P. Allen Smith's "Hot 25" Plants for 2012
Gardening expert P. Allen Smith is a renowned and respected authority when it comes to plants. So when he makes a recommendation, you can be sure it will be a winner in your garden. The following Proven Winners plants have been named his "Hot 25" for 2012. He will be showcasing theses superior varieties in magazine articles, during book tours and TV appearances, and on his website, where they will also appear as his Top Picks for 2012.
These plants have been chosen for their visual color and impact, superior performance, and low maintenance. You can find each of them at Vite Greenhouses. Ask for them on your next visit.
Common Name |
Botanical Name |
Cultivar | Description |
Greenhouse Location | Thumb- nail Image |
Flower Color | Foliage Color | Annual/ Perennial | Exposure | Bloom Season | Height | Spread | Hardiness Zone (See Map) |
Container Size | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Summer | Autumn | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Early | Middle | Late | Early | Middle | Late | Early | Middle | Late | |||||||||||||||||
| Abelia | Abelia grandiflora |
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An improved selection that gives you more color as the dark, glossy foliage has ruby-red new growth and fall color. Long blooming with clusters of salmon pink buds, white flowers and soft pink bracts from mid-summer until frost. The fragrant flowers are a butterfly magnet. Developed by Susan Keiser of Ossining NY. | n/a | n/a | n/a |  |
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n/a | n/a | n/a | PW 3 Gallon | |||||
| Ageratum ('Artist®' Series) | Ageratum  |
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Has an open habit with radiant clusters of fuzzy flowers on compact plants flowering May through October. | 1C-South |  |
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7"-9" | 10"-12" | 9-11 | 4½" White | |||
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Has an open habit with radiant clusters of unusual, bicolor blue violet fuzzy flowers on compact plants. Flowers May - October. | 1C-South |  |
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12"-18" | 18" | 10 | 4½" White | |||||
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A little gem of a plant that continuously produces masses of purple pink flowers. | 1C-South |  |
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8"-12" | 10"-12" | 9-10 | 4½" White | |||||
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True rose-pink color with an upright, full habit; flowers all season long; low maintenance. | 1C-South |  |
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8"-12" | 10"-12" | 9-10 | 4½" White | |||||
| Alkanet | Anchusa capensis |
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Blue Angel has great vivid ultra-marine blue flowers on plants with a bushy habit make this wariety ideal for garden borders and mass plantings. Early blooming and extremely long blooming time for any perennial. | 5A-North |  |
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12"-15" | 12"-15" | 3-8 | 4" Green | |||
| Brunnera macrophylla |
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This new sport of 'Jack Frost' has more silver barring with with the bars connecting to form a silver collar around the perimeter of the leaf. In addition, there is a very light dusting of silver over the entire leaf surface. | 11B-South |  |
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12"-15" | 12"-15" | 3-8 | 10" Green | ||||
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'Jack Frost' Brunnera is one of the most arresting silvers for shade. Its leaves, painted with an overlay of metallic silver, are finely etched with green veining that matches the narrow band running along the edge. | 11B-South |  |
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12"-12" | 15"-18" | 3-7 | 10" Green | |||||
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Bold, irregular, creamy white leaf margins that simply glow in the shade characterize this lovely Brunnera. This one will really light up the shady corners of your garden; some leaves can be almost entirely white! | 11B-South |  |
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12"-15" | 12"-15" | 3-8 | 10" Green | |||||
| Alyssum | Lobularia hybrid |
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This sterile Lobularia is extremely vigorous, and beacuse it puts no energy into setting seed it has an incredibly long bloom time. Creates a beautiful hanging basket or window box and is a perfect filler in combination. New in 2010. | 2C-North |  |
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14"-20" | 14"-20" | 9-11 | 4½" White | |||
| Lobularia maritima |
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Clear Crystal is more vigorous with larger flowers than Easter Bonnet. Gardeners and landscapers will enjoy the fragrant, large blooms and stronger performance in containers and in-ground plantings. | 8D-South |  |
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6"-10" | 6"-10" | n/a | Flat | ||||
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Clear Crystal is more vigorous with larger flowers than Easter Bonnet. Gardeners and landscapers will enjoy the fragrant, large blooms and stronger performance in containers and in-ground plantings. | 8D-South |  |
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6"-10" | 6"-10" | n/a | Flat | |||||
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Clear Crystal is more vigorous with larger flowers than Easter Bonnet. Gardeners and landscapers will enjoy the fragrant, large blooms and stronger performance in containers and in-ground plantings. | 8D-South |  |
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6"-10" | 6"-10" | n/a | Flat | |||||
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Tidy, 3-4" bedding plants are matched in both habit and flowering for easy scheduling. Compact, uniform and early blooming, this series does exceptionally well from pack to garden. An excellent edging plant. | 8D-South |  |
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4"-4" | 9" | n/a | Flat | |||||
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Compact and tidy, covered with flowers, very early to bloom, great fragrance | 8D-North |  |
