and pots. Bred by Tokita Seed Co., Ltd.

Genus species: Viola cornuta
Common name: Viola
Unique qualities: Early flowering, new color
Flower color: Marina (light blue with baby face)
Flower size: 1.25 inches
Flower form: Single flower
Foliage color: Green
Plant type: Low growing, mounding habit
Plant height: 6 inches
Plant width: 12 inches
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 8 inches apart
Length of time from sowing seed to flower: 70 days Frost tolerant
Closest comparison on market: ‘Four Seasons Cooler Improved

So keep an eye out for that bright and distinctive AAS logo this spring when you’re searching for your flowers and veggies! You many just find these beauties are winners in your garden and containers, too!

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

2011 Gold Medal Trees & Shrubs

Please use link to find complete descriptions and photos.

Plant Explorer Website

Longwood Gardens has launched its Plant Explorer website.  Plant Explorer allows you to look up any plant by name and provides unprecedented access to Longwood’s plant records, plant images, garden information and interactive maps.

You can access Plant Explorer at http://plantexplorer.longwoodgardens.org/