Great Plants 2012 selections announced

Great Plants, a joint program of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and the Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association, have released its 2012 Great Plants selections. The plants are chosen for their excellent characteristics and propensity to grow well in the Great Plains.

The 2012 Great Plants Tree of the Year: Shantung maple (Acer truncatum). This small- to medium-sized maple thrives in hot and humid growing conditions of the Great Plains. In early spring, small yellow flowers develop, clustered along the ends of the bare branches. Leaves emerge light purple-bronze and turn to a bright golden yellow in fall.

Great Plants Shrub of the Year: Deam’s arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum var. deamii). This selection requires little or no pruning. At maturity it typically grows 6- to 8-feet high. Densely branched shoots are packed with lustrous green foliage that changes to a range of yellow, orange-red or reddish-purple in fall.

Great Plants Perennial of the Year: Turtlehead ‘Hot Lips’ (Chelone lyonii). Dark green foliage persists from spring into fall. Pink, snapdragon-like flowers top the foliage from August into October. It’s a good selection for rain gardens, wet soils or detention swales. It grows up to 3 feet high and is deer resistant.

Great Plants Grass of the Year: Switchgrass ‘Northwind’ (Panicum virgatum). ‘Northwind’ features a narrow, upright habit  and wi]de, steel-blue blades that turn orange-yellow in fall. It grows well in wet or dry soils. It grows up to 6 feet high and makes a dramatic statement in the landscape.

Great Plants Conifer of the Year: Rocky Mountain Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca). This variety has blue-green tinged leaves and grows much slower, smaller and is more cold-tolerant than the coastal Douglas fir that is commonly grown as a Christmas tree. Needles are soft and cones are distinct. It grows best in a sunny location with good drainage. It typically matures to 60 feet high and 25 feet wide.

For more information on Great Plants selections, visit http://arboretum.unl.edu/greatplants.