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Peak performers: New and notable perennials for 2025
Breeders share their top picks for the Canadian marketplace
October 28, 2024 By Gabriela Aguilera
1. Heliopsis ‘Touch of Blush’ As we say goodbye to the warm sunny days and feel the winter blues creeping in, Greenhouse Canada thought it would be the perfect time to reach out to perennial breeders and suppliers to start daydreaming about what will be blooming in the 2025 Canadian marketplace.
Consumers and growers can look forward to more hardy and long-lasting plant materials that will survive Canada’s harsh winters and hot summers making them more convenient and easier to grow.
This year, pink is a popular colour as many breeders and suppliers are having one, if not many, varieties in various shades of the colour in their selections for 2025.
When it comes to perennials in 2025, bigger really is better. They will have larger leaves and flowers, will be taller and wider and will have excellent branching. Look forward to seeing more bulky varieties that will help fill up and cover more surface area in your garden bed.
With more flexibility and easy-to-grow varieties, some of these perennials will require minimal pinching and more care-free when it comes to keeping an eye on them as they are more disease resistant and tolerant.
Here’s a look at some of the top perennial picks for 2025 you may want to consider making room on your bench for.
Please note: varieties are not presented in any particular order.
PROVEN WINNERS
1. Heliopsis ‘Touch of Blush’ is a compact, long blooming selection with excellent mildew resistance. ‘Touch of Blush’ is well branched leading to a long period of bloom without deadheading. Flowers have multiple rows of petals extending the life of each individual flower, as the flower waits for the bloom to fully open before declining. Each bloom also opens with an orange halo that fades as the flower matures. Variegated foliage is tinged with pink under cool conditions, leading to its namesake ‘Touch of Blush’. This is an easy-to-grow perennial, tolerant of clay soils, heat, benefits pollinators, and has application as a cut or dried flower. Zones 4-9.
2. Heuchera DRESSED UP ‘Prom Dress’ is a long-lasting foliage perennial with semi-evergreen characteristics. Large leaves are ruffled and hold their silvery colour the entire season, lending to application in fall or winter containers. Newest leaves have a rosy-purple blush that matches the colour of the leaf undersides and stems. ‘Prom Dress’ has good sun tolerance and can be grown from full sun to full shade, making it highly useful in spaces with tricky light conditions. Zones 4-9.
3. Hibiscus SUMMERIFIC ‘Cookies and Cream’ is Proven Winners’ most compact Hardy Hibiscus to date, presenting with a near-perfect spherical habit at one metre tall and wide. This also represents a breeding breakthrough – ‘Cookies and Cream’ is the first of its kind to match solid white flowers with dark, near black foliage. In the landscape this variety’s compact size grants it the ability to fit into a wider variety of spaces. The small stature also allows growers to turn it in a smaller container. Zones 4-9.
4. Salvia LIVING LARGE ‘Big Sky’ is one of the largest hardy perennial Salvia to enter the market in years at 80cm tall and wide. ‘Big Sky’ supersizes not only the plant, but individual flower and leaf size as well. Good basal branching ensures a long period of bloom. ‘Big Sky’ blooms slightly after Salvia pratensis hybrids, but before Salvia nemorosa begin their rebloom. Zones 3-8.
5. Schizachyrium PRAIRIE WINDS ‘Brush Strokes’ is a variety that puts the “blue” in Little Bluestem with deep powdery blue foliage. It is an incredibly vigorous selection with a wide skirt of basal foliage. In fall, this plant turns a deep wine-red colour. Use this native perennial grass for its fine texture in summer then leave it standing in fall for winter interest. Zones 3-9.
JELITTO PERENNIAL SEED
6. Allium schoenoprasm ‘Mixed One’ Jelitto’s introduction of their popular ‘Ornamental One’ Chive Series, gardeners added beauty to their herb gardens and mixed containers in sturdy clumps with single colour seed strains. First-year flowering and deliciously edible, this highly ornamental series now includes the ‘Mixed One’, a nice assortment of pink, purple and white flowering plants with consistent medium sized foliage. At 30 cm (12 in) tall in flower and hardy in Zones 3-9, the humble chive is a versatile addition to any garden.
