Grow what works! Here are the 2022 Proven Winners National Plants of the Year:
2022 Perennial of the Year
‘Paint the Town Magenta’
Pinks
A long blooming perennial that’s perfect in small areas of the landscape. Indigo blue flowers are produced all the way from the soil to the tips, providing an intense splash of color when it’s in bloom. Rosy purple calyxes extend the color when the blooms are past peak.
2022 Landscape Shrub of the Year
Incrediball®
Smooth Hydrangea
Full sized flowers on a dwarf plant! Meet Pugster Blue® – it’s a whole new look for butterfly bush. This compact plant reaches just 2’/.6 m tall and wide but has the large, full flowers normally seen on a much larger plant. It blooms non-stop from early summer through frost with true-blue flowers, each with a tiny yellow-orange eye in the center. Thanks to thick, sturdy stems, the Pugster® series offers vastly improved hardiness and winter survival over other types of dwarf butterfly bush.
2022 Hydrangea of the Year
Little Quick Fire®
Panicle Hydrangea
This variety rebels against the idea that roses are hard to grow! No spraying, no deadheading, just lots of flowers all season long! Similar to ‘Peace’ in its coloration, the orange buds of Oso Easy Italian Ice® rose open to soft yellow flowers melting into pink blushed margins. The soft flower color is set off nicely by its dark green, glossy foliage. Flowers are semi-doubled, with 24-30 petals per bloom. This self-cleaning rose has excellent disease-resistance, abundant flowers, and a nice habit, making it an excellent plant for home gardens.
2022 Flowering Shrub of the Year
Double Play Doozie®
Spirea
When it comes to blooming, Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha® hydrangea can’t stop, won’t stop! At first glance, it would appear that we decided to introduce this beautiful mountain hydrangea solely for its waterlily-like double florets. But that’s only part of the story – it’s also a prolific rebloomer. All summer long, it devotes its energies to creating flower buds on its new growth so that you have a constant supply of fabulous blooms from early summer through frost. Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha® hydrangea will bloom pink or blue, depending on soil chemistry.
2022 Hosta of the Year
Shadowland® ‘Diamond Lake’
Hosta hybrid
Looking for a durable native plant that will thrive in sun or shade, and is drought-tolerant? Deer-resistant, too? You’ve got it! This shrub pushes fall color to the limits with its glowing orange fall foliage. It lights up the fall landscape, making it an ecofriendly alternative to burning bush. Bright yellow flowers in early summer add to its appeal. A durable native plant that thrives in sun or shade, its is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and can even grow in dry shade. This is an excellent landscape plant that will succeed in even challenging sites.