Plant Select®, a collaborative effort between Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and horticulturists around the world, announced three new introductions being promoted for 2021 and is giving additional promotion to two other plants that Plant Select previously introduced. Now entering its 24th year, Plant Select is a leading source of plants that thrive in the High Plains and intermountain region. These plants provide gardeners and landscape professionals with smart, stunning and successful gardens using less water and fewer resources, ultimately having a more positive environmental impact.

Penstemon strictus ‘PWWG06S’ — Blanca Peak® Rocky Mountain Beardtongue
Blanca Peak® provides a 3- 4 weeklong eye-catching display of white tubular flowers in late spring. Light green foliage forms a low growing evergreen mat. It grows to about 20-24 inches in height and 15-18 inches in width.

Tips and Tricks: Blanca Peak, long-lived and native to higher elevations of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, also attracts pollinators.

Helichrysum trilineatum ‘P021S’ — SteppeSuns® Hokubetsi
Hokubetsi, the native Basotho name for Helichrysum trilineatu, grows in the Maloti mountain range of southern Africa. SteppeSuns® Hokubetsi is a selection that forms a rounded, dense, silver shrub with clusters of bright yellow strawflowers. It is adaptable and tolerates extremes in temperatures, water and soil types. Fuzzy stems and foliage help insulate the plant through cold winters. It grows to about 3 feet in height and 4 feet in width.

Tips and Tricks: During the winter the small silver leaves curl up or fall off, leaving a soft eversilver statement in the garden.

Antirrhinum sempervirens ‘P020S’ — Drew’s Folly™ Hardy Snapdragon
This hardy perennial flowers so heavily that when in full bloom, foliage is almost completely masked. This plant will thrive in a wide range of soil types and windy conditions with occasion irrigation and little maintenance. It grows to about 12 inches in height and 16 inches in width.

Tips and Tricks: Drew’s Folly™ is a natural for the rock garden or edge of patio.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of Colorado Green.

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