New Proven Winners® Perennials for 2023

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New at Retail in 2023

These perennials will be widely available in 2023, but might be found as early release items or in industry production in 2022.

The class of 2023 includes 2 new genus for the program and 25 new varieties. Gardeners looking to attract pollinators will delight in the new MEANT TO BEE™ Agastache collection and tall UPSCALE™ Bee Balm. Fascinating foliage options abound with the black 'Dark Side of the Moon' Astilbe, 'Bit of Honey' Heliopsis, 'Niagara Falls' Panicum and 'Pink-a-Blue' Pulmonaria.

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MEANT TO BEE™ 'Queen Nectarine' Agastache

Anise Hyssop, Hummingbird Mint

Height: 30-36" | Spread: 32-36" | Zones: 5-9 | Full Sun

Members of the MEANT TO BEE™ Collection were selected for their large, full habits, significant landscape presence, and hardiness. Each variety has reliably overwintered in our Zone 6 West Michigan winters. Flowers cover the top two thirds of these plants from mid to late summer, with colorful calyxes extending interest well into fall. Pollinators are known to frequent these plants and they are a particular favorite of hummingbirds.

Soft peach flowers are held on the mauve calyxes of ‘Queen Nectarine'. Compared with ‘Royal Raspberry', this is noticeably taller. Best performance comes in full sun with well drained soils.

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MEANT TO BEE™ 'Royal Raspberry' Agastache

Anise Hyssop, Hummingbird Mint

Height: 28-32" | Spread: 28-32" | Zones: 5-9 | Full Sun

‘Royal Raspberry' has rosy purple flowers with burgundy calyxes. New foliage emerges with a burgundy cast in spring. Best performance comes in full sun with well drained soils.

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'Dark Side of the Moon' Astilbe

Height: 20-22" | Spread: 24-28" | Scape: 28-34" | Zones: 4-9 | Full Sun to Full Shade

An instant classic for the landscape! ‘Dark Side of the Moon' is the only dark leafed Astilbe with purple flowers that's on the market. Rich deep chocolate brown leaves form an incredibly attractive mound of foliage. Emerging leaves are yellow with a dark margin with a glossy sheen that become completely dark as they age. Dark stems hold raspberry buds that burst forth with rosy purple flowers. This performs best both for growing and flowering in full sun in the north with adequate moisture, but also grows in shade.

An Astilbe chinesis hybrid – showing off through the flower color, shape, and height.

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FRUIT PUNCH® 'Funky Fuchsia' Dianthus

Pinks

Height: 8-10" | Spread: 14-16" | Zones: 4-9 | Full to Part Sun

Fully double fuchsia purple flowers are a new color for the FRUIT PUNCH® series and a unique color for hardy Dianthus. The florist quality blooms are among the largest in the series, reaching 1½-2” wide. Compared with fellow large flowered phenom ‘Cranberry Cocktail', ‘Funky Fuchsia' has much less red flowers. Glaucous blue-green foliage is semi-evergreen.

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COLOR CODED® 'One in a Melon' Echinacea

Coneflower

Height: 24-26" | Spread: 18-20" | Zones: 4-8 | Full to Part Sun

Melon-colored flowers and matching melon cones. At 5-5½” wide these are among the largest flowers in the collection. Petals are held horizontally and overlap for maximum display. The cantaloupe flower color is lighter than ‘Orange You Awesome' and not a true yellow like ‘Yellow My Darling'.

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COLOR CODED® 'The Fuchsia is Bright' Echinacea

Coneflower

Height: 20-22" | Spread: 16-18" | Zones: 4-8 | Full to Part Sun

4½” fuchsia pink flowers are made of overlapping, horizontally held petals for an exceptionally showy display. The dark cone and stems of the plant contrast with the brightness of the petals, accentuating the vibrancy of the flowers. Exceptional garden performance.

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DOUBLE CODED™ 'Butter Pecan' Echinacea

Coneflower

Height: 18-20" | Spread: 16-18" | Zones: 4-8 | Full to Part Sun

A complementing series of fully double Coneflowers to the single flowered COLOR CODED® collection. Varieties in this series have prolific floral production seated atop dense rosettes of foliage. Broad, horizontal ray petals maximize flower size. Plants are low, wide, and well-branched allowing for use along the front of the border. Enjoy as these perennials burst into life under the heat of midsummer.

'Butter Pecan' has 4” wide soft melon flowers that are fully double.

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DOUBLE CODED™ 'Raspberry Beret' Echinacea

Coneflower

Height: 18-20" | Spread: 22-24" | Zones: 4-8 | Full to Part Sun

'Raspberry Beret' has fully double intense raspberry pink flowers, 4” wide, with ray petals to match. Petals are slightly lighter than the cone.

