Nursery Management Magazine / GIE Media recently published an article by Dawn Hummel that is both interesting and informative as it relates to the kinds of plants for which gardeners and customers are seeking, as well as what kinds of plants the nursery industry might use to meet this demand. The subjects are drought tolerance and low maintenance. Excerpts of the article follow.
Over Mother’s Day weekend, my mother told me it reached 86°F in Tonawanda, N.Y. The same day in Portland, Ore., we hit 81°F. Usually Mother’s Day weekend is cold, wet and rainy on both East and West coasts. When my mother mentions that they are in a drought situation after a blistering winter, I take notice.
Plants nationwide are responding to these changing temperatures with earlier bloom times than ever. Mature lilacs in the Portland area were finished blooming at the end of April. In the Pacific Northwest, they generally are still in full glory through Mother’s Day. My rain barrel that usually lasts through the end of July is 90 percent used.
In 2014, Ball Horticultural Co. surveyed landscape tradesmen, and more than 64 percent reported their customers are asking for lower maintenance landscapes with 57 percent asking about drought tolerance. In their perennial grower survey, more than 74 percent of their customer base is looking for native plant species with water-
Dawn Hummel is president of BeeDazzled Media and a 20-
Following are examples of tried-
Perennials
Agastache ‘Kudos Yellow’
Not only is this drought tolerant, it is deer resistant and a magnet for attracting butterflies and 
hummingbirds. Perfect for mixed borders.
Hardiness: Zones 5-
Mature Size: 24 inches high and wide
Blooms: Summer through fall
Flower color: Yellow
Landscape uses: Perennial borders, container plant
www.terranovanurseries.com
Allium Lavender Lollipop
Drought tolerant and pollinator friendly.
Hardiness: Zones 4-
Mature Size: 15-
Blooms: Late summer
Flower color: Purple
Landscape uses: Provides a pop of color in a mixed perennial and shrub border.
http://hgtvhomeplants.com
Delosperma Jewel of Desert Garnet
Rich red outer petals fade into bright magenta hubs around yellow stamens.
Hardiness: Zones 5-
Mature size: 4-
Blooms: Late spring to fall
Flower color: Multicolored
Landscape uses: Rock gardens. Pairs well with Euphorbia myrsinites in containers for a stunning spring show.
www.ecgrowers.com
Hypericum Sunny Boulevard
Bright, pollinator attracting flowers are followed by attractive red berries.
Hardiness: Zones 4-
Mature Size: 24 inches high by 36 inches wide
Blooms: Summer
Flower color: Bright yellow
Landscape uses: Perennial borders
www.fisherfarms.com; www.provenwinners.com
Shrubs
Baby Blue Rabbitbrush
Also known as dwarf blue rabbitbrush, this late blooming dryland shrub native has multiple season
interest. It is deer resistant, sweetly fragrant and provides a source of nectar for native bee popula
tions. Found in isolated areas in the Colorado Front Range, it is grown in select nurseries in the Western states.
Hardiness: Zones 4-
Mature Size: 16-24 inches high by 20-30 inches wide
Blooms: Late summer through fall
Flower color: Golden
Landscape uses: Wildscaping
http://plantselect.org
Caryopteris × clandonensis ‘Dark Knight’
Bluebeards attract pollinators to their flowers and aromatic foliage. Shrubs can be trimmed into a deciduous flowering hedging plant.
Hardiness: Zones 5-
Mature Size: 2-
Blooms: Late summer to fall
Flower color: Deep purple-
Landscape uses: Perennial or shrub borders
Retailer tip: Drought tolerant plants are easy to spot in a retail garden setting when grouped together in a display showcasing shades of green, gray and glaucous blue foliage mixed together.
www.littleprinceoforegon.com
Geauga Gray Dogwood
A fast-
Hardiness: Zone 4
Mature Size: 6-
Foliage: Mahogany-
Blooms: Spring
Flower color: Creamy-white
Landscape uses: Hedging or specimen planting
www.upshoot.com; www.lakecountynursery.com
Persian Spire Upright Ironwood
Leaves emerge with a strong purple cast morph into a purple halo margin followed by dark emerald green foliage in summer. Provides a long-
Hardiness: Zone 5
Mature Size: 25 feet high by 10 feet wide
Landscape uses: Specimen tree, containers
Landscape design tip: In a container, mixes well with Scallywag holly, Nepeta faassenii ‘Blue Ice’
and Hebe ‘Red Edge.’
www.jlpnliners.com
Russian Sage ‘Denim ‘n Lace’
Tightly spaced colorful calyxes make ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ look like it is still in bloom even when it is past peak. ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ loves full sun, tolerates low to average moisture levels, is deer resistant and attracts hummingbirds.
Hardiness: Zones 4-
Mature Size: 28-
Flower color: Bright sky blue
Landscape uses: Mixed shrub and perennial borders
Retailer and florist tip: Makes a good cut flower with foliage and flowers that can be easily dried.
www.waltersgardens.com
lack Tower Elderberry
Narrow upright shrub/small tree with dark burgundy foliage. Big blooms all summer are followed by black berries in fall. The foliage covers the plant right to the base resulting in no bare stems at the base.
Hardiness: Zones 3-
Mature Size: 6-
Blooms: Summer
Flower color: Dark pink
Landscape uses: Hedge, mixed borders, container, specimen
Landscape design tip: Mix with Sedum makinoi ‘Ogon’ or Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ at the base for a stunning combination in the ground or in a container.
www.ballhort.com