7. Lobelia cardinalis f. albiflora ‘White Cardinal’ like the rare bird, White Cardinal is a unique form with pure white flowers accented by a touch of pinky-red on the flower tubes. Native to much of North America, the common names Indian Pink, asthma weed and Indian Tobacco reflect the importance of cardinal flower to Native Americans. This perennial grows like its red brother, preferring moist to wet soil. Its flowers, with their deeply hidden nectaries, are an excellent food source for hummingbirds. Jelitto claims that they have taken care of the natural germination inhibition this species uses in its reproductive strategy with their patented Gold Nugget Seed process, designed to make it possible for cold germinators to germinate uniformly within two or four weeks without cold treatment.
8. Oenothera pilosella ‘Yella Fella’ is orange in bud and boasts bright, golden cup-shaped blossoms opening during the day that are lightly scented. Foliage is intensive green with red fall colour, and the stem and leaf undersides are covered with distinct whitish hair. More tolerant of dry conditions than its relatives, ‘Yella Fella’ is first-year flowering from seed. 40 cm/16 in tall. Zone 4-8.
9. Solidago canadensis ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ this is a very dwarf first-year flowering, drought tolerant Solidago. Bloom time is July-October. 30 cm (12 inches) tall and ideal for Zones 2-9. Great for containers or front of the border.
10. Sanguisorba officinalis ‘Little Red Tanna.’ Beautiful finely scalloped leaves and dark burgundy red pompom flowers characterize Sanguisorba officinalis (Great Burnet). Jelitto’s new dwarf strain reduces the size of the plants from 60 cm (24 in) to 30 cm (12 in), making it perfect for front of the border positioning or container habitat. Known as ‘Di-Yu’ in traditional Chinese medicine, burnet roots have hemostatic properties and are cooling in nature. The attractive young leaves can be eaten raw in salads or added to soups and stews. Together with its attractive blooms, ‘Little Red Tanna’ will be a great addition to your herb garden. Zone 3-8.
11. Heliopsis heliathoides var scabra ‘Bleeding Hearts’ the foliage of Heliopsis ‘Bleeding Hearts’ emerges almost entirely black before settling down to a dark purple. The sturdy stems are black. Excellent for cut flowers. Flowers start out scarlet before maturing to a bright orange-red, and then to lingering washed tones of bronze. Blooms July-October; height with flowers 120 cm (48 inches). Zone 3-9.
TERRA NOVA NURSERIES
12. Echinacea ‘French Tips’ is a neatly groomed variety with smooth, pink petals and white tips, adding a pop of colour to mixed beds and border edges. This variety displays a dense, bushy habit and produces an abundance of flowers, blooming from June through October. ‘French Tips’ thrives in full sun and is an effective hummingbird and pollinator attractor. This perennial also can perform well in high heat and humidity, making it suitable for warm Canadian summers.
13. Pulmonaria NOVA ‘Cobalt’ makes a dramatic statement in the garden with its vibrant blue flowers. Its thick, leathery foliage is pine-green and repels slugs and snails. ‘Cobalt’ is a very sturdy and hardy plant, performing exceptionally well in shade gardens, mixed beds and woodlands as well as under high-branding shrubs. This variety is quite deer-resistant; many Canadian gardeners have deer pressure, and this is one plant they do not like.
14. Sedum ‘Mocha Magic’ features blue-grey foliage that turns milk chocolate in summer, complemented with dark chocolate stems and mocha foam flower clusters. ‘Mocha Magic’ has a fast and upright growth habit, presenting robust landscape value in mixed beds, borders, mass plantings, edging and dry gardens. Its high flower count makes it a powerful pollinator attractor. ‘Mocha Magic’ performs well in the Canadian marketplace due to its drought and cold tolerance.
DüMMEN ORANGE
15. Gaillardia SpinTop Yellow Touch is part of Dümmen Orange’s leading Gaillardia series on the market. It gives you early colour for early sales and keeps flowering all season long so there’s always a draw for consumers. Growers will appreciate the quick crop times and its second season for the fall market. Consumers will love SpinTop for its exceptional flower colour and tolerance of hot and humid conditions. Plus, its Zone 3 hardy!
16. Leucanthemum Sweet Daisy Birdy is part of Dümmen Orange’s collection of first-year flowering Shasta Daisies that contains an array of distinctive flower forms for any spot in the garden. An All-American Selection winner and standout in the garden, Birdy blooms from spring until frost. Their 12 to 18-week bloom window means a long season of sales and with new blooms emerging at the top, always ensuring a fresh, vibrant landscape and it boasts extreme hardiness through Zone 3.
