AZUSA, Calif. – Monrovia, the leading grower of premium plants, is introducing nine exclusive and semi-exclusive new varieties for 2014. "We partner with the best breeders and plant hunters like Dan Hinkley to uncover improved varieties," said Nicholas Staddon, director of new plants. "We look for plants that are healthier, hardier and easier to care for – plus those with outstanding color, shape, flowers and foliage," he explained.
Monrovia's latest offerings include three selections added to the Dan Hinkley Collection, two from the U.S. National Arboretum and four discovered by craftsmen at one of Monrovia's nurseries. Below are details on the stars for 2014, alphabetical by botanical name.
Callistemon Scarlett Torch™ Bottlebrush
Callistemon rigidus 'RutCall' P.P.A.F.
USDA Zone 8 – 11
This new variety has the largest, bright red flowers we've seen on any Bottlebrush, and is irresistible to hummingbirds. It blooms from late spring through summer and intermittently year-round in frost-free climates. This easy-care evergreen shrub has gray-green foliage and makes a fantastic hedge or pruned as a small tree. From breeder Dr. John Ruter at the University of Georgia, this floriferous Bottlebrush has a compact form that is perfect for smaller landscapes. It will reach nine feet tall and 12 feet wide in 10 years. Full sun.
Deutzia x 'Nikko Blush' (NA74356)
USDA Zones 5 – 8
A delightful new hybrid from the U.S. National Arboretum, this blushing beauty will herald spring with a profusion of soft pink blooms. A compact shrub with an excellent, multi-branched form, it is perfect for foundation plantings or to create a low hedge. Bright green foliage on arching branches displays deep burgundy fall color. Deciduous. Moderate growing to six to eight feet tall and six feet wide
Windcliff Slaty Blue Lenten Rose
Helleborus x 'Windcliff Slaty Blue'
USDA Zones 4 – 9
Grown from seed collected at Dan Hinkley's Windcliff gardens, this winter-blooming favorite is named for its rare and unusual slate-blue colored flowers on tall, robust stems. A very adaptable and hardy, deer-proof perennial, it is well-suited for woodland garden or dappled shade borders. Gray-green foliage forms clumps 15 to 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide. The strong flower stems hold up well in cut flower arrangements.
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Monmar' P.P.A.F.
USDA Zone 5 – 9
Enchantress® upstages other reblooming Hydrangeas with her huge mophead flowers atop unique ruby-black stems. Blooming on old and new wood, clusters are up nine inches across; blue in acid soils, pink in alkaline soils. Her tall, dark stems are pencil thick, making excellent cut flowers in an arrangement or for drying. The stems are stunning against as the flowers as they fade to cream-splashed green. The ruby-colored stems look super all winter. Great in warmer climates and cold hardy to Zone 5. A rounded habit, it will reach three to five feet tall and wide. Superb for a container, accent, specimen, or border. Deciduous.
Mahonia x media 'Lionel Fortescue'
USDA Zones 5 – 9
New to our Dan Hinkley Collection is this larger-growing Mahonia, featuring breathtaking
sprays of fragrant yellow flowers that appear in late fall through winter. When not in flower, this stunning evergreen shrub has a statuesque, upright branching structure with thick, lustrous, fern-shaped leaves. Shiny blue-black berries mature by late summer or autumn. With excellent resistance to black stem rust, this easy-care selection is perfect for a woodland setting or wildlife garden. A moderate grower, it will reach seven to 10 feet tall and four to five feet wide.
Brookside Miniature Lily of the Valley
Pieris japonica 'Brookside Miniature
USDA Zones 6 – 9
This slow-growing, dwarf evergreen shrub has plentiful clusters of fragrant white flowers in early spring. The small, tight foliage emerges chartreuse before maturing to green. Its small stature makes it a perfect choice for small spaces. Slow growing, reaching two to three feet tall and wide. Partial to full sun.
Pittosporum illiciodes 'MonToroko'
USDA Zones 7 – 10
An excellent, compact selection made by Dan Hinkley, this rare, evergreen species was discovered in Taiwan. This handsome, upright evergreen shrub is clad with remarkably long and narrow eight-inch leaves on a moderately sized framework. Slightly fragrant creamy white flowers in spring result in resplendent crops of orange-red berries in autumn. Striking as a specimen, or in a mass planting. Reaches up to six feet tall and wide.
Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Tasman Ruffles'
USDA Zones 7 – 10
One of the best and hardiest selections of this New Zealand native species, this evergreen shrub has clean, creamy white marginated foliage on a dense, conical framework reaching 10 feet tall. Another great addition to our Dan Hinkley Collection, it is certainly one of the most distinctive, tidy and low maintenance hedging plants for a contemporary garden setting.
Golden Duchess™ Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis 'MonKinn' P.P.A.F.
USDA Zones 4 – 7
Deserving of a regal name, the crowning glory of Golden Duchess™ is her brilliant golden yellow foliage on graceful, arching branches. A dwarf shrub with an outstanding low, mounding form, this new selection shows improved sun tolerance. A wonderful choice for woodland, rock garden or container specimen, plant in mass for a truly dramatic effect. It will reach three to four feet tall and three to five feet wide. Prefers a dappled shade position in the garden. This selection was discovered at Monrovia's Oregon nursery by craftsman Ron Kinney as a sport of Tsuga canadensis.
For more information, visit www.monrovia.com
Background on Monrovia:
Founded in 1926, Monrovia is the leading grower of premium ornamental and edible plants, with more than 2,300 varieties. The company has introduced hundreds of improved plants, including more than 230 exclusives. Monrovia's Distinctively Better® plants are nurtured in custom-blended, premium soil mixes, to produce healthy plants that flourish in the landscape. From its four, eco-friendly nurseries in Visalia and Venice Hills, Calif., Dayton, Ore., and Cairo, Ga., Monrovia distributes its plants through independent garden centers and re-wholesalers nationwide. The company remains a family owned entity. www.monrovia.com
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube
Source: Monrovia
