2008 New Annuals

Allamanda 'Brown Bud'

This spreading and climbing vine is covered with 3" vivid yellow, trumpetshaped blooms held in clusters at the ends of rambling canes. The light green, glossy leaves are produced on slender, green, twining stems. The erect sprawling growth habit makes it ideal for quick coverage of trellises, arbors, or on a tree trunk, or use it to cover the base of a mail box or pole. Allamanda will cascade over a retaining wall and makes a nice hanging basket. This is a tropical plant that can be brought indoors in winter.

Alternanthera 'Gold Thread'

Marvelous tuffet of finely feathered foliage, Gold Thread makes a perfect windowsill pot plant, an excellent addition to the small windowbox or urn; even a wonderful "dot" plant for the small scale summer border, or for hiding that blank space in your rockery left by dormant spring bulbs. Grows 8-10" tall in full sun to part shade.

Alternanthera 'Red Hot'

'Brazilian Red Hots' alternanthera is truly hot. An upright grower with multi-colored foliage. It will add a punch of hot pink and purple to combination planters and the landscape. It is a vigorous grower, quickly reaching 18" tall and 10 to 12" in spread. A definite improvement over other multi-colored Alternantheras. Great weaver and mixer in the garden and mixed container plantings.

Alternanthera 'Roseo Nana'

Marvelous "Pygmy Parrotleaf" with very delicate-appearing spatulate rose-colored leaves forming a lilac cloud of foliage on the twiggy bushy plantlets. Very distinctive lilac tone rendered quite delicate in tone by the filigreed character of the thin leaves. Quite vigorous Victorian clone, unbeaten when you need a showy but easily blending ornamental to beautifully cascade from your urn, basket, or windowbox and make absolutely no fuss about it.

Argyranthemum 'Madeira Crested Merlot'

Gorgeous, deep burgundy-wine flowers borne in profusion on upright, mounded plants. Long-lasting and abundant flowers and scented foliage attract butterflies to the garden until the first frost. Dead-heading will encourage more blooms. Grows 15" tall in full sun. Ideal for garden bed, landscape, containers.

Bacopa 'Copa Double White'

The first ever double-flowered bacopa. Great on its own or as a mixer, this new bacopa puts on an enthralling show in hanging baskets, pouches and pots. The plants are compact and produce literally thousands of frilly, pure white flowers in a season. Semi-trailing habit, takes sun or part-shade.

Bracteantha 'Strawburst Yellow'

Huge, bright yellow flowers bloom all summer on well-branched, mounded plants. Excellent heat and frost tolerance, thriving in full sun conditions. Strawlike petals add an interesting texture to mixed containers, planters, window boxes, baskets and landscapes. Very drought tolerant.

Brazilian Fireworks Maracas

A spectacular shade-loving tropical plant for indoor or outdoor growth, Maracas boasts beautiful purple and pink bicolored blooms on top of highly variegated leaves splashed with silver and white. This versatile plant grows to 12 inches and performs equally well in the garden and landscape, as a groundcover, or in containers. The red cone with lavender purple flowers will delight hummingbirds.

Chrysocephalum 'Flambe Yellow'

Round, tightly-packed yellow blooms arise by the hundreds on well-branched plants. Terrific for cutting for fresh or everlasting bouquets, they stand out brilliantly against the silver, nearly white foliage (which also makes excellent filler for indoor arrangements). Great for sandy or poor soils, coastal locations, and anywhere you need nonstop, super-easy color in flower and foliage! Just 8 to 14" high and 14 to 16" wide, Flambe quickly forms a low-growing, mounding plant that always looks bushy and full. Right through the worst heat and humidity of summer, it keeps its neat shape and profuse flowering.

Clerodendron 'Bleeding Heart Vine'

Attractive bushy, tropical looking twining vine with clusters of scarlet heart-shaped flowers surrounded by white petals. Glossy dark green leaves are from 5 to 7 inches long. Prefers consistently moist, but not wet, soil. Monthly fertilizing and pruning after flowering increases future flower production. Grow in sun for maximum flowers, or shade for nicer foliage.

Coleus 'Watermelon'

Bright, luscious color splashes across every leaf of this coleus, adding high contrast color to the partially shaded spots in the garden. Watermelon pink fills the leaf center as veins of magenta reach out into a lime green edge. A luminous display in mass plantings, baskets or containers, performs well in sun or shade. Vigorous and late to flower, it is also an excellent landscape performer. The compact variety with medium-large leaves grows to a height of 12 to 14 in. and spreads 10 to 12 in.

Colocasia 'Illustris'

A wonderful foliage plant that complements any garden space. Whether grown in a container or used seasonally as a landscape plant, the chartreuse to purple coloring and the immense size of its leaves always make a statement. As the leaves mature, they turn more purple in color. It can also be grown in water gardens or inside with a saucer of water. Full sun, partial sun or shade, grows to 2-3' in container, 5' in the landscape.

Cordyline 'Red Sister'

The spiky leaves of this new Ti Plant contribute outstanding architectural elements for container gardens and in the landscape. New leaves are bright magenta and dark pink when older. Plant alone, or use flowers that compliment the red foliage of the cordyline, or echo the color with flowers at its feet.

Dahlia 'Mystic Dreamer'

Delicate pink and magenta striped petals contrast with fashionable filigreed deep mahogany to black foliage. Ideal to add a riot of color to the garden border, or as a star performer in pots & planters on the patio or deck. Best in full sun in rich moisture retentive soil. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong blooming season.

Gazania 'Yellow Buttons'

The bright yellow flowers are fully double which prevents them from closing at night or on cloudy days, unlike other Gazanias. Ideal for the front of flower beds, sunny banks, and containers. Grows 4-6" tall in full sun to light shade.

