Every week we’re publishing a NEW Plant Picks of the Week story, showcasing our Plant Specialists’ top plant picks. Get ready to be inspired!
We recently asked Sarah Tjepkema to share her top plant picks. Here’s what she had to say:
Autumn Joy Stonecrop
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
A highly desirable and popular groundcover, forming a dense mound completely covered in broccoli-like salmon-pink flowers which fade to red in early fall, succulent dusty-green foliage is prominent the rest of the season; needs a dry and sunny location
October Skies Aster
Aster oblongifolius ‘October Skies’
A mounded, bushy variety, perfect for adding color to fall gardens; beautiful sky blue daisy-like flowers with yellow centers are featured on green, fragrant foliage; easy to grow, requiring little to no maintenance; drought tolerant once established
Twilight Zone Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Twilight Zone’
A great variety for hot, dry areas with consistent green-blue, ribbon-like foliage that takes on hues of violet-purple in fall; silvery white seed heads persist well into winter; an outstanding accent plant
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A deciduous holly valued for its extremely colorful red berries which last throughout winter on female plants; upright growth habit, suckers into colonies; requires moist to wet highly acidic soils, good for problem areas, needs a male pollinator nearby
Pearl Glam® Beautyberry
Callicarpa ‘NCCX2’
Showy dark purple foliage starting in spring contrasts white flowers in late summer, followed by volumes of spectacular violet-purple berries in fall; can be pruned back to the ground in spring as it blooms on new wood