Being Plant Geeks, I know that you love hearing about new and exciting plants – and I found plenty of them at the IPM Essen trade show in Germany! I’ve already talked about the trends that I spotted at this trade show, but the plants themselves deserved a post of their own.
Here are 13 new plants I spotted at the show.
 1. Ranunculus “Charlotte”
Annoyingly, this one isn’t available as a dry bulb yet; it’s only available as a cut bloom from very specialised Japanese growers. It doesn’t hurt to dream though!
2. (Not) Just Peanuts
The Swiss fruit and vegetable breeding company, Lubera, just keep on innovating. Here are some surprisingly different varieties of peanut that you can grow at home! Can’t wait to try.
3. HibisQs
The Danish breeding company, Graf, continue to innovate Hibiscus for low light levels. These amazingly colourful varieties are performing much better in northern Europe, so now we can have ones that are just as fancy as our Spanish counterparts.
4. New Hydrangeas
This humble hybrid was just sitting in a corner on one of the French displays. But amazingly, did you know that it is a hybrid between Hydrangea macrophylla and Hydrangea scandens?? Set to be a hydrangea of the future, check out that rounded, cloudlike growth. A hydrangea for bedding perhaps?
5. Outdoor Rockery Cactus
I’ve spotted these beauties in trial at RHS Wisley, these are cactus for rockeries. What a fantastic innovation! They even flower outdoors in a good summer too.
6. Finger Limes
They are a taste sensation, and now you can grow them on a mini trellis on the patio. The flesh tumbles out like caviar, the fruits are hard to find in the shops, so why not grow your own?
7. Perennial Wallflower “Sweet Sorbet”
Some of the toughest, and longest flowering plants, that you can grow in the garden. Fragrant, blushing, and a lovely shade of violet!
8. Petunia “Midnight”
The Petunia world keeps on getting better and better. This double black version has a yellow rim to each petal. It’s set to be the must-have plant of next season, you heard it here first…
9. The First Aid Plant
This unusual Bulbine plant might look quite assuming at first, but did you know it has the same qualities as the well-known plant Aloe vera? You can snap the stem and use it to soothe cuts and grazes.
10. Belgian Primroses
Some of the best primroses are coming from Belgian breeding stables right now. They have doubles, ruffles, and almost every colour of the rainbow. These are from Rudy Raes.
11. Monsteras with attitude
This plant is actually a breadfruit plant. It has been developed as a houseplant. He behaves similarly to a Monstera, but has 150% more attitude, we think! Coming to a living room near you soon.
12. Begonia name tbc
Breeding companies have really recognised the fact that people are loving begonias. The leaf types are being developed especially well. This is a brand-new one which doesn’t even have a name yet! I wonder if it glows in the dark??
13. Bamboo Orchids
Effectively a clever rebrand, but these Dendrobium orchids are ideal for a living room. Lots of new colours are available, and they could give Phalaenopsis a run for their money...
14. Hydrangea “Francy”
These new Hydrangeas look just like tiaras, with the multi layered petals that are blue in acid soil and a luscious pink in an alkaline soil. As with all of these, easy to grow in the border or pot.
Michael has been involved with gardening and plants since he was just five years old. He is a self-professed Plant Geek, and was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 most influential people in the gardening world, thanks to his plant hunter role at Thompson & Morgan.
Michael was responsible for new plant introductions such as the Egg and Chips plant and the FuchsiaBerry and keeps busy travelling the world in search of new plants as well as lecturing worldwide, including stints in Japan. He is very active on social media – so why not give him a follow at @mr_plantgeek or Facebook. You can also listen to The Plant Based Podcast with Michael and co-host Ellen-Mary on iTunes, Spotify and Google.
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Julie Hanson
Thanks for sharing. Wonder how much of this will be in U.S.
Terry
I love some of the new hibiscus series in which display long lasting blooms and compact growth, the above ‘Apollo’ is said to be an excellent new introduction I can’t wait to get my hands on!
Leif Price
I will definitely add those on my gardening lists! Thanks for sharing.