Walking through the Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs trial garden with Stacy Hirvela offers a glimpse into the future of gardening—where cutting-edge plant breeding meets real-world garden performance. From plants that won't be available for years to forgotten varieties deserving revival, this exclusive look reveals the careful curation and rigorous testing that determines which plants make it to your local garden center.

The Challenge of Limited Availability: Red Zeppelin Sweet Shrub

When Exceptional Plants Meet Production Reality

Our tour began with Red Zeppelin, a stunning Calycanthus (sweet shrub) that immediately captured our attention—and highlighted the complex challenges of bringing exceptional plants to market. This variety represents everything gardeners dream of: the deep purple-black foliage that made Burgundy Spice famous, but with one crucial difference—it can actually be propagated successfully.

The story behind Red Zeppelin illustrates industry challenges:

• Burgundy Spice took the industry by storm 10-15 years ago but proved impossible to propagate commercially
• Red Zeppelin was developed through collaboration with the original breeder to create a propagatable alternative
• Limited availability until 2027 due to slow propagation and high demand
• Primarily a foliage plant with orange-tinted flowers that are less fragrant than typical sweet shrubs

Understanding Plant Production Bottlenecks

What makes Red Zeppelin fascinating extends beyond its appearance. The mature display we observed actually consisted of 15 individual plants rather than one massive specimen—demonstrating how strategic grouping can create dramatic impact while managing individual plant size (4-5 feet tall and wide).

The maraca-like seed heads that develop after flowering add another layer of interest, showing how exceptional plants often offer multiple seasons of appeal rather than single-moment beauty.

Blue Bunny Hydrangea: A Revival Story

The Right Plant at the Wrong Time

Blue Bunny (Hydrangea involucrata) represents one of the most intriguing comeback stories in the plant world. Despite being in the Proven Winners line for years, it never gained traction because it blooms so late—just beginning to flower in late August when most gardeners are thinking about fall rather than purchasing hydrangeas.

What makes Blue Bunny special:

• Always blue regardless of soil pH—an extremely rare trait among hydrangeas
• Fuzzy foliage that may provide deer resistance
• Unique bracted flower structure that opens like a sponge revealing layers
• Late-season bloom timing that extends hydrangea interest into autumn
• Hardy to zone 6 with potential for even colder climates

The Perfect Description: "Lamb's Ear with Peony Buds"

Stacy's description perfectly captures this plant's appeal—the soft, fuzzy foliage resembles lamb's ear, while the developing flower buds look remarkably like peony buds before opening into distinctive lace-cap flowers. This unusual combination creates a plant that's conversation-worthy even before it blooms.

Growing conditions for Blue Bunny:

• Filtered shade ideal, full sun acceptable in cooler climates
• Woody stems that don't die back like some hydrangeas
• 3-4 feet tall and wide at maturity
• Blooms on new wood, providing reliability after harsh winters

Understanding Plant Performance: Steady Eddie Viburnum

The Science Behind Reblooming Plants

Our discussion of Steady Eddie viburnum performance revealed crucial insights about managing reblooming plants. The reduced flowering during this dry summer wasn't plant failure—it demonstrated how environmental stress affects plants that require vigorous new growth to produce their second and third flush of flowers.

Key principles for reblooming plant success:

• Consistent moisture essential for vigorous new growth
• Fertilization benefits reblooming varieties more than single-flush plants
• Wave-like bloom cycles due to growth-bloom-growth-bloom pattern
• Fertilizer timing crucial—stop by late July/early August to allow winter hardening

Compost as Fertilizer Strategy

The conversation about using compost as mulch revealed practical fertility management approaches. Since nitrogen is typically the most limiting nutrient for plant growth, and compost provides excellent nitrogen availability, this strategy can largely replace traditional fertilization for most garden plants. The supplemental fertilization discussed for reblooming plants represents giving them "extra oomph" rather than meeting basic nutritional needs.

Dark Foliage Revolution: Kodiak Jet Black Dervilla

Native Plants Improved Through Selection

Kodiak Jet Black demonstrates how plant breeders can enhance native plants without losing their essential characteristics. This Dervilla (native to the eastern United States) capitalizes on the species' natural tendency toward colorful new growth while intensifying and maintaining that color throughout the season.

