New plant introductions for 2024: Annuals & tender perennials
Ready to treat yourself to a few new plants for 2024? There are lots of interesting new annuals and tender perennials to get excited about. Let's take a look at a few of the most exciting varieties that you can use to fill containers or bring all-season color to the border.
Double Vintage Coral™ calibrachoa (Calibrachoa hybrid)
We loved the color and double blooms of this new calibrachoa in the Superbells® series — it flowered like crazy for us from spring to fall. Super heat-tolerant plants sailed through the hot, dry summer we had last year without missing a beat.
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms Double bronze-orange blooms with darker veining spring to frost
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well drained
Size 6 to 12 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 9 to 11
Introducer Proven Winners®
Source Garden Crossings, 616-875-6355
‘Scentsation White’ verbena (Glandularia hybrid)
This new variety reclaims the long-lost attribute of fragrance in verbena. Compact upright plants make perfect fillers in containers or as edging along your patio, where you can enjoy its sweet scent that’s especially noticeable on humid summer evenings.
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms Fragrant white blooms from late spring to frost
Light Full sun
Soil Well drained
Size 9 to 12 in. tall and wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 7 to 11
Introducer & source Select
Seeds, 800-684-0395
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Blazing Star™ bidens (Bidens ferulifolia)
The bold colors of this new bidens have even more impact because the yellow-and-red-striped blooms are larger than those of other varieties. The mounded plants are a great choice for hanging baskets.
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms Red and yellow striped blooms from spring to fall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well drained
Size 12 to 14 in. tall and wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 9 to 11
Introducer Danziger
Source: Local garden centers
Flamenco Salsa Red vinca (Catharanthus hybrid)
Salsa Red is part of the Soiree® Flamenco series, known for its fringed and ruffled petals. But this new addition has distinctive deep red flowers edged in white instead of the more common pink or lavender.
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms Deep red ruffled petals edged with white from spring to frost
Light Full sun
Soil Well drained
Size 8 to 12 in. tall, 12 to 16 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 9 to 11
Introducer Suntory Flowers
Source: Local garden centers
Cappuccino calibrachoa (Calibrachoa hybrid)
This new color in the Calitastic® series was a favorite in our test garden last year — plants were covered in blooms all summer! Plus it didn’t get super leggy (as some varieties do) and kept a compact size for most of the season.
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms Creamy white and yellow single flowers with streaks of rusty red from spring to frost
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well drained
Size 6 to 12 in. tall, 8 to 12 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 9 to 11
Introducer: Westoff Source: Local garden centers
See More New Garden Plant Introductions for 2024:
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Moondust coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides)
These rusty red leaves speckled with yellow are a must-have for all-season color. Growing up to 3 feet tall, Moondust holds its own in mixed borders without getting overwhelmed. Care is simple because this variety blooms so late in the season that you rarely need to deadhead.
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Best feature Large plants with dramatic foliage
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well drained
Size 14 to 36 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 10 to 11
Introducer Syngenta® Flowers
Source Select Seeds, 800-684-0395
Elderberry Cream nemesia (Nemesia hybrid)
Elderberry Cream has the same great fragrance as others in the Escential® series, but with a new color combination. It has great heat tolerance, too, so while you’ll see the most of these bicolor blooms in spring and fall, plants remain colorful even in summer.
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms Purple and white bicolor blooms with a yellow eye from spring to fall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well drained
Size 8 to 12 in. tall and wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 9 to 10
Introducer PlantHaven International Inc.
Source Local garden centers
Hula™ Red and White Mix begonia (Begonia hybrid)
Check out this new color mix in the recently introduced Hula series. Plants grow out more than up so plant in a border or container. And you can grow them in full sun or full shade!
Type Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms Red and white blooms from spring to frost
Light Full sun to full shade
Soil Well drained Size: 6 to 10 in. tall, 20 to 27 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 9 to 11
Introducer Pan American Seed
Source Local garden centers
