Pennisetum rubrum, Euonymus japonica “Golden Maiden” and Abelia x grandiflora “Kaleidoscope” are two new shrubs and a grass that are being produced just in time for spring planting. The demand for these species is high and supply is limited in the landscape market.

The Euonymus japonica “Golden Maiden” is a hybrid that is a hardy, strongly upright evergreen shrub bearing a more vibrant yellow center than other similar varieties. It grows to an average size of six to eight feet tall and three feet wide, and it is ideal for hedge or foundation planting.

The new Pennisetum rubrum hybrid is especially interesting because of its ability to hold its color longer. Grown from tissue culture, a growing technology that allows for hybridization in a controlled environment using a “cloned plant,” this plant is in the testing stages to determine its aptitude to be evergreen. This Pennisetum variety is great for use as a foreground or background plant, and it can be included in plans for common areas – areas that appear to be getting smaller and smaller as the need for quantity of development and building outweigh the need for landscaped grounds.

Abelia x grandiflora “Kaleidoscope” is a beautifully colorful compact shrub. Its name is befitting due to its golden-yellow variegation on medium green leaves with red stems. This kaleidoscope of color is a great selection for containers or for massing as a ground cover. Expect this variety to flower in the heart of spring and form a low, two-foot- to three-foot-tall shrub.

Some planning ahead will make your landscape look beautiful; usage of any of these new hybrid plant species will make your spring landscape not only beautiful but also unique.

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Author : Amy Conrad
Amy Conrad is a freelance writer. She writes on topics related to the landscape industry and non-profit organizations.

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