Staff \u2014 December 29, 2015<\/p>\n

Chelone lyonii \u2018Hot Lips\u2019 (\u2018Hot Lips\u2019 Turtlehead)
\nChelone lyonii \u2018Hot Lips\u2019 (\u2018Hot Lips\u2019 Turtlehead)<\/p>\n

The Wisconsin Nursery and Landscape Association (WNLA) announced its 2016 Plants of the Year. They were selected as the Plants of the Year at the Wisconsin Nursery Association\u2019s annual membership meeting and workshop.<\/p>\n

\nPicea omorika (Serbian Spruce)<\/p>\n

Picea omorika (Serbian Spruce)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Picea omorika (Serbian Spruce)<\/strong> has been chosen as the Woody Ornamental Plant of the Year<\/strong>. Tough urban conditions and drought-prone sites will not hinder the elegant and adaptable Serbian Spruce. It establishes quickly, so transplanting is not a problem, and its slender outline works perfectly for the narrow spaces that other trees grow out of. The Picea omorika prefers full sun to partial shade and will tolerate a wide pH range. It does well in zones 4 through 7, reaching heights of 40 to 60 feet. The Serbian Spruce brings a vertical grace to any landscape.<\/p>\n

The Perennial Plant of the Year is Chelone lyonii \u2018Hot Lips\u2019 (\u2018Hot Lips\u2019 Turtlehead).<\/strong> The partially shaded section of the garden comes alive with this beauty. Its upright stems form a 23\u201d to 35\u201d bushy mound that sports bronze-green foliage in the spring. Come late summer to mid fall, \u2018Hot Lips\u2019 Turtlehead displays the rosy pink hooded flowers that give the plant its name. It prefers moist or wet soil, but is wonderfully adaptable and perfect for a variety of uses in the landscapes of zones 3 through 8. Deer are not interested in this North American native, however everyone else is, including butterflies and hummingbirds.<\/p>\n

The Wisconsin Nursery and Landscape Association\u2019s Plant of the Year Program was initiated in 2002 to promote quality \u2013 and underused \u2013 plants to the public. Two categories were created to consider all plants: the Woody Ornamental category, which includes deciduous trees, evergreens, vines, deciduous shrubs and shade trees, and the Perennial category, which includes herbaceous perennials, subshrubs, grasses, and ferns.<\/p>\n

Each year, members of the WNLA Plant of the Year committee convene to discuss and analyze a collection of plants, narrowing down a field of top notch contenders to just four in each of the two categories. The outstanding characteristics of those eight plants are then presented to all who attend the Wisconsin Nursery and Landscape Association\u2019s Winter Workshop every February. Attendees consider the candidates and vote for their favorites. The winners are voted on and selected two years before they are presented to the public, to ensure that growers have enough time to build up their stock.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Staff \u2014 December 29, 2015 Chelone lyonii \u2018Hot Lips\u2019 (\u2018Hot Lips\u2019 Turtlehead) Chelone lyonii \u2018Hot Lips\u2019 (\u2018Hot Lips\u2019 Turtlehead) The Wisconsin Nursery and Landscape Association (WNLA) announced its 2016 Plants of the Year. They were selected as the Plants of the Year at the Wisconsin Nursery Association\u2019s annual membership meeting and workshop. Picea omorika (Serbian […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nursery"],"yoast_head":"\n