Skillin's Perennial Additions for 2011!! A-E

Hello again!


Following is a list of Skillin's perennial plant additions for 2011. This list is compiled by Becky and Elaine from our Skillin's production facility. It is a long list but it makes for some practical and interesting reading! I will add some of my own comments (in italics) to some individual plants as we go along but what follows is a good plant by plant description of what will be new in Skillin's perennial yard in 2011!

ALKANET - ‘Brunnera’


‘Emerald Mist’ – NEW at Skillins for 2011. 12”-15” tall. Heart-shaped leaves with heavy silver bars along the outside of the leaves that form a ‘collar’ of silver along the perimeter. Entire leaf is covered in a light silver dusting. Produces blue, for-get-me-not like flowers in spring. Deer resistant. Blooms mid to late spring. Shade to part shade. Zones 3-8.  I love the Brunnera because of it's reliability and hardiness. Also those blue foget-me-not like flowers are very valuable--they look good and you get color when much else is not yet in color. This sounds very nice!

‘King’s Ransom’ – NEW INTRO FOR 2011. This is a sport of the popular Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’. Tiny forget-me-not like flowers bloom in early to late spring. The heart-shaped leaves are silver with a cream yellow margin and a light ‘frosting’ over the whole leaf. Leaf margins lighted to a creamy white in summer. Part to full shade. 10”-12” tall. Zones 3-8. That leaf variegation sounds great!

ALPINE GERANIUM - Erodium – NEW at Skillins for 2011.

1”-6” tall. Pink to white flowers bloom mid-spring to late summer. Great gourndcover. Sun to part shade. Well drained soils. Zones 5(6) – 9.

ARKANSAS BLUE STAR - Amsonia

hubrechtii – Perennial Plant Association Plant of the year for 2011. Native Species. Clusters of light blue, star-shaped flowers in late spring\early summer. Foliage is very fine and delicate, almost white pine needle-like giving the plant a very graceful appearance. The foliage is spectacular in the fall when it turns a gold-yellow. It is a bit slow growing but a very long lived perennial. Sun to part shade. 36” tall. Zones 4-9. Any case of Amsonia is a good thing! I highly recommend this plant. The Amsonia family always provides great multi season color. Thumbs up here!

ASTER - Aster

‘Blue Autumn’ NEW INTRO FOR 2011. 20”-34” tall. Plants are very disease resistant with violet-blue, daisy-like flowers. Attracts butterflies. Blooms late summer to mid fall. Full sun. Zones 5-8.

‘Wood’s Pink’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 12”-16” tall. Dwarf, compact plants with clusters of semi-double pink flowers. Resistant to mildew and rust. Attracts butterflies. Blooms late summer to mid fall. Full sun. Zones 3-8.

AVENS – Geum

‘Totally Tangerine’ NEW INTRO FOR 2011. 30”tall. Strong stems with sterile, bright apricot to tangerine flowers. Foliage forms a 14” compact mound. Very floriferous. Attracts butterflies and is deer resistant. Blooms late spring to mid summer. Sun to part shade. Zones 4-7.

BACHELOR’S BUTTON - Centaurea

‘Amethyst Dream’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 14”-16” tall. Very deep purple flowers with a long bloom time. Well branched, compact plants. Attracts butterflies and is deer resistant. Blooms late spring to mid summer. Deadheading will help lengthen bloom time. Full sun. Zones 3-8.

BARRENWORT – Epimedium

‘Orange Queen’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. Delicate copper-orange flowers. New foliage is tinged red. Will tolerate dry shade. Part sun to shade. Zones 4-8. The colors sound quite neat!


‘Red Beauty’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. Large, spurred magenta-red flowers. Will tolerate dry shade. Part sun to shade. Zones 4-8.

BEARDED TONGUE – Penstemon

‘Miss Moneypenney’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 12”-24” tall. Glossy green foliage in compact mounds. Tubular, scarlet flowers on tall panicles. Hummingbirds love it. Blooms most of the summer. Zones 3-8.


BEE BALM – Monarda

‘Grand Parade’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 13”-16” tall. Clumps of bright lavender-purple flowers. Foliage has excellent resistance to mildew. Deer resistant. Blooms mid-summer will re-bloom if deadheaded. Zones 3-8. I am a "sucker" for red bee balm but this sounds pretty nice--particularly if it is fairly mildew resistant.
BLACKBERRY - Belamcanda

‘Freckle Face’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 18”24” tall. 2” wide, lily-like orange flowers with heavy red speckling. Foliage is sword shaped. Ornamental tan pear-shaped seed pods open to clusters of black seeds in fall. Attracts butterflies. Blooms late summer. Full sun. Zones 4-10.


‘Hellow Yellow’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. Similar to ‘Freckle Face’ but flowers are yellow and spotless.


BLACK-EYED SUSAN – Rudbeckia

‘City Garden’ – NEW at Skillins for 2011. Very similar to Rudbeckia ‘Goldstrum’ but only 12” tall. Gold-yellow flowers. Very sturdy upright habit and long bloom time. Great for smaller gardens and containers. Great cut flower. Blooms mid summer to early fall. Full sun to part shade. Zones 4-10. Goldstrum is an absolute classic; City Garden will be GREAT for small spaces--and we all have small spaces!