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'Bit of Honey' Heliopsis helianthoides

False Sunflower

Height: 24-28" | Spread: 26-30" | Zones: 4-9 | Full to Part Sun

‘Bit of Honey' is the first variegated Heliopsis for Proven Winners® Perennials. Leaves appear white with deep green veining on a low, dense habit; perfect in the middle of the border or as a stand-alone plant. This variety blooms in midsummer, lasting into early fall. The flowers have above average size for a Heliopsis at 3-3½” wide and are fully semi-double with multiple rows of golden yellow petals surrounding gold cones.

Compared to ‘Tuscan Sun' and Tuscan Gold™, this variety is more compact. Like other variegated Heliopsis, ‘Bit of Honey' is hardy to zone 4.

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DOLCE® 'Frosted Berry' Heuchera

Coral Bells

Height: 01-14" | Spread: 16-20" | Scape: 26-28" | Zones: 4-9 | Sun to Shade

A sport out of the 2023 National Perennial of the Year® ‘Wildberry' with matching habit, leaf size, and exceptional landscape performance. Huge 5-6” silver leaves have charcoal veins. New leaves have a slight blush (or “frosting”) to the leaves. Charcoal stems hold white flowers on rosy pink calyxes. An excellent choice for container gardens or for use in mixed containers. Site in well-drained soil for the best landscape performance. Compared with ‘Silver Gumdrop' this has a taller, more rounded habit and has smaller light pink to white flowers instead of dark pink.

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DRESSED UP™ 'Ball Gown' Heuchera

Coral Bells

Height: 10-12" | Spread: 24-28" | Scape: 26-30" | Zones: 4-9 | Part to Full Shade

The chartreuse companion to last year's breakout sensation ‘Evening Gown'! Similar to its dark leaved compatriot, ‘Ball Gown' has large, heavily ruffled leaves and excellent landscape performance. However, this plant should not be limited to only the garden bed as it has excellent presence in both mixed and mono containers. Ensure good drainage for the best performance. Compared with PRIMO® ‘Pistachio Ambrosia', ‘Ball Gown' has much more scalloped leaves with a slightly serrated margin and creamy white instead of pink flowers.

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PRIMO® 'Pistachio Ambrosia' Heuchera

Coral Bells

Height: 10-12" | Spread: 28-32" | Scape: 28-32" | Zones: 4-9 | Part to Full Shade

An improvement over ‘Pretty Pistachio' in the PRIMO® collection. Growers who loved the large chartreuse leaves of ‘Pretty Pistachio' can expect the same from the new version, as well as the upright scapes of light pink flowers. ‘Pistachio Ambrosia' has a similar robust landscape presence as its predecessor but is less prone to burning or leaf discoloration. Brightest foliage color will come with filtered shade or morning sun. Compared with DRESSED UP™ ‘Ball Gown', ‘Pistachio Ambrosia' has flat, well-rounded leaves and pink instead of cream flowers.

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SUMMERIFIC® 'Lilac Crush' Hibiscus

Rose Mallow, Hardy Hibiscus

Height: 5-5½' | Spread: 4-4½' | Zones: 4-9 | Full to Part Sun

‘Lilac Crush' adds a new color to the SUMMERIFIC® Series and a rare color among Hardy Hibiscus! Lilac flowers open 7-8” wide with overlapping petals of a thick substance. The flowers will have cool tones under low temperature conditions. Similar to ‘Candy Crush' and fellow newcomer ‘Valentine's Crush', ‘Lilac Crush' has an upright, columnar habit that is very sturdy and resists lodging. Maple-like leaves are a rich green.

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SUMMERIFIC® 'Valentine's Crush' Hibiscus

Rose Mallow, Hardy Hibiscus

Height: 5' | Spread: 3½' | Zones: 4-9 | Full to Part Sun

Love is in the air with this new cherry red Hardy Hibiscus from Proven Winners®! ‘Valentine's Crush' replaces ‘Cranberry Crush' in the SUMMERIFIC® Collection. Compared with ‘Cranberry Crush', this variety has brighter red flowers that open fully flat at 7-8” wide. The leaves have a large, ovate shape – causing the plant to have a full appearance – and a dark bronze cast in full sun. Similar to ‘Candy Crush' and fellow newcomer ‘Lilac Crush', ‘Valentine's Crush' has an upright, columnar habit that is very sturdy and resists lodging. The habit is more columnar than predecessor ‘Cranberry Crush'.

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SHADOWLAND® 'Above the Clouds' Hosta

Height: 25" | Scape: 30-38" | Spread: 54-60" | Zones: 3-9 | Part to Full Shade

Keep your head ‘Above the Clouds' with this new large blue addition to the SHADOWLAND® collection! Cloudy blue leaves are cupped and have a puckered texture. Compared to fellow blue SHADOWLAND® member ‘Diamond Lake', this variety has more rounded leaves and no rippling along the margin. Pale lavender flowers appear in midsummer.

