Designing with native plants brings great value to the landscape, supporting life-sustaining ecosystems in our own front and backyards. First Editions® has focused on adding native selections to the collection to bring North American native species to a broader audience.
Some of these plants were selected straight from nature and some have had some intentional crossing of native species. All are produced in nursery settings, so we call them native selections rather than a straight native species grown from seed. That’s why you see a cultivar name like Fiber Optics® next to Buttonbush.
These selections are made because each cultivar might have an attribute that makes it even better for a home garden than the native species: more compact, longer flowering, more flowers, better disease resistance, etc. In the case of Fiber Optics®, this selection is more compact than the species and has a more uniform habit than the somewhat rangy native species.
Here are a few of our favorites and how to use them in the landscape. Hungry for even more ideas? Scroll to the bottom for the full list of native selections in the First Editions® collection!
There are few more classic plants in a cool and moderate-climate landscape than a smooth hydrangea. Who hasn’t had an ‘Annabelle’ in their garden at some point? But also, who hasn’t been disappointed when the rain comes along and knocks those big, beautiful flowers over midsummer?
FlowerFull® fixes that with super strong stems and 2-3x more flowers than other smooth hydrangeas. Use it in a short hedge, en masse, or as a focal point in the garden with that mass of beautiful white flowers all season long!
With its silvery foliage and soft texture, Iceberg Alley® adds great color and dimension to the landscape. The species’ native range stretches into Canada and Alaska, so it’s incredibly cold hardy.
What makes this selection unique is the beautiful foliage, which is a great palate cleanser in the landscape and can be used to break up lots of vibrant color or add cool tones to your design.
We love Amber Jubilee™ because of its foliage that provides seasonal surprises in the garden. While everything is waking up in spring, this selection provides warm tones of fall color with orange and yellow new growth followed by green leaves in summer.
In fall, the foliage turns a bright and brilliant red and orange that can be seen across the garden. The multi-season interest of this hedge-sized shrub makes it a real Rock Star in the landscape.
If you’re looking for a low-growing woody shrub, Jade Parade® is an amazing selection. The arching branches are absolutely covered in flowers in spring, attracting early-season pollinators and native insects. The green leaves turn a bright red in fall, making it appear as if there are flames hugging the ground as you close out the season.
In your design work, use Jade Parade® to fill in gaps and to keep a low profile. It’s also perfect for hillsides or sandy sites that need a woody shrub to hold the soil in place. It’s one of those hard-working shrubs that does more than just function, it looks good, too!
As mentioned above, Fiber Optics® is a great advancement from the native species that fits so beautifully into a home landscape. In design, it’s especially great in wet spots in the landscape. Especially in those areas that stay wet late in spring, Fiber Optics® will help soak up that water to avoid squishy grass or drowning out surrounding plants. It’s a decent hedge-size shrub, so it’s great in the back of the border or as an interesting hedge with it’s cool fiber-like flower.
Use our Find a Retailer tool to locate First Editions® at garden centers near you or shop the collection online during our shipping season. Remember to tag us on social @firsteditionsshrubstrees if you plant one of these shrubs and sign up for our newsletter for monthly inspiration, tips, and more delivered right to your inbox.