H. ‘Cherry Brandy’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 24” tall. 3”-4” maroon red flowers with darker centers. Robust grower and blooms all summer. Drought and heat tolerant. Deer resistant. NOT very hardy but worth the summer display. May self-sow. Zone 6(7)-9.


H. ‘Denver Daisy’ NEW INTRO FOR 2011. 18”-20” tall. Compact plant with yellow flowers with dark red centers. Strong stems. Drought and heat tolerant. Deer resistant. Not a long-lived perennial but self-sows. Zones 5-9.


BLACK GROUNDSEL – Ligularia –

‘Midnight Lady’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 30”-36” tall. Dark purple to near black foliage. Large leaves are kidney-shaped with tothed edges. Purple stems. Bright orange-yellow daisy –like flowers. Blooms late summer. Zones 3-9.

‘Osiris Café Noir’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 20”-24”. Dwarf variety. Leaves are deeply serrated and start out purple-black turning bronze to olive green. Golden, daisy-like flowers in late summer. Zones 4-9.
I have a few larger ligularia so this dwarf variety has my interest!
BLANKET FLOWER – Gaillardia

‘Gallo Peach’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 9”-12” tall. Vary large peach-colored flowers with yellow tips and a bright yellow cone. Plants are very compact and self branching making them great for containers. Heat tolerant and long blooming. Nice cut flower. Attracts butterflies, deer resistant. Blooms summer. Full sun. Well drained soil. Zones 4-9.

‘Sunburst Tangerine’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 14”-20” tall. ‘Light lemon-yellow flowers with a small tangerinie ring around the center.’ Very long bloom time. Will bloom most of the summer if deadheaded. Nice cut flower. Attracts butterflies, deer resistant. Blooms summer. Full sun. Well drained soil. Zones 4-9.


CANDYTUFT – Iberis

‘Sweetheart’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 6”-8” tall and wide. Masses of pink blossoms. Blossoms turn a lilac color as they mature. Dark green foliage forms compact cushions. Attracts butterflies and is deer resistant. Drought resistant. Great for edging and rock gardens. Blooms late spring through early summer. Full sun. Zones 5-9. These colors sound very neat!

CLEMATIS - Clematis

‘Cardinal Wyszynski’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. Large, 6”-8” crimson flowers with a central cluster of dark anthers. Very vigorous. Blooms July-Sept.

‘Lanuginosa Candida’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. Large pure white flowers with yellow anthers. Some flowers may have the appearance of being semi-double. Blooms in June, July and Sept.
‘Pink Fantasy’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 4”-5” pale pink flowers with a darker pink bar and dark anthers. Blooms late June-Sept. A good repeat bloomer.

‘Rhapsody’ Sapphire blue petals with creamy yellow anthers. Bloom July-Sept.

‘The President’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. Large 7”-8” flowers. Flowers are deep purple with purple anthers. Blooms June-Sept. Is a continuous bloomer and does not fade in the sun.

‘Warsaw Nike’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 5” velvety, purple-red flowers. Flowers have 6-8 overlapping petals with deep grooves along the center. Blooms late May-Sept.
COLUMBINE - Aquilegia

‘Spitfire’ – NEW at SKILLINS for 2011. Petite variety of columbine with small, red-orange flowers with short spurs. Nicely mounded foliage. Sun to part shade. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 3-9.

CONEFLOWER - Echinacea

‘Fragrant Angel’– NEW at Skillins for 2011. 30” tall. Large, fragrant white blossoms with overlapping petals and huge yellow cone. Blooms mid summer to early fall. More blooms if dead-headed. I absolutely love the coneflowers and with the fragrance factor this is a Must Have!

Butterfly magnet and birds love the seeds in the fall. Deer resistant. Great cut flower. Full sun to part shade. Zones 3-8.

‘Little Annie’ NEW INTRO FOR 2011. 10”-12” tall. Compact, wee branched, dwarf variety. 2.5” lavender-pink flowers with orange cone. Very long bloom time mid summer to early fall. More blooms if dead-headed. Great for containers and front of the border.

Butterfly magnet and birds love the seeds in the fall. Deer resistant. Great cut flower. Full sun to part shade. Zones 3-8.
‘Red Knee High’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 18”-24” tall. Shorter variety with large magenta-red flowers. Blooms mid summer to early fall. More blooms if dead-headed. Butterfly magnet and birds love the seeds in the fall. Deer resistant. Great cut flower. Full sun to part shade. Zones 3-8.

‘Summer Sun’ – NEW at Skillins for 2011. Blossoms are fragrant and start red-orange and lighten to a gold orange as they age. Butterfly magnet and birds love the seeds in the fall. Deer resistant. Great cut flower. Full sun to part shade. 40” tall. Zones 4-8.
‘Virgin’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 20”-24” tall. Large pure white flowers with a green cone. Double row of petals. Fragrant. Blooms mid summer to early fall. More blooms if dead-headed.

