Plants of the Week for May 11th

This week was hard to pick out three plants.  Itoh Peonies are in full bloom, salvia are all happy and so were the Matrix lilies. These all receive honorable mention this week.

Our first plant is another one from my yard the Onadaga Viburnum, it has red new growth and in early May white lace cap blooms that resemble a Hydrangea.  Except it lives in full to partial sun.  It's as tough as a Snowball Viburnum.  It grows to 10 to 12 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wall.  It can be a great privacy hedge mixed with Rose of Sharon, Lilacs or even Arborvitae.

The Klondike Exbury Azalea is part of the deciduous azalea group where they lose their foliage in the fall with beautiful fall color.  The orange rhododendron-like flowers are wonderful this time of year.  Klondike gets 4 to 6 feet tall and wide.  They do best with filtered shade at 3 to 5 pm in summer.  

Wine and Roses Weigela is a chocolate or bronze foliage that flowers magenta pink blooms that attract hummingbirds and butterflies in May. It reaches 4 to 6 feet tall and wide.  For best foliage color, plant in full sun but it will take some shade. Responds well to pruning if it gets raggedy.   Great contrast to blue grey or green leafed plants.