17. Salvia Noche is late-flowering and will be your go-to season-extending salvias. This first-year flowering variety has excellent branching from just one pinch, creating a plant covered in medium-blue blooms from spring onward. Its tall, dark spikes are covered with self-cleaning flowers, which leave attractive purple calyxes that event the consumers will admire.
18. Achillea Skysail Yellow features a mass of moderate-sized umbels that cover the entire plant with a bold colour on a strong upright habit. This medium height plant has a very long flowering period in containers and on landscape. It also exhibits very good heat and humidity tolerance for all markets.
19. La Diva Spirit White brings a little something extra in the form of Zone 3 hardiness but is also tolerant of high heat and humidity making it the toughest lavender variety around. Large brilliant white flowers stand over a mound of greenish blue foliage that really makes this variety shine in any planting. Have colour all summer long in flower beds or containers, use in outdoor spaces that are frequently used to enjoy the wafting scent of lavender on the summer breeze.
THINKPLANTS
20. Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses what better to brighten up our winter gardens than a Snow Rose? The HGC Ice N’ Roses Hellebores are an excellent upgrade for your Hellebores program. A more resilient series that is easier to grow and holds up better while bulking through the summer months. Ice N’ Roses have large flowers that face outwards, rather than down, for increased interest as they bloom from winter to early spring. Sturdy stems and dark, glossy green foliage contrast well with the white, pink, and red blooms and holds year-round for extended garden interest. Very floriferous, Ice N’ Roses have a long bloom time and are available in 27 colours. Increased disease tolerance, disease resistant, low maintenance, and even deer resistant! The perfect addition to any winter program.
21. Echinacea SunMagic Vintage is the perfect series for any premium perennial program. SunMagic have a compact habit and high flower count without any need for pinching or PGRs. They uniquely branch from the base of the plant instead of from the main stem, creating a full, even, and compact finished plant with no extra work for the grower. The SunMagic series includes 15 vibrant colours to suit any perennial program ranging from traditional colours such as Vintage Lavender, to shockingly bright hues such as Electric Orange or Hot Red. Flowers appear in June and continue to bloom until Autumn. Cold hardy, these eye-catching blooms hold their centers well after frost for increased garden interest all winter long.
22. Coreopsis NOVA Sunstone is the first cold-hardy coreopsis selection from Terra Nova Nurseries with bright pink blooms. Coreopsis are essential to any summer perennial program and nowhere else will you find such vibrant pink Coreopsis blooms on a controlled, compact habit. This pollinator magnet is covered in unusual, pink-toned flowers with bronze centers from summer into the fall. A vigorous grower, Sunstone quickly fills gallon pots for retail sales but maintains a nice, mounded habit. Deer resistant, powdery mildew resistant and low water requirements make it an excellent addition to any zone 5 garden.
23. Iberis sempervirens Snow Dome is a beautiful new zone 3 hardy Iberis with large, bright white flowers on a sturdy and well-branched habit. Snow Dome lives up to its name by creating a perfect dome of blooms for a high-quality finished appearance. Snow Dome is an excellent upgrade for a premium Iberis, blooming later than Snowsurfer Forte and holding flowers for longer into the season. Snow Dome has the same timing as Snowdrift, but much larger flowers and improved branching. Iberis is a must have item for any early spring perennial program and can be partnered with other zone 3-4 hardy Syngenta Flowers items.
24. Heliopsis hybrid Punto Rosso / Sole d’Arancia / Sole Giatto a truly compact collection of zone 3 hardy Heliopsis that are perfect for any summer or fall program in Canada. Where most Heliopsis on the market grow up to two-metres tall (6 feet), Kientzler’s Heliopsis mature to a compact garden height of only 60cm (two feet)! Dark green foliage contrasts well with their long-lasting, bright blooms and they are even deer resistant! Punto Rosso has beautiful yellow-orange flowers with red centers, and Sole d’Arancia has large, golden yellow blooms perfect for autumn retail. Bred for improved shelf appeal, these are excellent additions to any fall program. If you are looking for something ultra-compact, try out Sole Giatto. Highly floriferous with semi-double golden-yellow blooms on a compact habit make it perfect for finishing in smaller containers.
SYNGENTA FLOWERS
25. NEW Hunky Dory Delphinium (Delphinium grandiflorum) F1 vigour provides excellent germ and young plant performance, eliminating the need to multi-sow. Its plant habit is ultra branched, filling a wide array of formats with ease and speed. Large blooms create an abundance of colour, flowering uniformly within each variety and across the series, for a speedy and efficient crop.
