January 2022 - 10

perspectives
BY JUDSON LECOMPTE
Tough Stuff: Growers and Retailers
Turn to Improved Genetics
Judson LeCompte is
product development
assistant manager
at Spring Meadow
Nursery and a
member of GPN's
40 Under 40 Class
of 2021. He can be
reached at judson@
springmeadownursery.com
In
January 2021, 100-year winter storm Uri struck the
Southeast and Southwest with temperatures below zero degrees
for multiple days. A severe weather event alone would have been
enough to concern the most seasoned of growers. However, this
storm was to have more impact than first expected.
As commonly seen in the South,
the week before Uri graced us
with its presence, temperatures
had reached the 80s. This winter
warm-up undoubtedly caused
many plants to begin to break
dormancy, and vascular tissue
was full of the first spring's
sap. The unseasonably warm
temperatures followed by the
onslaught of days of freezing
weather resulted in significant
damage across Oklahoma,
Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and
Mississippi.
Once the freeze passed, homeowners
and landscape managers anxiously waited
to see if any new growth would come from
what was once their landscape. Major shrub
losses from Uri's freeze were rhaphiolepis,
gardenia and loropetalum, all major genera
that would affect garden centers for
decades. While some plants like distylium,
rhododendron (azalea) and lagerstroemia
had considerable shoot damage, they were
protected by a blanket of snow and new
growth has been seen to emerge.
After the snow melted and the carcasses of crispy plants
were evident, there was a mad rush for new plant material.
Paired with the surge of pandemic gardening from 2020,
consumer demand was both overwhelming and challenging to
predict. Customers from across the South were buying every
live good available, in some cases with limited opportunity
for long-term consumer success. Did landscape suppliers and
retailers make good plant choices? Did our consumers have
good plant choices? Many home gardeners want shrubs they
are accustomed to growing, but ultimately we must educate
consumers and assist them in making appropriate plant choices.
At Spring Meadow Nursery, we are continually looking to
introduce the best genetics available. In the past, breeding was
heavily driven by consumer demand for increased flowers or yield,
better habits, and increased disease resistance. What about cold
hardiness? What about heat and drought resistance? How do
you market a plant to consumers from coast to coast with wildly
different growing conditions?
10 JANUARY 2022 GPNMAG.COM
Native plants are a great choice for gardens where extreme
weather conditions are possible. They have evolved in a regional
environment and have survived conditions typical to those areas.
This could be extreme hot or cold, periods of flooding or drought,
or persistent wind. Great selections of tough native plants include:
'SIMPLY SCENTSATIONAL'
CALYCANTHUS FLORIDUS
The most fragrant sweetshrub I have ever
smelled! Maroon flowers bloom throughout the
plant and emit a tropical fragrance of banana,
melon, and strawberry. 'Simply Scentsational'
sweetshrub grows to 6 feet tall and makes a
great addition to a mixed border or woodland
landscape. Zones 4 through 9.
Calycanthus 'Simply
Scentsational'
Itea 'Scentlandia'
'GATSBY GAL' HYDRANGEA
QUERCIFOLIA
More compact than the naturally occurring
species, 'Gatsby Gal' reaches 5 to 6 feet tall,
making it perfect for smaller gardens. Large
white inflorescences shine on top of the densely
branched plant. Growers and consumers will
appreciate how good this plant looks in a retail
container. Zones 5 through 9.
'GEM BOX' ILEX GLABRA
A native boxwood replacement! 'Gem Box' is
a densely branched, ball-shaped inkberry holly
with dark green foliage with red tips on new
growth. Perfect for use as a hedge, foundation
shrub or even container. Zones 5 through 9.
'SCENTLANDIA' ITEA VIRGINICA
A very fragrant Itea selection with increased bud hardiness.
In the fall, the foliage turns a bright burgundy red. Growing to a
height of 2 to 3 feet, 'Scentlandia' sweetspire is hardy in Zones 5
through 9.
'NORTH POLE' THUJA OCCIDENTALIS
A fast-growing evergreen that is more narrow than 'Emerald
Green' and resistant to winter burn. 'North Pole' arborvitae
provides a wonderful privacy screen reaching around 15 feet tall.
Zones 3 through 8.
Trialing and selecting plants in very different locations produces
cultivars that are more suited to a changing environment. At
Spring Meadow, we trial plants in many different production
systems and locations, including our main field trial sites in Grand
Haven, Michigan, and Citra, Florida. Plants that perform well in
http://www.nursery.com http://www.GPNMAG.COM
January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2022