Butterfly magnet and birds love the seeds in the fall. Deer resistant. Great cut flower. Full sun to part shade. Zones 3-8.

CORAL BELLS – Heuchera

‘Electra’ NEW INTRO FOR 2011. 8” tall, 12” wide. Leaves are bright yellow-green with red veining in spring and lighten to chartreuse green with a softer red veining later in the summer. White flowers. Blooms mid summer. The Heuchera family is just booming and the plants hold your interest all season with their striking foliage! Very hardy, very reliable!


‘Snow Angel’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 6”-8”. Light green foliage with white mottling. Leaves are deeply lobed and ruffled. Dark pink flowers in spring.
‘Sonic Smash’ NEW INTRO FOR 2011. 10” tall, 16” wide. Large deeply lobed green leaves with prominent red veining and scalloped darker green edges. White flowers. Blooms mid summer.

‘Stormy Seas’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 16” tall, 24” wide. Large, ruffled maroon purple leaves. Compact habit and very vigorous. Creamy white flowers early to mid summer.

‘Tiramsu’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 8”-10” tall and wide. Gold yellow leaves with a red blotch in the center and red along the veins. Vigourous. Has better heat and sun tolerance than other light heucheras. Creamy white flowers in mid summer.

‘Venus’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 8” tall, 15” wide. Large, silver leaves with green veining. Forms compact mounds. Mixes nicely with purple heucheras. Creamy white flowers. Blooms late spring to mid summer.
CRANESBILL – Geranium

‘Hocus Pocus’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 14”-16” tall. Dark bronze-purple leaves and bronze stems. Large 2” lavender-purple flowers with white centers. Tolerant of heat and humidity. Very floriferous and will bloom summer until frost. Deer resistant. Sun to part shade. Zones 4-8.

'Orion' NEW at Skillins for 2011. 18” tall. Similar to Geranium ‘Brookside’ but flowers are largerwith violet veins and more compact foliage. Long blooming with a re-bloom in fall. Deer resistant. Sun to part shade. Zones 3-8.

‘Perfect Storm’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 12” tall. Small magenta flowers with a black center and veining. Gray-green foliage, low spreading plants. Blooms late spring to mid-summer. Deer resistant. Sun to part-shade. Zones 5-8.

‘Pink Penny’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 15” tall. Large 2.5” purple-pink flwers with beautiful dark veins on ‘broad spreading mounds’. Heavy bloomer and will bloom all summer. Deer resistant. Sun to part shade. Zones 5-8.

CUSHION SPURGE – Euphorbia

‘Ascot Rainbow’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 20” tall. Green and yellow variegated foliage tinged with pink and orange in cooler weather. Clusters of variegated bracts in sping. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring. Sun to part shade. Zones 5-9.

DAYLILY – Hemerocallis

Orange varieties

‘Tiger Kitten’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 22” tall. 3” bright orange flower with a prominent dark red eye orange anthers tipped with black. Blooms mid to late season.

White varieties

‘Frosted Vintage Ruffles’ NEW INTRO FOR 2011. 24” tall. 4” creamy yellow flowers with a pink blush and dark pink edges. Ruffled petals. Very fragrant. Incredible bloomer. Blooms early. May re-bloom.

‘Wedding Band’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 26” tall. 5” creamy white flowers with a yellow ‘pie crust’ ruffled edge. Green throat. Blooms mid season.

Pink\Peach\Plum varieties

‘Big Blue’ NEW INTRO FOR 2011. 24” tall. Very large 6” light lavender pink flowers. Petals are ruffled with a citron yellow center. Strong scapes. Fragrant. Blooms mid –season. May re-bloom .

‘Little Grapette’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 12” tall. One of our favorite varieties. We are offering ‘Little Grapette’ again after and absence of several years. 2”-3” grape flowers with a black-grape band and lime green throat. Very high bud count. Blooms early to mid season.

‘My Sweet Rose’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 26” tall. 5” rose pink flowers with a white mid-rib and yellow-green throat. Very fragrant. Well budded. Blooms mid season.

‘Wild & Wonderful’ NEW INTRO FOR 2011. 34” tall. Large 8” salmon-pink flowers with a large red band and flaring lime-green throat. ‘Petals curve back creating a spider=like shape’. Very high bud count. Blooms early. May re-bloom.

Early Bloomers

Daylily ‘Frosted Vintage Ruffles

Daylily ‘Little Grapette’

Daylily ‘Wild & Wonderful’

Mid Summer Bloomers

Daylily ‘Wedding Band’

Daylily ‘Big Blue’

Daylily ‘My Sweet Rose’

Late Summer Bloomers

Daylily ‘Tiger Kitten’

Possible Re-Bloomers

Daylily ‘Big Blue’

Daylily ‘Frosted Vintage Ruffles’

Daylily ‘Wild & Wonderful’

DEAD NETTLE – Lamium

‘Anne Greenway’ NEW at Skillins for 2011. 6”-8” tall. Green leaves with a wide gold edge and silver streaked mid-rib. Purple-pink flowers in spring. Deer reisistant. Part shade to shade. Zones 4-9.

E-Nothing in E but look for F and on soon!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
February 16, 2011