DANZIGER
26. GUATEMALA Papaya Echinacea is the newest member of the Guatemala series, which is all about captivating colour. Guatemala Papaya is turning heads at trials with bright orange blooms that standout in the garden. Guatemala is a high performing, URC series that flowers in weeks 22 to 24, then provides long-lasting bloom power for the home gardener. This first-year flowering perennial requires no vernalization or bulking and is recommended for Zones 4-9.
27. SANDGEM Delosperma Series is an outstanding perennial performer, bringing bright colour to the landscape, hanging baskets and patio pots. Sandgem features a semi-trailing habit with large blooms in six colours including fuchsia, white, yellow, dark orange, ember and gold. The series is first-year flowering with no vernalization required. Zones 4-9.
28. SOLANNA Sunset Bright Coreopsis SOL are a well-branched, long-blooming perennial series that is first-year flowering without the need for vernalization or bulking. New for 2025, Solanna Sunset Bright features sunny golden flowers with a large, red ring and enhanced tolerance to powdery mildew. This stunning coreopsis remains upright in the garden and is a favorite of pollinators. Zones 5-10.
29. FIRST FLUSH GRACE Iberis is an early flowering series that brings an abundance of dainty, light lavender blooms to the spring garden. It’s low mounding habit means First Flush is a must-have for front borders, it is also a wonderful ground cover. This series does not require vernalization, offering flexibility for the grower. Zones 4-9.
30. Pink Nebula Salvia provides out-of-this-world performance in the garden, with colourful blooms that cover the plant all summer long. These early and uniform salvia nemorosa are first year flowering and don’t require vernalization or bulking. The collection features excellent rebloom for season-long colour, with sturdy stems and strong radial branching. Pink Nebula brings striking, rosy-pink colour that will turn heads at retail. This new selection is similar in habit and performance to Danziger’s popular Dark Matter salvia. Zones 4-9.
DARWIN PERENNIALS/BALL
31. Echinacea Sombrero Mandarin Mambo the Sombrero series of Echinacea offers bold colour and hardy garden performance. New Mandarin Mambo is a bright orange hue that matures to a lovely peach. Plants are well-branched on sturdy stems and highly floriferous for next-level flower coverage. Sombrero is frost-to-frost colour with years of enjoyment in zone 5 perennial gardens. They are also drought resistant when established in the landscape. An added bonus: The spent blooms’ seed heads feed foraging songbirds bringing more activity to your garden designs.
32. Phlox Spring Splash is a woodland phlox that grows in a nice, low, mounded habit. It makes an ideal border plant in perennial gardens (hardy to zone 4a). The colours are high impact for early-season enjoyment: lilac, pink, or violet. Plants are tidy and the foliage offers soft texture to mixed landscapes.
33. Veronica Skyward Lilac offers a high flower count on a dense, upright habit and boasts continuous blooming. Its durability ensures plants grow without breakage on sturdy stems that resist falling open. This variety is available in pink and blue, is pollinator friendly and powdery mildew resistant for landscape success with a hardiness to zone 4b.
34. Agastache Summerlong is an ideal pollinator plant for the landscape because it flowers early and lasts all summer long. The foliage has a soft mint fragrance that is resistant to deer and the plants are heat and drought-tolerant as well. It is an easy-care choice from last frost to first frost. Summerlong grows in a dense mound in bright colours: Magenta, Coral, Lemon, Peach, and Lilac. When planted together they’re like a sorbet rainbow in your garden design.
35. Buddleia Chrysalis Steel Blue is a compact butterfly bush series was bred and selected for its profusion of flowers that attract butterflies. Gardeners will enjoy continuous blooming from spring through late summer. Plants are root hardy to zone 5 and stem hardy in warmer locations. Its smaller habit makes it perfect for smaller spaces or as low-growing borders. Steel Blue has a silver-blue tone to its blooms, capturing the light and giving the plants a shimmering glow.
36. Saxifraga Marto with its long bloom window, this Saxifraga x arendsii will give you masses of flowers from March through June. Its higher cold tolerance means plants are more forgiving with unpredictable spring frosts. The Marto series is hardy to zone 4a and is available in Red, Rose, Hot Rose, and Red Picotee.
All photos are courtesy the variety’s respective breeder or supplier.
Read more on the performances of popular perennial flowers here.
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