Terra Nova Nurseries, a world leader in plant breeding and genetics, today announced a list of top varieties that have bold foliage color, texture, size, or other unique characteristics. The company also released brand-new videos showcasing select, bold foliage varieties, including Agastache Poquito Butter Yellow, Agastache Poquito Orange, Aralia ‘Sun King’, Artemisia Makana Silver, Ajuga ‘Blueberry Muffin’, and Fatsia ‘Spider’s Web’. The new videos are part of the “Terra Nova Varieties View” series featuring Chuck Pavlich, Terra Nova’s director of new product development.
A new video produced by Terra Nova showcases the company’s award-winning Agastache Poquito Butter Yellow and highly-rated Agastache Poquito Orange. Also included in the collection are Agastache Poquito Dark Blue and Agastache Poquito Lavender. Agastache Poquito Butter Yellow won the “Southern Plant Tour Industry Top Pick” award and “Classic City Award” at the 2019 Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia (UGA). The Agastache Poquito Collection is one of Terra Nova’s most popular collections, which led to the video’s creation.
Agastache POQUITO Collection
The Agastache Poquito Collection’s varieties have showy, large spikes of bright-colored flowers, and grow in a dwarf, bushy habit, making them a great color spot in borders, containers and mixed beds. They have a foliage height of 10-12”, foliage spread of 14-15”, and flower height of 13-15”. U.S.D.A Hardiness Zones for the Agastache Poquito Collection is 5-10, and its exposure allows for full sun. Terra Nova during its breeding history has introduced an abundance of agastache across more than 20 varieties and three series.
Aralia 'Sun King' also has been featured in a brand-new video. Pavlich showed the large, bright foliage as a special feature in the video. “It can quickly grow to be 6 feet tall, and its appearance changes from lemon-colored in the sun to lime-colored in the shade,” he explained.
Aralia ‘Sun King’ produces small clusters of white, satellite-like flowers and purple berries in late summer. It has a foliage height of 48”, foliage spread of 48”, and flower height of 48”. U.S.D.A Hardiness Zones for Aralia ‘Sun King’ are 3-9, and its exposure allows for shade to part sun.
“Artemisia MAKANA™ Silver”
Artemisia Makana Silver has soft and billowy, silver foliage that forms a mounding shrub, making it great for use in hanging baskets, mixed containers, borders, and mass plantings. Pavlich explains in the video of this plant that its silver foliage is a result of having evolved in higher elevations on the island of Maui in Hawaii. The foliage of this fast-growing annual serves as a protective coating that prevents moisture loss and insect attacks. It has a foliage height of 24” and foliage spread of 36”. U.S.D.A Hardiness Zones for Artemisia Makana Silver are 9-11, and its exposure permits full sun. Artemisia Makana Silver was selected as “Best Novelty” in the 2018 Annual Flower Trial Garden at Colorado State University (CSU).
Ajuga 'Blueberry Muffin'
Ajuga 'Blueberry Muffin' is an extremely vigorous, heavy-flowering variety that has small, yet thick, bronze leaves and blueberry-blue flowers. This easy-to-grow perennial has a dense, mounding and spreading growth habit that suppresses weeds, and performs well as a groundcover, an edger or in a container. “It is probably the best flowering variety in the market,” revealed Pavlich in the video of this variety. It has a foliage height of 6”, foliage spread of 18” and flower height of 10”. U.S.D.A Hardiness Zones for Ajuga ‘Blueberry Muffin’ are 5-9, and its exposure allows for sun to shade.
Fatsia 'Spider's Web'
Fatsia 'Spider's Web' is a desirable, rare evergreen that has broad, palmate leaves with white splashing and dotting. The variegation changes with the seasons and as the plant ages. According to Pavlich in the video of this perennial, it always has a flowy, spider web foliage effect, whether it is in the sun or shade. It produces white flowers with black berries in the winter. This plant can be grown in the garden or as a houseplant, and can add bold texture, interest and drama to containers and mixed borders. It has a foliage height of 60”, foliage spread of 48” and flower height of 65”. U.S.D.A Hardiness Zones for Fatsia ‘Spider’s Web’ are 7-9, and its exposure is full and partial shade.
Acanthus 'Whitewater'
Acanthus 'Whitewater' is a vigorous and variegated perennial that has a striking, bold foliage with deeply cut, white margins and splashing on the leaves. It forms a large, clumping habit with 4 feet tall, pink and cream flower stalks in the summer, making it a bold accent in shade gardens or perennial borders. It has a foliage height of 36”, foliage spread of 36” and flower height of 48”. U.S.D.A Hardiness Zones for Acanthus ‘Whitewater’ are 7-10, and its exposure includes sun to part shade.
Actaea ‘Black Negligee’
Actaea ‘Black Negligee’ has lacy, black foliage that cloaks its dark stems, and an upright, clumping habit. It is a vigorous plant with purple-tinted, white flowers that project 2 feet tall and produce a scent of grape and jasmine. The foliage of this plant appears darkest when given full sun and plenty of water. It has a foliage height of 48”, foliage spread of 24” and flower height of 60”. U.S.D.A Hardiness Zones for Actaea ‘Black Negligee’ are 5-9, and its exposure allows for full sun or partial shade.
Terra Nova has plans to create videos of Acanthus ‘Whitewater’ and Actaea ‘Black Negligee’ in the future.
