May 2024 - 6

Native Grasses
A Must-Have for Every Grower Program
The popularity of incorporating North
American native plants into the landscape
has never been greater than today, but
it's far from being a new trend. As the
term implies, native plants have been
here much longer than we have. What's
more recent, though, is the awareness
of the benefits they provide, and an
appreciation for what they add to gardens
and commercial landscapes alike, be it as
habitat for bird and insect species, food
and shelter for pollinators, natural drought
tolerance, erosion control, and more.
And let's not forget their natural beauty.
As a company that's always at the forefront
of industry developments and is known
for its knack for anticipating consumer
demands and trends, it is no wonder
that Emerald Coast Growers has been
growing native plants since it first opened
its doors 33 years ago. The Pensacola,
Florida, based liner producer carries a
comprehensive line of different native
grasses and many native perennials, sold
in 38-count, 50-count, and 72-count
trays and shipped across North America.
Emerald Coast Growers offers numerous
varieties from 13 different genera of
native grasses, ranging from Andropogon
to Sporobolus and many in between.
The company works with many excellent
breeders, breeder agents and researchers
across the globe to trial, select and
introduce the best selections that provide
grower success as well as landscape
appeal and benefits. When asked if any
of their native grasses are particularly
popular and " on trend " right now, Shannon
Ballard, New Plants Manager for Emerald
Coast, replied " There are many, but if
we must pick a few...the most recent
popular varieties are the variegated little
bluestems: Schizachyrium scoparium
'Chameleon' PP31339 and Schizachyrium
scoparium Shining Star™ PP33433
, as well
as these three blue grama grasses:
Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' PP22048
Bouteloua gracilis 'Honeycomb' PP33101
Bouteloua x Zig Zag™ PPAF
. Their beauty
combined with the benefits of native
grasses makes them sure bets for
any native grass program. "
,
and
When asked how Ballard has seen the
demand change over the years, she
stated " What we are seeing is a significant
increase in the number of cultivated
selections being made in native grasses.
The number of varieties being offered
within each genus has increased; creating
demand. It is more common today to
walk into your local retail nursery and
see a native grass for sale than ever
before. The selections being made offer
more interesting colors, better habits,
and overall improved performance. "
The newest addition to Emerald Coast
Growers' native grass selection is the
Dream Catcher® series of Panicum.
Developed by Dave MacKenzie of
Hortech, three new introductions will
be available from Emerald Coast:
Panicum virgatum Dream Catcher®
Huggy Purple® ('Nonelpr') PPAF
features
arching green foliage that turns to a
beautiful purple in late summer. It flowers
with sprays of purple panicles from
August through October, with the blooms
becoming progressively more purple. It
grows to five feet in height, prefers full
sun, and is hardy to USDA Zones 4-10.
Panicum virgatum Dream Catcher®
Smokey Rose® ('Nonesory') PPAF
is
compact and versatile, and wonderful
when mass planted, as an accent, or
as a companion. It is the perfect neat,
tidy, well-behaved plant with a tight
bouquet-like habit, dark green foliage,
and a crown of billowy smoky-rose
flowers from mid-summer into fall. Smoky
Rose® stands up to wind and rain and
pairs well with numerous companions.
It grows to 3.5 feet in height, prefers full
sun, and is hardy to USDA Zones 4-10.
Panicum virgatum Dream Catcher®
Tumbleweed® ('Nondee') PPAF
is virtually
round in shape, and when it flowers it
looks like a puffy silvery-black beachball
(or tumbleweed). But it doesn't blow
around in the wind; it holds up nicely
to wind and rain and can be used en
masse or with companions. It grows
to three feet in height, prefers full sun,
and is hardy to USDA Zones 4-10.
Smokey Rose®
Huggy Purple®
Tumbleweed®
So, what does the future hold for native
grasses? " We will continue to see more
improved native cultivars for homeowners
and commercial landscapes that bring
great ornamental value while providing
landscape solutions at the same time, "
states Ballard. " Here at Emerald Coast
we're excited to continue our quest
to bring the best cultivars to North
American gardens and landscapes. "
For more information about the Dream
Catcher series or any of Emerald Coast
Growers plants, or to order, please visit
www.ecgrowers.com, call 850-944-0808,
or email sales@ecgrowers.com.
ADVERTISEMENT | © 2024 Emerald Coast Growers
http://www.ecgrowers.com
May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2024