Geranium Regal 'Solstice'

The Solstice series exhibits better heat tolerance than older varieties. Solstice has a mounded, compact growth habit requiring less concern about too large of a plant or leaves. Choose from seven colors including Chocolate, Burgundy, Lilac, Deep Salmon, Mid-Salmon, Purple and Red. Grows 12-24" in full to part sun. Use in beds, borders and containers.

Grass Juncus 'Blue Arrows'

This upright grass-like plant (it is a true rush) has attractive narrow, stiff, blue-green foliage that could be used to compliment mixed flower combinations or substitute for the effect provided by spikes (cordyline or dracaena). Ideal in containers, it can be grown as a pond plant also. Like most rushes, it prefers full sun and should be able to tolerate both heat, drought and also wet conditions.

Grass Pennisetum 'Princess'

An exotic new annual grass that looks spectacular when planted as an accent plant in the garden or as a 'thriller' in a container. The saber-shaped leaves emerge narrow, dappled green and purple and become progressively more purple and brighter as temperatures climb. 'Princess' is a vigorous grower and usually grows to at least 2-3 feet high. Its most amazing features are its deep burgundy-purple foliage and noble structural form in the landscape.

Grass Stipa 'Sirocco'

This delightful grass adds movement and texture to a wide range of settings, including landscapes, garden beds, mixed containers and hanging baskets. This unique variety is the only pink grass from seeds on the market . The color turns to shades of copper and pink under cool conditions, natural sunlight and maturity.
It's 12-24" mounded form provides winter interest and is heat and frost tolerant.

Impatiens 'Fusion Heat'

A stunning, almost troipical looking flower with rusty orange petals and a yellow center. It has the non-stop blooming power of traditional impatiens, but the flowers are an interesting cup shape with a deeper colored center. Mature plants will reach 12 - 16" in height and width. Fusion Impatiens enjoy a little sun in the morning, but prefer afternoon shade. Heat and humidity don't seem to faze them. Great for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies planted in hanging baskets, containers and in the garden.

Mandevilla 'Yellow'

Bright 2-3 inch, lemon yellow trumpet shaped flowers and beautiful glossy foliage characterize this fast grower. It will brighten any patio and garden area and lends itself well to growing on a trellis or in a hanging basket. Grows as a vine-like shrub when it is young, and left to it own devices, it develops into a sprawling vine.

Million Bells 'MiniFamous Double Blue'

Calibrachoa 'MiniFamous Double Blue' is intense and full and makes a dazzling display trailing out of baskets, containers or as a front of the border plant. The blue blooms just radiate brilliant color in the sunny summer garden, and with twice the petal count, they stand out beautifully against the small leaves on this trailing plant. Calibrachoa are long bloomers and very heat and drought resistant. The plants only get about 4" high, but they will spread up to 2'. This is a full sun annual, although some shade is welcome during the hottest part of the day.

Monarda 'Bergamo'

Monarda 'Bergamo' is an annual bee balm that is extremely mildew resistant. It's long, flower-packed spikes combine lilac and rosy-violet shades for an intense, dark color that really stands out, especially against the rather light green foliage. 'Bergamo' is an early bloomer, and will repeat bloom if deadheaded. It's a compact plant, growing about 18-24" tall and 12-18" wide, so it's a good size for the border but also fine in a pot. Since it's an annual, it won't spread by runners the way the perennial varieties do. However it will set seed. Plant this one if you want to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Orchid 'Phalaenopsis'

Phalaenopsis orchids are becoming more and more popular as houseplants due to their ease of culture and to their beautiful, long-lasting flowers. Also called the "moth orchid," as their flowers resemble the shape of a moth or butterfly. They come in several colors including pink, white, and yellow, as well as spotted or striped varieties. With proper care the flowers will last several months.

Petunia 'Supercal Neon Rose'

An all-new flower class, SuperCal™ Petunia delivers the best characteristics of the favorite petunias and million bells: big vigor, loads of flower power, lush foliage and dependable performance. The vibrant rose colored flowers of Neon Rose cover lush foliage all summer. It exhibits strong vigor and excellent disease tolerance. Great for use in the landscape, containers and hanging baskets. Grows best in full to part sun.

Phlox 'Power Purple Star'

Purple Star displays unique star-shaped purple flowers with white edged serrated petals. The upright growth habit and well branched growth are the main differences of the Power Phlox to other series. This phlox is extremely weather tolerant

Setcreasea 'Purple Variegated'

Setcreasea 'Purple Variegated' plant has lance-shaped leaves with vibrant pink and purple variegation. They are great for ground cover due to their fast, creeping habit. Also good when used in containers and hanging baskets. Grows 12-18" tall in full sun.

Talinum 'Limon'

Lime-green foliage with tiny pink blooms arising on long, russet-brown stems. Flowers are followed by garnet-red fruit, attracting bees, then birds to your garden! Adds great interest to mixed containers and landscapes. This "tough" plant handles stress well, including heat and drought. When it is exposed to stressful light, feed and water conditions, Limon's foliage shows off an even more vibrant chartreuse colour. Grows 28-32" tall.

Vinca 'Sun Devil Extreme Red'

Huge 2.5-inch flowers with extraordinary disease tolerance. Great basal branching creates full, lush plants 12-14 inches tall. This sun loving annual has unrivaled cold tolerance! Incredible garden performance.

Vinca Sun Devil 'Serpentine Pink'

Serpentine is a new truly trailing Vinca, perfect for hanging baskets. In the garden it has a prostrate habit like no other Vinca, growing flat to the ground, blooms all season, and is about 3" tall.