Horticulture: Extension: Gold Medal Plants
1997 Gold Medal Winners
| New Wonder Blue Fan Flower
(Scaevola aemula `New Wonder') |
A selection of Blue Fan Flower ( Scaevola aemula ) named `New Wonder' is one of the most exciting new bedding plants on the market today. Introduced from Australia, this low-maintenance annual is a non-stop bloomer providing a continuous display of small sky-blue fan-shaped flowers from spring until first fall frost. In the landscape, in planters, or in hanging baskets, this versatile bedding plant makes a dramatic color statement.
Plant Characteristics:
A single plant of New Wonder Scaevola (the common trade name for the plant) grows as a circular 12- to 15-inch mat of radiating vine-like stems. Plant height may reach four to six inches, so combining it with other low-growing species, like petunias, is recommended. The leaves are small, medium green and inconspicuous, being overshadowed by the dime-sized blue and white fan-like flowers radiating in clusters from each node. As the stems branch they overlap, forming a solid carpet of blue flowers. The effect can be dramatic when combined with other annuals having more coarse-textured foliage and complimentary flower colors, such as white or pink petunias.Cultural Requirements:
New Wonder Scaevola performs best in full sun on moist, well-drained soils high in organic matter. It does particularly well during hot, rainy periods, but it does not tolerate drought and must be given supplemental irrigation during periods of limited rainfall. One plant of New Wonder Scaevola can spread three to four feet by September, so a spacing of 18 inches between plants is recommended. The plant rarely needs trimming, but it recovers quickly if cut back.
Low rates of fertilizer are recommended. Broadcast a complete balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 (1 lb. per 100 sq. ft.) over the bed at planting and again at eight-week intervals throughout the growing season.
| Three-Lobed Coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba) |
Three-lobed Coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba) is a knockout in the late summer landscape with its showy floral display of bright yellow flowers. Like other Rudbeckia species, Three-lobed Coneflower is very drought, heat- and pest-tolerant. It's an excellent choice for rock gardens, banks or other drought-prone sites. Native to the United States, Three-lobed Coneflower is well-adapted to poor soils and requires little care. It's an exceptional plant for the low-maintenance gardener.
Plant Characteristics:
Three-lobed Coneflower starts blooming about the first week in August, and flowering continues well into September. It blooms a few weeks after Rudbeckia `Goldstrum' and a month after the species Rudbeckia hirta is past its prime, so it's a great plant for a garden suffering from midsummer blahs!
Three-lobed Coneflower grows up to 36 inches high with a spread of about three feet, so it is best used as a background plant in a perennial border. A clustered planting of 15 to 20 plants is particularly striking. Like other Rudbeckia species, seeds of Three-lobed Cone flower will overwinter in t he landscape and will germinate in spring.
Cultural Requirements:
Plant Three-lobed Coneflower in full sun on 20-inch centers for maximum effect in the landscape. Apply 10-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 1 lb. per 100 sq. ft. at planting time and again in midsummer. Too much fertilizer will cause the plants to grow tall and leggy. Remove old blossoms when they fade by cutting the flower stem t hree inches from its base. This will encourage branching and repeat bloom.
After the first killing frost, cut old foliage and stems back to ground level and apply a light covering of mulch for winter protection. Fertilize with 10-10-10 in spring when the new shoots begin to grow. Three-lobed Coneflower can be propagated by dividing the parent plant in fall, or by digging and transplanting seedlings in spring.
| Pink Chinese Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum) |
Billowing clouds of hot pink flowers and ruby-red to purple-red foliage make Pink Chinese Loropetalum ( Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum ) one of the most exciting new plant introductions for Georgia landscapes. Originally discovered in the Hunan province of China, Pink Chinese Loropetalum is available in a wide variety of flower and foliage colors and growth forms. Two of the most widely available selections are Burgundy and Blush. Burgundy has bronze-purple evergreen foliage and dark-pink flowers. Blush has hot-pink flowers and light bronze new foliage that turns dark olive-green with age.
Pink Chinese Loropetalum, like its white counterpart, grows to be a large shrub or small tree, so it is best used as a background plant behind other low-growing shrubs.
Plant Characteristics:
Pink Chinese Loropetalum is a broad-leaf evergreen in the Witchhazel family. Major flowering occurs in spring (March) with sporadic flowers produced throughout the growing season. Plant size varies by cultivar, but most reach a mature size of six to 10 feet with an equal spread. Other features include excellent cold hardiness (down to 0 degrees F) and pest resistance.
Narrow, strap-shaped petals one-inch long are borne from each leaf axil along the shoot. Flowers virtually blanket the plant at peak bloom. Leaves are evergreen, oval-rounded and one to two inches long on most cultivars. Foliage color is quite variable, ranging from ruby red to dark purple or olive green, depending on the cultivar. An added feature is the bark that turns a rich brown with age.
Cultural Requirements:
Pink Chinese Loropetalum flowers best in full sun but also produces a strong floral showing in 50% shade. The plant adapts well to a wide variety of soil types, but they must be well-drained. The plant is terrifically heat-tolerant and, once established, very drought- tolerant. It has no major insect or disease pests and is an excellent choice for the low-maintenance landscape. Apply low rates of fertilizer in early spring and midsummer. Prune after bloom if necessary to reduce size and to increase branching and density of growth.
Yoshino Japanese Cedar
(Cryptomeria japonica `Yoshino')
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Yoshino Japanese Cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica 'Yoshino') provides a tall, dense, evergreen screen or graceful specimen for the landscape. Although Japanese Cedar was introduced into the United States from Japan in 1861, the plant was not widely used until superior new cultivars became available to the gardening public.
Yoshino cryptomeria lends textural and color contrast to the landscape. The summer needle color is glistening blue-green and growth rate is fast. It provides a shade-tolerant alternative to leyland cypress when used for screening purposes in the landscape.
Plant Characteristics:
This tall, stately conifer will reach 20 to 30 feet in height with a spread of 5 to 6 feet. It's a member of the bald cypress family (Taxodiaceae), but unlike bald cypress that loses its leaves in winter, cryptomeria remains evergreen. The cultivar 'Yoshino' was selected because it is one of the most cold hardy forms. This pyramidal tree has a strong, dominant central leader with reddish brown bark on the main trunk. The small branches are surrounded by a spiral of short, bright-green needles about 3/4-inch ong. As the plant ages, male and female cones are produced at the ends of the branches. During winter the foliage will develop a bronzy-purple winter hue, especially when exposed to cold winds.
Cultural Requirements:
Yoshino Japanese Cedar will grow and prosper in either sun or shade. Protection from winter winds will help maintain the normal green foliage and prevent winter bronzing. It prefers moist, rich soils, but it is tolerant of sandy or clay soils. It can be transplanted successfully any time of year when grown in containers, but fall and winter are best for B&B plants. Fertilize once a year in the spring landscape to maintain rapid growth and good foliage color. Little pruning is required. Like most conifers, cryptomeria looks best if the lower branches are allowed to remain on the plant, keeping foliage all the way to the ground.