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4"-4" | 9" | n/a | Flat | |||||
| Amethyst violet, Bush viole | Browallia |
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Ideal for hanging baskets, tubs and mixed containers, the free-flowering, vigorous plants have attractive 1.5-in. blooms. | 8D-South |  |
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15"-15" | 9" | n/a | Flat | |||
| Anagallis ('Wildcat®' Series) | Anagallis hybrid |
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More compact and earlier to bloom, these true-blue flowers meander beautifully with other sprawlers, like Helichrysum 'Licorice'. | 1C-South |  |
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6"-12" | 12" | 9-10 | 4½" White | |||
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Early flowers with large ocher-colord flowers all season. | 1C-South |  |
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6"-12" | 12" | 9-10 | 4½" White | |||||
| Anemone (Snowdrop) | Anemone sylvestris |
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A delightful late spring bloomer with delicate charm and an iron constitution. Pure white flowers, measuring nearly 2 in. across, are borne singly on bare stems above the attractive dark green, divided foliage. | 6B-South |  |
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12"-15" | 12"-18" | 3-8 | 4" Green | |||
| Arugula | Eruca sativa |
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Peppery-mustardy flavor wakes up the palate! Once a rare delicacy, Arugula is now part of the American dinner table. But for what it costs at the fresh market, growing your own is the only sane option! Leaves are best cut when 2"-3" long. | 4C-South |  |
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24"-30" | 12"-14" | n/a | 4" Green | |||
| Asparagus Fern | Asparagus densiflorus |
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Delicate, bright green, needlelike leaves on arching stems with a trailing habit. This fern will create a dense fluffy look in containers. | 3D-North |  |
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12"-24" | 12" | 9-10 | 4" Green | |||
| Aster | Aster |
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Tall aster for cutting. Double flowers in mixed shades. | 8D-South |  |
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36" | 12"-18" | n/a | Flat | |||
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The Pot & Patio Aster mix is fast growing variety with the dwarf plants reaching their maximum 6" after only a few months. The flowers grow to 3" across making them the perfect variety for planters or pots. | 8D-South | n/a | n/a | |
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n/a | n/a | n/a | Flat | |||||||
| Aster (Hardy) | Aster x frikartii |
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'Monch' is treasured for its lavender-blue daisy-like flowers and its willingness to produce them nonstop all summer and into fall (if the spent flowers are removed). Foliage is an attractive gray-green. | 7D-South |  |
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18"-18" | 24" | 6-10 | 6" Green | |||
| Aster (New York) | Aster dumosus |
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Densely packed clusters of clear light blue flowers provide outstanding color in the garden from late summer into fall. 'Wood's' selections have shown excellent resistance to mildew and rust. Dwarf, compact habit. | 10C-North |  |
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12"-16" | 15"-20" | 3-8 | 8" Green | |||
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Densely packed clusters of charming purple, semi-double flowers provide outstanding color in the garden from late summer into fall. 'Wood's' selections have shown excellent resistance to mildew and rust. Dwarf, compact habit. | 10C-North |  |
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12"-16" | 15"-20" | 3-8 | 8" Green | |||||
| Avens | Geum chiloense |
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Grown for attractive hairy foliage and long blooming cheerful flowers in summer. Saucer shaped flowers are held high above foliage on long erect stems. | 6C-North |  |
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18"-24" | 12"-18" | 5-8 | 4" Green | |||
| Geum coccineum borisii |
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Bright, deep orange semi-double blooms rise above neat compact foliage on slender branching stems. Overall habit is slightly larger and fuller than ‘Cooky’. ‘Queen of Orange’ is also a very early bloomer! | n/a |  |
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12"-18" | 12"-14" | 4-9 | 4½" White | ||||
| Azalea | Rhododendron |
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Bright neon red-pink flowers engulf this compact semi-evergreen Azalea in spring. Vivid, glossy, silver and dark green variegated foliage supplies the color the rest of the year. |  |
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18"-24" | 18"-24" | 5 | PW 3 Gallon | |||
| Bachelor Button | Centaurea montana |
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The cornflower-blue, fringed blossoms of this perennial attract butterflies like magnets in the garden. Centaurea blooms from early to midsummer and usually blooms again in the fall if plants are cut back hard after the first flush. | 5B-North |  |
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24" | 24"-36" | 3-8 | 4" Green | |||
| Bacopa | Sutera |
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Snowstorm Blue delivers a dark blue Sutera with a larger bloom that resembles the size of Giant Snowflake. It is an extremely prolific bloomer, and the color will stay stable from early spring through summer. Makes a stunning hanging basket. New in 2010. | 1C-South |  |
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4"-6" | 8"-10" | 9-11 | 4½" White | |||
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These 'living carpet' plants are vigorous, versatile, and superb as solo plantings or in combos. Easy to grow, much-loved, and much publicized by consumer magazines and TV programs. | 1C-South |  |
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4"-8" | 8"-10" | n/a | 4½" White | |||||
