Mary, my adult daughter, and I recently went shopping. Thanks to her patience and good decorating abilities, I now own a few new home dĂŠcor items. While certainly not extravagant, each time I walk into the kitchen or living room I smile because these new items that seem to make the rooms more inviting and pleasing.
Spring brings the chance for us to add a few new things to our garden. Much like adding new items to the inside our home, adding something new to the outside of our home will often add interest and brings joy. Thankfully, plant growers and hybridizers have spent years researching and developing new plants for our yards. Often times these plants have been growing in trial gardens across America as a way to ensure that when they are planted in our yards, they will thrive.
For this column, I have curated a list of plants that are new for 2025. The list includes a mix of perennial flowers, ornamental grasses and flowering shrubs. While some do better in full sun others do best in shade. They vary based on flowering time, color of the flowers and their mature height and width.
Delosperma ‘Orange Glow’ (Ice Plant)
The vibrant orange flowers on this perennial plant have yellow centers and pink tips on the petals. These very unique blooms are present continuously May-September. They grow about 6â tall and 10â wide. They are low maintenance and do well in rock gardens or mass plantings. They perform best when planted in full sun.
Dianthus ‘Milk Cherry'(Milk Cherry Carnation)
The flowers on the dainty plant start out white and age to a bright cherry-red. The contrasting gray-green foliage makes for a dramatic look. With fragrant flowers this makes a wonderful cut flower. The plant grows to about 8â tall and wide and flowers in the spring. It does best in full sun.
Gaillardia aristata Spintop Red (Red Blanket Flower)
There are many blooms on each well branched stem. The long bloom time means red flowers appear throughout the summer. It grows 12â tall and wide and does best in full sun to part shade. The beautiful flowers attract butterflies and are heat tolerant.
Nepeta subsessilis ‘Purple'(Purple Catmint)
The mint scented leaves are complimented by large, deep purple blooms. The flowers are present from spring until late summer. This plant is rabbit and deer resistant making it a good choice for most gardens. It grows about 30â tall and 24â wide.
Sedum ‘Midnight Velvet’ (Rock N Grow Stonecrop)
The dark purple foliage on this dome habit perennial flower makes this an interesting succulent plant. It is very reliable and quite trouble-free. It does best in a rock garden and can be used as a groundcover. It grows about 24â tall and 12â wide and does well in full sun. The purple-colored flowers are visible late summer into early fall. It often attracts butterflies.
Amsonia cilliata var. tenuifolia ‘Verdant Venture'(Verdant Venture Bluestar)
The powder blue petals on this perennial flower are visible above thread like foliage that turns bright yellow in the fall. The flowers, which are present spring through early summer, attract pollinators and butterflies. It grows tall, reaching about 3â at maturity, and grows about the same diameter. It does best in full sun to part shade.
Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed)
This native plant is similar to Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) but has much deeper pink flowers. The sturdier stems mean it is much less likely to fall over. It does best in full sun to part shade. It grows about 30â tall and wide and has fragrant blooms in mid-summer.
Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Summer Eclipse'(Summer Eclipse False Sunflower)
These bicolor flowers have orange centers with yellow edges and are present June, July and August. The foliage is a very pretty dark burgundy color. Summer Eclipse attracts butterflies and pollinators and does best in full sun. The mature height is 30â tall and wide.
Carex elata ‘Gurre Soe'(NordicÂŽ Blade Sedge)
The striking black flower heads on this ornamental grass appear in the spring and mature to fuzzy brown spikes that persist throughout the summer and fall. It has an upright and clump forming habit. It is extremely drought tolerant and grows about 30â tall and 42â wide. It does best in full to part shade.
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmacsevenâ (‘Eclipseâ Hydrangea)
The deep purple foliage on this flowering shrub is present spring, summer and fall. The foliage adds to the interest of this unique plant. The deep cranberry-colored flowers rebloom throughout the summer and into the early fall. Does best in partial shade and grows about 42â tall and wide.
Rosa ‘SRPylwko'(Easy Bee-zy⢠Knock OutÂŽ Rose)
The light yellow semi-double flowers on this rose offer a citrus fragrance. The flowers are plentiful from early summer all the way through the fall. It grows about 3â tall and wide and does best when planted in full to part sun.
Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Bococot'(Cherry On Top Sorbaria)
The chartreuse leaves are tinged with red in the spring. Plumes of white flowers turn to bright red seed pods as the season progresses. It does best when planted in full sun to part shade and will grow to a height and width of 5â. It is part of the Bloominâ Easy plant family.
Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘SMNSHBBL'(ScentaraÂŽ Double Blue Lilac)
This strongly scented lilac brings back memories of the days gone by. This profuse spring bloomer boasts double flowers with blue tones. It attracts butterflies and does best in full sun. It grows about 6â tall and 7â wide at maturity.
Cornus alba âByboughenâ(Neon Burst Dogwood)
This heat and drought tolerant shrub has attractive chartreuse leaves. The leaves are tinged with bronze in the spring and the stems are bright red throughout the year. In the fall the foliage becomes a beautiful purple color. It grows about 5â tall and wide and does best in full to part sun.
Spirea âBailcarolâ(Sundrop Spirea)
This compact shrub has a rounded shape that requires little to no pruning. It is frequently used as a border due to its 15â mature height and 24â width. It is covered with bright pink flowers in the early summer. The golden foliage provides a beautiful contrast. It does best in full to part sun.
As we spring into 2025, I hope that you are able to enjoy the newness of spring and the joy that it brings.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc.,a landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
