Garden Trends and New Plants for 2023

I have given myself permission to be a bit lazy with this blog as I recover from a heart procedure earlier this week. (No hiking through the woods to discover new plants/insects/fungi.) Instead, I want to share some of what I learned about trends at last week’s Fall 2022 GardenComm (formerly Garden Writers of America) conference.

First, the craze for dark-foliage plants (Chocolate Mimosa (Albizia), Black Mondo (Ophiopogon), and burgundy Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum)) may be subsiding. Demand for white or ivory-variegated plants is on the rise. Especially eye-catching at the conference was a Calla, Zantedeschia 'Frozen Queen,’ with mostly white foliage and deep carmine-rose flowers, and an Elephant Ear with pink and white veins, Colocasia esculenta Royal Hawaiian® 'Waikiki.’ The Elephant Ear made me think of a super-sized Caladium.

The second trend was a surprising move among younger (Gen Z) gardeners away from naturalized or meadow gardens towards more formal, structured grounds with a strong Greek influence in statuary. Expect to see more boxwoods and stone archways.

Finally, the National Garden Bureau released the “Year Of” plants for 2023: The Perennial of the Year is Rudbeckia; the Shrub of the Year is Spirea; the Houseplant of the Year is Orchid; the Bulb of the Year is Amaryllis; the Annual of Year is Celosia; and the Edible of the Year is broccoli.

Three new plant introductions that you will want to check out are Hydrangea paniculata Puffer Fish™ (like ‘Bobo’ but with puffy, pure white flowers that age to lime green); Coneflower Echinacea ‘Raspberry Beret’ and a groundcover Shasta Daisy, Leucanthemum superbum ‘Carpet Angel®, that gets only six inches tall but has the same white daisy flowers as the tall variety. Check them out online and look for these beauties in garden nurseries in spring

Raging Reds of Black Tupelo

Black Gum, Black Tupelo, or simply Tupleo, Nyssa sylvatica (pronounced NISS·uh sil·VAT-uh·kuh) sets the autumn woods on fire with its gorgeous red leaf color. Summer leaves are shiny, dark green. This deciduous native is a slow-growing tree for full sun to part shade. Mature specimens average 30 feet, but occasionally a tree in ideal conditions will reach 80 feet tall. They grow in zones 3-9, in almost any acidic soil, and tolerate occasional flooding or drought. Trees are fire resistant.

Tupleo is a powerhouse for wildlife, providing flower nectar for bees in the summer, followed by blue berries for birds and mammals. Not every tree is loaded with fruit. Tupleos are unusual in that some trees have male flowers, some have female flowers, and some have both. Flowers are insignificant. With maturity, the bark forms into blocks similar to Pine, creating small cavities that offer protection for frogs, bats, lizards, and insects. Deer may nibble young growth but tend to leave mature specimens alone.

Tupelo trees form a deep taproot, and should be transplanted when young. ‘Red Rage’ is a cultivar with exceptional red color. It is resistant to the leaf spot that troubles some trees. ‘Zydeco Twist’ has attractively contorted limbs. ‘Sheri’s Cloud’ has variegated foliage.

The shiny green leaves of Nyssa sylvatica give way to brilliant red fall foliage. Trees thrive in a woodland setting, like the one seen here.