New shrubs for 2023

Tue. Feb. 28, 2023

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: New shrubs for 2023

‘Purpink’ you say? Why, yes I do!

Lilac Bloomerang ‘Purpink’

I’m sharing new shrubs for 2023. Introducing a new Proven Winners Bloomerang Lilac ‘Purpink’! Since they couldn’t decide if the flowers were a lovely shade of purple or pink, they chose to name the plant combining the two colors!

‘Purpink’ shrub

With incredible rebloom and disease resistance, this is a perfect shrub for spring from zone 3a (the tundra) all the way to zone 7b. It grows 3 ft. by 3 ft. and fits into the full sun landscape. Or put ‘Purpink’ in a pot! Keep it well watered and mulched.

Another 2023 introduction is an evergreen cypress called ‘Cedar Rapids’! Hello, Iowa!

False cypress ‘Cedar Rapids’

‘Cedar Rapids’ grows to a useful screening height for folks living in two-story homes, but it keeps its lovely feathery texture no matter the size. Each fan of evergreen foliage is a cheerful lime green color and twists a bit, all combining to give the plant a unique texture. 

Look at that color and texture!

It’s hardy to zone 4 and can grow to 30 ft tall and 15 ft wide, so plant accordingly! This soft-to-the-touch evergreen needs little maintenance. It grows well in sun or part shade (minimum of four hours of bright sun each day), but it does need well-drained soil. 

And one more, a new honeysuckle bush, or Diervilla, called ‘Kodiak Fresh’ is hardy to zone 3 and offers up a perfect size for smaller landscapes by growing just 3 ft by 3 ft.

Diervilla ‘Kodiak Orange’ shrub

This delightful shrub is attractive to pollinators including bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It grows in sun to shade and would also do well in a container.