Southern Living Plant Collection Announces New Introductions

LOXLEY, AL — Plant Development Services, Inc. (PDSI) and Southern Living® are excited to announce new additions to the Southern Living Plant Collection for fall 2008 and spring 2009.

The Southern Living Plant Collection, first introduced in spring 2008, provides consumers with innovative new plants designed to solve specific landscape challenges. Each plant in the collection is the result of years of plant evaluations, plant trials, and consumer research. The Collection is available through retail garden centers across the Southeast.

Eight shrubs, “Basics for the Southern Garden,” were introduced in the initial collection in spring 2008, followed by three new bulbs in the fall. Spring 2009 introductions will include new shrubs, bulbs, perennials, and annuals.

In upcoming seasons, plant categories will expand to include trees, groundcovers, tropical plants, ornamental grasses, seasonal plants, flowers, and related green goods.

New for Spring 2009:

The new lilies from the Southern Bulb Company — colorful, prolific, and carefree — join three bulb varieties introduced this fall: Narcissus tazetta ‘Grand Primo,’ Narcissus tazetta ‘Golden Dawn’ and Leucojum aestivum Snowflakes.

Bulbs discovered by the Southern Bulb Co. grew in Southern soils generations ago, are uniquely suited for warm climates, and require virtually no maintenance.

Treasured for its long lasting blooms and robust foliage, the Grand Primo multiplies year after year and offers a pleasantly sweet fragrance without the overpowering muskiness of paper whites. ‘Golden Dawn’ is a must have daffodil, producing 2-3 sweet smelling flower stalks per bulb year after year. Termed ‘Snowflakes’ by the gardening public, the Leucojum aestivum is by far one of the most adaptable bulbs ever offered in the South.

The six new annuals in the Southern Living Plant Collection for spring 2009 are from the Athens Select™ plant collection and were selected to be heat and humidity tolerant by Dr. Allan Armitage in his trials at the University of Georgia. Dr. Armitage, a well-known plant researcher, helped found Athens Select™ in 1998, to introduce superior heat and humidity tolerant plants to market.

Begonia Bonita Shea™ is compact and mound-shaped with dainty white to pink flowers borne over curled reddish green leaves with red undersides. With vivid red flowers and a low growth habit, Ruellia Rajin Cajun™ is a tough little plant that’s easy to grow and holds up well through heat and humidity. Scaevola ‘Cajun Blue’ is more compact and earlier blooming than other varieties.

Setcreacea Blue Sue™ displays distinctive blue-tinged foliage with a handsome purple margin and pink flowers. Cuphea Plum Mist™, an exceptionally free-flowering, low growing plant, offers two-tone flowers in light and dark lavender. Incredibly heat tolerant, Heliotrope Azure Skies™ is a low growing, spreading American native with light lavender flower clusters.