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Sutera is incredibly vigorous and versatile. Its light pink flowers make a "living carpet" that is unbeatable for rfilling those inevitable bare spots and spicing up small pots. | 1C-South |  |
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4"-8" | 8"-10" | n/a | 4½" White | |||||
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A white Sutera that will not fade. With proper watering, the flower size, the strong color, and the temendous flower coverage will continue from early spring through summer. | 1C-South |  |
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4"-8" | 8"-10" | 9-11 | 4½" White | |||||
| Balloon Flower | Platycodon grandiflorus |
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Interesting balloon-like buds burst open into beautiful bell-shaped flowers. Exceptional branching and thick flower petals make for long-lasting light pink blooms. | 5B-North |  |
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8"-10" | 6"-8" | 3-8 | 4" Green | |||
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Blue balloon shaped buds open to semi- double, star shaped flowers on dwarf, compact foliage. | 5B-North |  |
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6"-8" | 8"-10" | 4-8 | 4" Green | |||||
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Balloon-like buds burst into beautiful star-shaped lavender flowers. Dwarf selection that flowers continuously. Excellent for containers, beds and rock gardens. | 5B-North |  |
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6"-8" | 8"-10" | 4-8 | 4" Green | |||||
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Interesting balloon-like buds burst open into beautiful blue, dwarf bell-shaped flowers. 'Sentimental Blue' is an excellent low-growing border or rock garden plant. It is a prolific bloomer that is pest and disease free. | 5B-North |  |
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6"-8" | 12" | 3-8 | 4" Green | |||||
| Barberry | Berberis thunbergii |
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A low rounded, red leafed barberry with excellent uniformity. A great choice for low hedges or foundation plantings. Listed on the federal rust free barberry list. | n/a |  |
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36"-42" | 36"-48" | 4-7 | 10" Green | |||
| Barberry (Golden) |
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Similar in shape to Helmond Pillar, but with bright golden foliage and red new growth. Great garden architecture. Bright orange-red autumn foliage is stunning. Proven to be burn resistant in side by side tests with other yellow leaved barberry. | |
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36"-48" | 12"-5' | 4 | PW 3 Gallon | ||||
| Basil | Ocimum basilicum |
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The darkest purple basil so far! Near Black leaves. Thick. Intense purplish-red leaves, compact habit, full flavored taste make this intriguing, attractive and deliciously fragrant addition to the herb garden. | 4C-South |  |
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16"-20" | 12"-16" | n/a | 4" Green | |||
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Large leaves with spicy clove fragrance and flavor, perfect for pesto. Great in sauces, salads and meat dishes. White flowers are attractive in the herb garden, but are usually pinched off as buds form to promote high-quality leaves for cooking. | 4C-South |  |
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24"-30" | 12" | n/a | 4" Green | |||||
| Ocimum x citriodorum |
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So strikingly different, your neighbors won't even know it's basil. Each tricolor leaf is a work of art, with deep green brush strokes across the lime center and white painted around the edges. And the taste is pure, unadulterated sweet basil. | 4C-South |  |
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36"-48" | 12"-14" | 9-11 | 4½" White | ||||
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4C-South | n/a | |
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n/a | n/a | n/a | 4½" White | |||||||
| Beard-tongue | Penstemon barbatus |
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Attractive flowers are exceptionally long blooming and irresistible to hummingbirds. A beautiful early summer addition to perennial borders or rock gardens. Lovely planted with cranesbill, yarrow and lamb's ears. Remove faded flowers to promote rebloom. | 5B-North |  |
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8"-12" | 6"-8" | 3-8 | 4" Green | |||
| Beautyberry | Callicarpa dichotoma |
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Bright purple berries are a striking autumn accent. Sprays of fresh or dried berries are stunning in arrangements. Wonderful uniform shape and texture. | |
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36"-48" | 36"-48" | 5 | 10" Green | |||
| Bee Balm | Monarda didyma |
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Vibrant scarlet red flowers top the stout, square stems of this monarda from midsummer to early fall. It has demonstrated a high resistance to mildew. | 11C-South |  |
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24"-36" | 24"-36" | 4-9 | 8" Green | |||
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Easy to grow with mixed flower colors of red, pink & mauve. Foliage has a mint fragrance. | 5B-North |  |
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24"-36" | 18"-24" | 3-9 | 4" Green | |||||
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A striking selection of reds from deep scarlet to crimson. Attracts hummingbirds. | 5B-North |  |
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30"-30" | 18"-24" | 3-9 | 4" Green | |||||
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11C-South |  |
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n/a | n/a | n/a | 8" Green | |||||||
Common Name |
Botanical Name |
Cultivar | Description |
Greenhouse Location | Thumb- nail Image |
Flower Color | Foliage Color | Annual/ Perennial | Exposure | Early | Middle | Late | Early | Middle | Late | Early | Middle | Late | Height | Spread | Hardiness Zone (See Map) |
Container Size | |||
| Spring | Summer | Autumn | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bloom Season | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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