We are asked this questions hundreds of times a year - what kind of plant would you recommend for (fill in the blank)? It’s always a tricky question because we all like different things. I may answer that question by saying I love this one or that one but so many of these decisions are personal with a lot of variation. One thing that tends to remain constant for gardeners, however, is that we like to try new things…do something different instead of just planting the same thing year after year.

We all know there are a lot of choices out there when deciding on what to bring home to your landscape and sometimes, these types of purchases can be a little risky. The main question is always “will this plant grow in my growing conditions?”

As a way to help fill the need for something new and interesting, Oklahoma State University started their Oklahoma Proven program several years ago. Each year the Oklahoma Proven folks have multiple tests happening at the same time which ultimately result in a recommended tree, shrub, perennial, and annual for the year.

And just to say it out loud, yes, we love native plants, but there really isn’t a reason for a program to evaluate all native plants since by definition, native plants should do well in our area because, well, they are native plants. That having been said, this year’s perennial is a native plant you may not be familiar with, so without further ado, here’s this year’s selections.

This year’s featured tree is the Trident maple or three-toothed maple (Acer buergerianum). The Trident maple is native to China, Korea, and Japan. It’s a slow growing deciduous tree that when fully grown will be about 20 to 25 feet tall making it a perfect choice when you would like a tree, but don’t have a lot of space. It is a low branching, multi-stemmed tree but can be trimmed to a single stem. This tree has an interesting bark that is flaky which later reveals an orange-brown inner bark on mature tree trunks. Its leaves are triangular and glossy green on the top but light green underneath. In the fall you can expect very pretty foliage in shades of dark red and orange. It is rated for growing zones 5-9 (see last Saturday’s article on growing zones), likes full sun to part shade, and prefers moist but well drained soil.

The shrub this year is the Winterberry Holly Dwarf (Ilex verticillata). This common winterberry is a deciduous holly that is native to Eastern North America. It has flowers that you might miss seeing, but then these flowers are followed by bright red berries, arranged in clusters. This winterberry will lose its leaves in the fall, but the berries will provide interest in your garden through the winter. Winterberry holly is a rounded shrub that is typically 6 to 10 feet in height, but this dwarf variety works great in small spaces or even containers. The shrub is rated for growing zones 3 -9, likes full sun to part shade, prefers moist-acidic soil, and tolerates wet conditions.

Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. Drummondii) is the perennial for 2023 and this one is a native. Typically, turk’s cap grows to about 2-3 feet in height and 3-5 feet in width. I have a couple of these in my landscape and love them because of their unusual flowers which resemble…wait for it… a Turkish turban. These bright red flowers have overlapping petals which form a tube. Butterflies, and moths love them but I particularly love watching the hummingbirds go from flower to flower.

This one is a late bloomer with flowers arriving during the hot weather near the end of the summer and then continuing into the fall. It is also a good flowering plant for a slightly shaded location. Turk’s cap is rated for growing zones 7-10 which means if we get an extremely cold winter, we might lose this one. I’ve had to replant once before but they tend to come back every year. They will do well in sun or part shade and prefer moist, well-drained soils.

Last but not least is this year’s annual, the Cape plumbago (Plumbago auriculata). This one can grow to about 6 to 7 feet in height and 8 to 10 feet in width in it’s native South Africa, but here we will treat it as an annual, growing to between 1 and 3 feet in height during a season. If you want to keep it from year to year, you’ll need to plant it in a container and move it indoors during the winter. During the growing season, this one will have clusters of pale, sky-blue flowers that resemble flowers you would expect to see on phlox. It is also available in white and dark blue. It grows well in full sun or shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil.

You may have heard about our annual online Plant Sale/Fundraiser that is underway. We have the Turk’s cap available in this year’s sale, as well as several Oklahoma Proven selections from previous years. Just visit our website (www.tulsamastergardeners.org) and click on the Plant Sale icon to shop. See you in the garden.

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo Courtesy Tom Ingram