Perennials in the zone

The reputation of Manitoba’s cold climate precedes us into nearly every major North American plant-breeding company. You could almost say, if a plant survives winter in Winnipeg, it will survive anywhere.

Dummen Orange is a leading global breeder and propagator of ornamental flowers and plants. It has been in operation in North America for 26 years. The company’s True North Perennials program differentiates Dummen Orange from other breeders on our continent, many of whom test their plants in places where winter temperatures do not exceed -34.4 C — in other words, Zone 4.

Hence, many new plant introductions are classified as hardy to Zone 4 because they have not been tested in our Zone 3B climate. Vanstone Nurseries in Portage la Prairie is a key regional testing ground for the True North Perennials program, which is focused on our zone.

“This has become a very big deal,” says Duayne Friesen, Winnipeg-based sales representative for Ball Seed Company, a major North American supplier of seed and young plants to commercial greenhouses. “There is significant demand, especially in Canada and the northern United States, for plant varieties that are guaranteed cold-hardy.”

In March, Friesen attended the 2026 California Spring Trials (CAST) where Dummen Orange featured a display of the True North Perennials collection. “The collection attracts a lot of attention because it tells people that these are really tough plants.”

Hardy new options

Let’s start with what I think you will agree is an exciting — even surprising — new option for Zone 3 gardeners.

La Diva Spirit Lavender White from Dummen Orange is a high-performing Lavendula angustifolia with heavy flowering, great branching and excellent hardiness. La Diva Spirit Lavender White is hardy to Zone 3, unlike many angustifolia lavender cultivars which are hardy to Zone 5.

Two other new introductions in the La Diva Spirit collection include Purple and Pink which are both Zone 4-hardy.

“Indeed, La Diva Spirit Lavender White is the strongest of the La Diva series,” says Owen Vanstone, of Vanstone Nurseries. “But La Diva Spirit Pink also came through trials with great hardiness. I would say the series overall has better cold hardiness than any other lavender variety on the market.”

Each of these new lavender varieties grows to a height of 40 centimetres. In addition to being a highly prized garden plant, Lavender angustifolia is prized for the essential oil it produces which can be used in aromatherapy.

Another product in the True North Perennials collection that brings a unique dimension to a perennial classic is the new Sedum Cloudburst Series. Think Autumn Joy sedum but with vibrant first-year blooms that come into flower earlier.

“As well, Sedum Cloudburst is much more compact at just 35 cm tall and well-branched with exceptional powdery mildew resistance,” says Friesen. “They look fabulous.”

New additions to the Sedum Cloudburst Series are planned for release in 2027, but this spring we can look forward to Sedum Cloudburst Burgundy and Sedum Cloudburst Green Flash. The latter features buds that start out deep green and open to a shade of orange. Sedum Cloudburst Burgundy has dramatic burgundy blooms above deep burgundy foliage.

“Hardiness is a non-issue with sedum as they are super robust,” says Vanstone, “but the Sedum Cloudburst cultivars are exceptional for their great colouring and strong mildew resistance. They have a very nice upright habit.”

In our cold climate, we’ve come to expect reliable winter hardiness from Gaillardia, a genus commonly known as blanket flower. But not all cultivars offer uniform flowering and reliable cold-hardiness.

SpinTop Orange Halo Improved checks all the boxes. It has tight internodes and better flower placement along with reliable blooming and a long season of colour. As part of the True North Perennials collection from Dummen Orange, SpinTop Orange Halo has been tested for Zone 3 hardiness over a period of multiple winters at Vanstone Nurseries. This new variety also has strong heat and humidity tolerance. In addition to reliable bloom performance in summer, it re-blooms in the fall.

Flower power

SpinTop Orange Halo Improved will be a standout in perennial borders but will look equally good in your seasonal patio containers.

Perennial salvia plants are always popular with gardeners. Deer and rabbits rarely bother salvia because of its strong herbal scent and fuzzy or rough leaf texture. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, however, are attracted to salvias.

New Salvia nemerosa Noble Knight has more flower power than Salvia May Night, a long-standing variety which was introduced in 1956 by renowned German plantsman, Karl Foerster. In addition, Noble Knight has early first-year flowering with large purple flowers and strong branching. The flowers are self-cleaning, so no deadheading is required.

Pair Salvia Noble Knight with Salvia Noble Princess which has large pink flowers that also bloom in spring. At just 20 cm tall, Noble Princess is slightly shorter than Noble Knight.

Also from the True North Perennials collection is the Achillea Skysail Series which has performed very strongly in Zone 3 trials. While Achillea, commonly known as yarrow, has always been a traditional favourite among native plant enthusiasts, it has gone mainstream in recent years. The Skysail series features a mass of flower clusters with vivid colours and fern-like leaves on strong stems.

This spring, look for three cultivars in the series — Skysail Fire, Skysail Yellow and Skysail Bright Pink. This medium-height (25 cm) series has a strong upright habit and a long blooming season making all three cultivars good candidates for both the landscape and container gardens.

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