Advantages of improved native breeding:

• Maintains native plant benefits for local ecosystems
• Enhanced ornamental characteristics for garden appeal
• Improved color retention through hot weather
• Natural tidiness requiring minimal maintenance

The contrast between dark foliage and bright yellow flowers creates stunning visual impact, while the plant's natural tendency to maintain good form without pruning makes it ideal for low-maintenance landscapes.

Climate Zone Pushing: Center Stage Pink Crape Myrtle

Redefining Cold Climate Possibilities

Center Stage Pink represents exciting possibilities for northern gardeners willing to experiment with borderline hardy plants. As a shrubby crape myrtle rather than tree form, this plant offers the coveted crape myrtle experience for zone 6 gardens through a simple strategy—treating it like a butterfly bush that dies back and regrows annually.

Key factors for zone-pushing success:

• Spring planting essential for maximum establishment time
• Avoid fall planting when pushing hardiness limits
• Disease resistance crucial for multi-climate performance
• Shrubby habit allows for ground-level dieback without losing the plant

This variety showcases Megan Matai's breeding achievements, combining dark foliage with reliable blooming on new wood and disease resistance. The available colors (red, pink, and coral) provide options for various garden color schemes.

The Most Asked-About Plant: Kinsley Ghost Honeysuckle

Native Vines That Break the Rules

Kinsley Ghost honeysuckle represents everything gardeners want in a vine—stunning appearance, native credentials, and non-invasive behavior. The distinctive blue-grey bracts that form only around flower buds create the "ghostly" appearance that makes this plant so conversation-worthy.

Important characteristics for gardeners:

• Native North American species (Lonicera reticulata)
• Non-invasive unlike problematic shrubby honeysuckles
• More sun equals bluer color for optimal ghostly effect
• Bracts develop only during flowering season—spring growth appears normal

A Rescue Story Worth Knowing

The origin story adds emotional appeal—this plant was literally rescued from obscurity by an observant nurseryman who stopped his car upon seeing it growing in a Colorado yard. This individual's curiosity and persistence preserved genetics that might otherwise have been lost, demonstrating how passionate plant people contribute to horticultural diversity.

Understanding Size Ranges: Metamorphosis Japanese Maple

Own-Root Advantages in Cold Climates

Metamorphosis Japanese maple illustrates both the appeal and challenges of Japanese maples in northern gardens. The own-root propagation approach addresses a major cold-climate problem—grafted Japanese maples often lose their ornamental tops in harsh winters, leaving only the boring rootstock.

Multi-season interest includes:

• Spring pink-orange tones on new growth
• White leaf edges developing as foliage matures
• Green stems providing winter interest
• Spectacular fall color typical of Japanese maples

Managing Size Expectations

The plant tag range of 3-15 feet reflects real-world variability based on growing conditions, climate, and management. In shade gardens where variegated plants perform best, this maple will likely stay on the smaller end of the range, especially with strategic pruning to maintain desired proportions.

Rose Performance Excellence: Oh So Easy Double Red

French Breeding Meets American Gardens

Oh So Easy Double Red demonstrates how international breeding collaborations create superior garden plants. This variety from Meyant (a renowned French rose breeding firm) combines true red color with exceptional garden performance characteristics often missing in landscape roses.

Performance features:

• True red color that maintains intensity unlike many landscape roses
• Self-cleaning habit eliminates need for deadheading
• Continuous blooming from June through late August
• Disease resistance maintained without spraying
• Second-best selling rose after At Last, indicating market acceptance

The carpet of fallen petals beneath the plants adds romantic appeal while demonstrating the rose's prolific flowering and self-cleaning characteristics.

Four-Season Trees: Temple of Bloom Heptacodium

Late Summer Flowering Trees

Temple of Bloom (Heptacodium or Seven Son Flower) represents Stacy's top three favorite plants among 350+ Proven Winners varieties—high praise that reflects its exceptional multi-season performance.

