Special Deliveries

We've rounded up the best new perennials, trees and shrubs. Now where will you put them?

by Kym Pokorny

excerpts from The Oregonian, January 30, 2003

Happy days, it's almost plant-shopping time again. What must you have? Well, that depends on you, but here are some perennials, shrubs and trees introduced this year that win our vote. Pay attention: some of these new plants are going to be hot, hot, hot - and we don't mean a flash in the pan.

Echinicea purpurea 'Doppelganger' - The first of its kind, this exciting two-storied coneflower from Germany is most unusual. A traditional echinacea flower is topped by a smaller matching flower on the orange-stamened cone. Sun. Zone 3. LOG HOUSE World Exclusive

Aquilegia 'Dead Spider' - Don't let the name scare you off. Here's a conversation piece - a columbine with gray, drooping blossoms and pleasant green foliage. Sun. part shade. Zone 7a. VIVA

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' - As if the heart-shaped white leaves traversed with green veins aren't enough, this baby has sky-blue flowers like a forget-me-not. Shade, part shade. Zone 4. TERRA NOVA

Carex muskingumensis 'Ice Fountains' - An elegant, graceful grass that doesn't flop, even in shade. Likes moisture. Sun or shade. Zone 3. BLOOMING

Colocasla 'Red Stem' - Rhubarb-red stems make this elephant ear a tasty dream come true. Can be grown in soil or pond. Sun. part shade. Zone 7. RARE PLANT

Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby' - Don't be without the plant everyone's going to be talking about - the first red coreopsis. Fine textured, ferny foliage grows to about 2 feet. Sun. Zone 3. BLOOMING

Coreopsis 'Sweet Dreams' - Sweet it is with bicolored flowers of white and raspberry. Drought tolerant. Sun. Zone 4. BLOOMING

Dicliptera suberecta - Felty silver leaves hold clusters of hot orange-vermilion flowers loved by hummingbirds. Nonstop blooming. Drought tolerant. Sun. Zone 7b. Great container plant. VIVA

Eucomis comosa 'Oakhurst' - Glowing burgundy foliage and purple pineapple-like flowers set off this sun-loving, tropical- looking perennial. Sun. Zone 7. TERRA NOVA

Euphorbia 'Golden Glory' - Stocky, dark foliage provides a sharp contrast for the . shocking, acid-yellow inflorescences. Sun, part shade. Zone 6b. TERRA NOVA

Fuchsia 'Scarlet Ribbons' - Brilliant red tubular flowers held in fist-size clusters. Very large - to 6 feet in the ground. Part shade. Zone 8a. VIVA

Heliopsis 'Loraine Sunshine' - See variegation in your future? Then grab this one. White leaves with green veins grow to 30 inches, a more diminutive stature than the species. Sun. Zone 3. BLOOMING

Hemerocallis 'Golden Zebra' (syn. H. Malja-) - Talk about variegation! This new daylily not only has beautifully striped green-and-yellow foliage, but it also has green stripes on the yellow petals. Good for containers. Sun, part shade. Zone 7. MONROVIA

Liriope muscari 'Okina' - A ghostly white ornamental grass to light up shady areas. Will contrast well with just about anything. Part shade. Zone 6. TERRA NOVA

Mirabilis jalapa - 'Custard and Cream' - Newest four o'clock produces yellow and white trumpet-shaped flowers at the same time. Blooms all summer long. Sun. Zone 8. LOG HOUSE

Oxalis 'Klamath Ruby' - Selection of native Oxalis oregana from the Klamath Mountains of Southwest Oregon. Evergreen foliage is deep maroon on undersides with upper surfaces splashed with silver. Small, pale pink flowers. Tough ground cover for dry shade, such as under a Douglas fir. Shade or part shade. Zone 7. CISTUS

Penstemon tubaeflorus - Rare native from the Great Plains blooms in early summer with lots of showy flower spikes. More moisture-tolerant than many penstemons. Deer- and rabbit- resistant. 2003 Green Thumb Award. Sun. Zone 4. HIGH COUNTRY

Phygelius 'Peach Trombone' - Peachy-pink, long, tubular flowers tipped with brick red. Compact, to only 2 feet. Sun. Zone7a. VIVA .

Primula polyanthus 'YOU and ME' Series - Get ready for the buzz about this group of rare primroses grown from seed for the first time after a 14-year project in Romania. These unusual - and very hardy - Hose-in-Hose primroses appear to have two identical flowers one on top of the other. Eight colors, from yellow to purple. Sun, part shade. Zone 5. LOG HOUSE EXCLUSIVE