Improved introductions

PHOTO: MATT MCCLELLAN

Since the pandemic, millions of new gardeners have wandered into garden centers, retailers, and nurseries for the first time, looking for plants they can depend on to grow well, solve problems, and look great doing it. The recent shrub introductions from Plant Development Services, Inc. check these boxes. Diamond Spire® Gardenia is a standout new shrub offered through Southern Living and Sunset Plant Collections. Gardenias are an iconic Southern plant hailed for their crisp white, fragrant blooms and evergreen habit. Diamond Spire® stands head and shoulders above other varieties with a bold, upright habit that’s truly unique. Diamond Spire’s single white blossoms bloom from late spring through fall, making this 3-4’ tall and 2’ wide shrub a perfect “thriller” for containers or in the landscape.

“One of our grower favorites is Touch of Gold Holly,” says Kevin Northrup, vice president of marketing and business operations at PDSI. “This compact Ilex crenata variety impresses gardeners with its bright yellow foliage, and it’s an easy-to-grow pick for beginners and seasoned landscape pros alike. It requires little maintenance; its compact habit means less pruning.”

These two plants demonstrate one of PDSI’s successful approaches to new plant development: introduce improved versions of plant varieties that consumers love and trust. October Magic® White Shi-Shi™ Camellia is another such introduction. Selected for its bushy, spreading habit similar to the well-known ‘ShiShi Gashira’, this low growing evergreen offers porcelain-white, formal double blooms at a time of year when fewer trees and shrubs are blooming.

Northrup sees significant interest in camellias, especially in the West, where their relative low-water use is attractive in the face of drought conditions.

Another brand generating “buzz” is the new Butterfly Candy™ Buddleia. The debut collection offers homeowners the best of buddleias — pollinator magnets, rich color, bright blossoms, and season-long color — without having to worry about pruning or cool temps. This collection comes in five unique colors, all with compact habits and proliferous blooms from spring to fall. Hardy to Zones 5-10, they excel across the United States for growers and consumers alike.

Plant Development Services, Inc. aims to introduce plants that solve landscape challenges and have a high impact on the marketplace. The company does that by working closely with some of the nation’s top growers and breeders to only bring plants to market that are highly marketable to consumers, and highly grower friendly. Brands like Southern Living® Plant Collection and Sunset® Plant Collection have high consumer trust and familiarity, which facilitates an extensive market reach across the country.

“We are looking for plants with recognizable trait improvements that make growing them easier and more profitable for nursery across the U.S. that helps their bottom line,” Northrup says. “We also provide the resources and services necessary to ensure these new plant introductions are a success in the marketplace, so when they hit the shelves, customers are ready and waiting to take them home. Each plant is the result of evaluations, trials and research and we pride ourselves on working with the top teams to ensure growers see a profit years after year.”

Boxwood continue to be one of the best-selling — and many years the number one — ornamental plants in the U.S. and the world. Since the discovery of boxwood blight, this important genus has been at risk, but Flemish breeder, Didier Hermans, knew that a solution was possible through science. He spent years and countless trials working with a dedicated team of researchers to breed a collection of boxwood that are genetically resistant to boxwood blight.

Better Boxwood is the first collection of boxwood scientifically bred for their ability to resist boxwood blight. The series results from over two decades of breeding and trials led by Hermans and the Flemish Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research. The collection also includes four unique varieties, filling a wide range of landscape needs.

For more: plantdevelopment.com