Four-season progression:

• Spring: Thick, leathery foliage with distinctive parallel veining
• Late summer: Profuse white blooms attracting abundant pollinators
• Early fall: Red bracts creating second "flowering" display
• Winter: Exfoliating cinnamon-colored bark providing sculptural interest

Wildlife Integration Benefits

Beyond ornamental value, this tree provides exceptional wildlife habitat. Fine branches perfect for hummingbird nesting combine with nectar-rich flowers that create feeding opportunities. The late-season flowering timing particularly benefits pollinators when many other nectar sources are declining.

Hidden Gems: Proud Berry Coral Berry

Timing-Dependent Plant Appreciation

Proud Berry illustrates how garden center shopping timing affects plant selection. This coral berry appears unremarkable during spring shopping season but transforms into a showstopper during fall when its bubble-like pink berries develop and intensify.

Seasonal progression features:

• Spring through summer: Attractive blue-grey foliage
• Late summer: Beginning flower development
• Fall: Dramatic pink berry display intensifying through October
• Winter: Berry persistence until freeze-thaw cycles end the show

Practical Garden Applications

This plant succeeds as both hedge material and cut flower source, while providing deer resistance and serving as a host plant for native moths. The recommendation for annual cutting back by half ensures maintained fullness and vigor.

Structural Elements: Glow Stick Japanese Holly

Broadleaf Evergreen Opportunities

Glow Stick Japanese Holly demonstrates how broadleaf evergreens can provide year-round structure while offering more design flexibility than needle evergreens. The natural tower formation creates formal accents without requiring extensive shaping.

Design applications:

• Container plantings for moveable structure
• Entry plantings for welcoming formality
• Winter lighting framework for holiday decorating
• Chartreuse accent color for year-round brightness

The zone 6 hardiness represents expanding opportunities for northern gardeners, though fall planting should be avoided for broadleaf evergreens to prevent winter damage.

Shade Garden Solutions: Legend of the Small Fothergilla

Native Plants for Challenging Conditions

Legend of the Small Fothergilla addresses common shade garden challenges while providing exceptional seasonal interest. As a North American native, it supports local ecosystems while offering garden-worthy ornamental characteristics.

Seasonal progression:

• Spring: Fragrant bottlebrush flowers attracting early pollinators
• Summer: Attractive foliage providing steady backdrop
• Fall: Marbleized orange, red, and yellow foliage display

Site Requirements and Applications

The moist soil and shade requirements make this ideal for challenging areas where many plants struggle. Deer resistance adds practical value, while the compact size (maintained without pruning for 5-6 years) fits modern landscape needs.

The Future of Garden Plants

Understanding Development Timelines

This trial garden visit reveals the long development timeline between plant breeding and commercial availability. Plants like Red Zeppelin (available 2027) and Legend of the Fall (still years away due to propagation challenges) remind us that exceptional plants require patience and strategic planning.

Propagation Challenges Drive Availability

The recurring theme of propagation difficulty affecting plant availability highlights how production challenges influence what gardeners can access. Red Zeppelin succeeds where Burgundy Spice failed specifically because it can be propagated reliably, demonstrating how practical considerations shape plant breeding priorities.

Trial Garden Value

Seeing plants in mature trial settings provides insights impossible to gain from catalog descriptions or garden center shopping. Understanding how plants perform over multiple seasons, their mature size and habit, and their integration with other plants guides better garden decision-making.

The 350+ varieties in the Proven Winners Color Choice collection represent years of breeding, testing, and selection designed to provide gardeners with reliably superior plants. This curation process explains why Proven Winners plants often command premium prices—they've proven themselves through rigorous evaluation before reaching the market.

Planning for the Future

For gardeners, this behind-the-scenes look suggests planning strategies that incorporate both proven performers and carefully selected new introductions. Understanding that exceptional plants may have limited availability initially helps set realistic expectations while building anticipation for future garden improvements.

The next time you're selecting plants for your garden, remember that each variety represents years of careful breeding, testing, and evaluation designed to ensure your success. The plants that make it to market have survived rigorous testing specifically to perform well in diverse garden conditions.

Thanks for growing with us!