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SHADOWLAND® 'Echo the Sun' Hosta

Height: 19" | Scape: 18-27" | Spread: 42-48" | Zones: 3-9 | Part to Full Shade

‘Echo the Sun' is a bright yellow hosta with nicely rippled margins; comparable to a gold version of the blue ‘Diamond Lake'. The low, mounded habit is more prostrate than ‘Diamond Lake', but shares a similar wedge-shaped leaf of thick substance. Compared to ‘Coast to Coast', ‘Echo the Sun' has a smaller habit and a pronounced rippled leaf margin. Lavender flowers appear in midsummer.

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SHADOWLAND® 'Voices in the Wind' Hosta

Height: 17" | Scape: 24-29" | Spread: 46" | Zones: 3-9 | Part to Full Shade

This beautiful variegated hosta will catch your eye with its sophisticated beauty. Blue-green wedge-shaped leaves have very ruffled, creamy yellow margins. Pale lavender flowers appear in mid to late summer.

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UPSCALE™ 'Lavender Taffeta' Monarda

Bee Balm

Height: 22-26" | Spread: 18-22" | Zones: 4-8 | Full to Part Sun

Prepare for UPSCALE™ Bee Balm to raise your expectations with a robust, substantial landscape presence. Taller than most other new introductions on the market, the UPSCALE™ collection average 2-2½' tall and wide with flowering performance that covers the top half of the plant. This series is excellent for landscape plantings and filling space in the middle of the border. Well branched stems support a second flush of flowers that extends the length of bloom, a trait that will delight both gardeners and the bees who frequent this popular pollinator perennial. Members of this collection all exhibit good mildew resistance.

'Lavender Taffeta' has dark lavender purple flowers over shiny, dark green foliage.

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UPSCALE™ 'Pink Chenille' Monarda

Bee Balm

Height: 20-22" | Spread: 18-22" | Zones: 4-8 | Full to Part Sun

'Pink Chenille' has large, 3½” fluorescent pink flowers with lighter pink interiors for a two-tone effect.

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UPSCALE™ 'Red Velvet' Monarda

Bee Balm

Height: 32" | Spread: 36" | Zones: 4-8 | Full to Part Sun

'Red Velvet' has large cherry red flowers. The tallest variety in the collection. Newly emerging foliage has a bronze cast.

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PRAIRIE WINDS® 'Niagara Falls' Panicum virgatum

Switch Grass

Height: 4' | Spread: 4' | Zones: 4-9 | Full Sun

Notably wide for a Panicum, ‘Niagara Falls' is excellent for filling space in the landscape. This native ornamental grass that appears like a Miscanthus in the landscape with arching foliage, but adds the powder blue color characteristic of Switch Grass. In fall, sprays of cream seed heads pack the top of the plant. Compared with the other Panicum of the PRAIRIE WINDS® collection, ‘Niagara Falls' is the broadest of the group, but halfway in height between ‘Apache Rose' and ‘Totem Pole'.

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LUMINARY™ 'Sunset Coral' Phlox paniculata

Tall Garden Phlox

Height: 30-32" | Spread: 30-32" | Zones: 3-8 | Full to Part Sun

Just like the pink and orange hues that light up the sky during a sunset, ‘Sunset Coral' lights up the landscape. Coral pink flowers have an orange tinge; the orange color is especially noticeable when compared with true pink P. paniculata varieties. This variety matches the height of the rest of the collection; perfect for the middle of the border.

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'Pink-a-Blue' Pulmonaria

Lungwort

Height: 16-18" | Spread: 22-24" | Zones: 3-9 | Full to Part Shade

Pink flower buds open to medium blue flowers in early spring. Buds and blooms appear at the same time for an alluring two tone effect. Following flowering a robust habit of long green leaves dappled with silver spots will hold interest for the remainder of the growing season. The silver spotted foliage is perfect for brightening up the shade and resistant to both browsing deer and rabbits. Compared with ‘Spot On', the flower buds are pink instead of salmon, the flowers open a lighter blue, and the foliage is dark as opposed to light green and more narrow.

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ROCK 'N ROUND™ 'Bright Idea' Sedum

Stonecrop

Height: 10-12" | Spread: 16-20" | Zones: 3-9 | Full Sun

This hybrid Stonecrop has a similar appearance and blooms in early summer like S. kamtschaticum. However, the habit is much more polished with a rounded, mounding habit similar to fellow Proven Winners Sedum, ‘Pure Joy'. Red stems hold deep green, serrated leaves and clusters of bright yellow, star-shaped flowers. This tough perennial is perfect for hot, dry areas in the garden or as a filler in mixed containers.

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MAGIC SHOW® 'Ever After' Veronica

Spike Speedwell

Height: 14-16" | Spread: 12-14" | Zones: 4-8 | Full to Part Sun

Similar to ‘White Wands' but with a lavender blue flower, ‘Ever After' is among the longest blooming Veronica now available. ‘Ever After' has flower spikes that reach nearly a foot in length, with each spike showing color for many weeks. An excellent season extender! In peak, flowers cover the top two thirds of the plant. The flowers are self-cleaning, resulting in a fresher looking plant in the landscape. Vernalization required for best performance.