March 2023 - 34

VAUGHN'S VIEW
9
well-defined silver-spotted foliage.
Terra Nova has followed up with its
counterpart, the new 'Raspberry Frost'
for 2023. This variety was trialed at
Colorado State, but I did not see it
until early August and again in early
September, so I missed its flowering
stage, but the green midrib and the
silver-edge margin of the foliage
was distinctive and well-defined with
intense contrast. This striking leaf
pattern will definitely illuminate the
shade garden. The habit was compact
and tight. The coral-red inflorescence
will offer a unique color to the current
pulmonaria selections. The variety
is hardy to Zone 4 and matures at
10 to 13 inches. The accompanying
photograph is from the Colorado State
trial in mid-September 2022.
10
10. AGASTACHE 'CRAZY
FORTUNE'
Concept Plants
The breeding, trialing and introduction
11
of agastache from multiple breeders
has been significant, and we now have
a wide assortment of new series and
stand-alone varieties available. The
genera has myriad attributes: bee and
butterfly attraction, heat and drought
tolerance, aromatic foliage, colorful
and dramatic flower spikes, and a
long blooming cycle. 'Crazy Fortune',
a variegated sport of 'Blue Fortune',
was in several trials last year, and I was
impressed by the erect, long flower
spikes, stable variegation, upright habit,
floriferousness, and striking two-lipped
light blue flowers. The variety matures at
26 to 30 inches and is hardy to Zone 3a.
The accompanying photograph is from
the Aris/Green Leaf trial garden on
Aug. 31, 2022.
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MARCH 2023 GPNMAG.COM
11. RUDBECKIA 'AMERICAN
GOLD RUSH'
Intrinsic Perennial Gardens
The accolades for this vegetative
rudbeckia are plentiful and wellfounded.
It was an All-America
Selections winner in 2020 and won
the Perennial Plant of the Year award
for 2023 from the Perennial Plant
Association. This is an interspecific
cross, is naturally compact, matures
at 22 to 26 inches, is hardy to Zone 4,
and is a prolific bloomer July through
September with dark eye disc florets and
yellow ray florets. The single attribute
that distinguishes and differentiates it
from other rudbeckias in the market is
its Septoria leaf spot resistance. This
variety offers multiple environmental
benefits, which are drought tolerance,
disease resistance, long flowering
cycle, prolific flower canopy and large
3-inch flowers. It was in multiple
trials last summer, and its exceptional
performance was consistent in the
southern and northern trials that I
visited in August and September. The
accompanying photograph is from the
Aris/Green Leaf trial on Aug. 31, 2022.
12. SALVIA 'PINK PROFUSION'
Walters Gardens
Salvia 'Pink Profusion' is the most
popular salvia in the Proven Winners
program, and it demonstrated its
excellence in trials last summer. I visited
the Walters Gardens trial in mid-August,
where it was the most eye-catching
salvia in the trial with its prolific flower
canopy of contrasting dark pink flowers
with darker pink calyxes. I traveled to
the Metrolina trial in North Carolina
a week later, where it manifested
this same performance with prolific
flowering, color stability and reblooming
potential. The salvia Profusion series
includes four varieties: Perfect, Violet,
White and Pink. This nemorosa series
is characterized by a rounded and
dense habit, consistency, heat and
drought tolerance, flower positioning
above the foliage, floriferousness, and
outstanding reblooming potential. The
series matures at 14 to 16 inches and
is hardy to Zone 3a. 'Pink Profusion' is
the Proven Winners National Perennial
of the Year for 2024. The accompanying
photograph is from the Walters Gardens
trial in mid-August 2022.
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March 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2023
