Plants with a proven purpose in the landscape

EROSION CONTROL 

Sorbaria ‘Mr. Mustard’

High wind, steep slopes or heavy water runoff can make keeping soil in place a struggle, and plants with suckering roots can help anchor it where it belongs. Aronia ‘Low Scape Mound,’ ‘Ground Hug,’ and the new ‘Berry Scape’ spread to form dense thickets that help keep soil from washing away. 

Diervilla ‘Kodiak Spiced’ and ‘Kodiak Jet Black,’ and sorbaria ‘Mr. Mustard’ also have suckering roots that make them erosion control heroes. Phlox Mountainside series are great for stabilizing rocky or sandy banks, while other groundcovers like ‘Variegata’ vinca or low-growing ‘Tortuga’ juniper can help keep soil in place. 

PRIVACY SCREENS 

Thuja ‘North Pole’

Sometimes a gardener’s problem isn’t an environmental challenge, but a pesky neighbor or unsightly view. Arborvitae ‘North Pole’ and juniper ‘Gin Fizz’ can create a living privacy screen in the landscape with minimal maintenance. ‘Gin Fizz’ is larger and more pyramidal, while ‘North Pole’ is ideal for smaller areas due to its narrow, columnar habit. Other evergreen options include a small holly tree like ‘Castle Spire’ or ‘Castle Wall’ blue holly. 

For summer color in screens or hedges, the columnar habit of Rose of Sharon in the Pillar series makes a great option, while flowering shrubs like hydrangea, rose or forsythia can add beautiful blooms. 

If customers want to block the view of first-floor windows, options like ‘Laced Up’ sambucus, ‘Center Stage’ lagerstroemia and ‘Sweet Summer Love’ clematis are tall enough to get the job done. 

POOR DRAINAGE 

Monarda ‘Pardon My Lavender II’

Poor drainage can suffocate roots and make landscaping difficult, but monarda Pardon My and Upscale series absorb excess water, perfect for a rain garden or wet area. There are plenty of other flowering options like the Summerific hibiscus line with its huge 6- to 9-inch blooms, Toucan canna series with its tropical flowers or ‘Cutting Edge’ tiarella for shady spots. 

Grasses can fit the bill as well. ‘Graceful Grasses Fiber Optic’ isolepis, the Prairie Winds series of panicum that also fights soil erosion, and Graceful Grasses Tut series of cyperus. 

NOISE AND WIND BUFFERING 

Juniper ‘Gin Fizz’

Too much wind can damage delicate flowers and foliage and dry out soil. Dense rows of evergreens like ‘Aquavita’ and ‘Gin Fizz’ juniper can withstand heavy winds from severe storms while also creating a windbreak for more less hardy plants. Other shrubs are great options during the growing season, including dogwoods like ‘Arctic Fire Red,’ which offers bright red branches for winter interest, and fragrant lilac from the Bloomerang or Scentara series.

EXTREME SUMMERS 

Oenothera ‘Superlophus Sunglow’

Oenothera ‘Superlophus Sunglow’ is a powerhouse for both the dry heat of Southern gardens and the high humidity of the Midwest. This Texas primrose was derived from a native species so it can handle hot, arid and sunny conditions with ease. Cleome ‘Señorita Rosalita’ can handle tough heat and drought, as well as ‘Blue My Mind’ evolvulus. 

The Lantana Luscious series can stand up to extreme heat and drought, thriving in full sun where it blooms all season. Other options for high heat and blazing sun include the Australian native scaevola Whirlwind or Stardiva series, heat- and drought-tolerant euphorbia Diamond series, pollinator favorite ‘Vermillionaire’ cuphea, and ‘Truffula Pink’ gomphrena. 

By offering solutions to the toughest garden challenges in your area, your greenhouse can be the go-to spot when consumers are looking for advice they can count on.

Photos courtesy of Proven Winners.

Kate Spirgen is marketing communications manager for Proven Winners and can be reached at kspirgen@provenwinners.com.