New Compact SunPatiens®

SunPatiens^® thrive in the heat and humidity

We’ve sung the praises of SunPatiens^® on more than one occasion. This hybrid series from Sakata is one we turn to again and again for classic impatiens flower power in sun-loving form. These plants thrive in the heat and humidity, and you can see the size of the flowers.

Striped leaves of ‘Phasion’ heighten the drama

Wow—if you need a showpiece for a summer display we have a new canna that stands out in a crowd. ‘Phasion’ has the tall stalks and vivid orange flowers we look for in a canna but as you can see, its broad leaves heighten the drama. Notice the stripes: orange, red, yellow, bright pink, and green—did I leave out any colors? It reminds me of some sticks of fruity gum I used to chew back in the day.

‘Phasion’ is a natural focal point—in addition to all that eye-catching color the plant reaches nearly 7 feet tall. It looks at home beside a pool but it also adds lush texture to any bed or large container combination. We like to pair it up with colorful EnduraScape™ verbena or Landmark™ lantana for a truly unbeatable combo.

For all the exotic interest it provides, this sun lover is easy to grow. It’s also surprisingly adaptable; while moist to wet soil is ideal, in a pinch it comes through with drought tolerance during periods of dry weather. ‘Phasion’ blooms from summer to fall; expect to see about 4–8 flowers per stalk.

Exotic, eye-catching color

We grow this unique variety in the 8-inch pot.

Spiky blue-green foliage makes bright blooms pop

We mentioned that ornamental grass makes an effective background for our new SunPatiens^® varieties and pretty blue-green ‘Blue Mohawk™’ is a good choice. These tall spiky blades arch gracefully and form attractive mounds that sway in the breeze, adding just the right touch of drama. We like the way the subtle shade of the foliage causes the bright blooms to pop.

Juncus is a warm season grass: it gets going when the weather gets hot, just like our SunPatiens®—and it’s equally low-maintenance. ‘Blue Mohawk™’ reaches about 24–36 inches high so we use it as a thriller in containers and fill in with colorful SunPatiens^®. In a landscape bed we’d put a row of the tall grass down the middle with shorter annuals, or maybe some sun coleus—like ‘Pink Chaos’, also new for spring— on either side.

‘Blue Mohawk™’ is available in the true gallon pot.