New 2019 Perennials & Shrubs (The Best New Plants For 2019)
This list of the best new 2019 perennials and shrubs has lots of plants with beautiful leaf colors, gorgeous fragrant flowers and re-blooming varieties you’ll want to add to your spring plant shopping list.
This is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only because of the holiday season. But also because it’s the time of the year when all of the new plant varieties for next year are announced.
So while taking a break from Christmas decorating, I decided to search for the new perennials and shrubs that are being introduced for 2019. It’s never too early to start my plant shopping list for the spring 🙂
From beautiful leaf colors to gorgeous fragrant flowers to re-blooming varieties, there are a lot of options to choose from this year! And I was happy to see a lot of blue and purple flowers on the list.
Here are the plants that are on my list for the best new 2019 perennials and shrubs so far. I’ll be adding to it as I find new ones…so be sure to pin this so you can check back later!
Best New 2019 Perennials
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Note: Some of the new perennials for 2020 have been announced. If you’re interested, you can find my favorites HERE.
Purple Leaf Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Light: Part Shade to Shade
Zones: 4 to 9
Height: 10″ to 14″
Flowers: white
Bloom Time: Early to Mid Summer
How stunning is this new 2019 variety of Heuchera called Dolce® Wildberry?
The bright purple leaves will make a statement in your garden all season long!
It also has white flowers with rosy pink calyxes which will be stunning against those leaves.
Chocolate False Indigo (Baptisia)
Light: Part Sun to Sun
Zones: 4 to 9
Height: 36″ to 42″
Flowers: Charcoal purple
Bloom Time: Late Spring to Early Summer
Decadence® Dark Chocolate is a new variety of false indigo with beautiful chocolate purple flowers that are so dark they almost look black.
This plant seems to thrive in poor soil conditions and is moderately drought tolerant once established. A great low maintenance addition to your garden.
Indigo Blue Catmint (Nepeta)
Light: Sun
Zones: 3 to 8
Height: 10″ to 14″
Flowers: Indigo blue
Bloom Time: Late Spring to Mid Summer
‘Cat’s Pajamas’ Catmint is the next new 2019 perennial on our list. I think I need to buy it just because of the name 🙂
This plant has beautiful Indigo Blue flowers that are darker than your traditional catmint and bloom for quite a long time (especially if you shear it after it blooms the first time).
It also is heat tolerant and drought tolerant, another low maintenance option for your garden.
Two Tone Pink Bee Balm (Monarda)
Light: Part Sun to Sun
Zones: 4 to 9
Height: 10″ to 14″
Flowers: Bright pink
Bloom Time: Early to Mid Summer
‘Leading Lady Orchid’ Bee Balm is a dwarf variety that has two-toned pink flowers. It would be great for adding a pop of color to the front of your garden border.
As with all Monarda, it is also a favorite with hummingbirds and butterflies.
Bright Pink Phlox
Light: Sun
Zones: 3 to 8
Height: 6″ to 8″
Flowers: Pink
Bloom Time: Mid Spring
Rose Sprite Hybrid Spring Phlox is the next addition to our 2019 new perennial list.
It’s low growing and has gorgeous bright pink, fragrant flowers that will make a statement in the front of your border.
This Phlox hybrid tolerates more shade than most other Phlox varieties, although it still does best in full sun.
Reblooming Salvia
Light: Sun
Zones: 3 to 8
Height: 14″ to 16″
Flowers: Violet Blue
Bloom Time: Late Spring to Mid Summer
Violet Profusion Perennial Salvia is a re-blooming plant with violet blue flowers. To me, the best perennials are the ones that bloom the longest. Which is why this re-blooming salvia is on my list of the best new perennials for 2019.
Cutting it back after it has bloomed will help to promote new flowers.
Best New 2019 Shrubs
Note: Some of the new shrubs for 2020 have been announced. If you’re interested, you can find my favorites HERE.
Re-blooming Dwarf Pink Lilac (Syringa)
Light: Sun
Zones: 3 to 7
Height: 30″ to 36″
Flowers: Pink
Bloom Time: Late Spring to Fall
Bloomerang® Dwarf Pink is only one of the cultivars of the re-blooming Boomerang series. Just imagine having those beautiful fragrant flowers in your garden all season long!
I like this one because of its bright pink flowers and small bush size. However if you’re looking for a traditional purple flower or larger plants, they are also available.
Super Fragrant Double Blue Lilac (Syringa)
Light: Sun
Zones: 2 to 8
Height: 6′ to 8′
Flowers: Double blue
Bloom Time: Spring
Scentara® Double Blue Lilac is (as you might have guessed from the name) a very fragrant bush with double blue-purple flowers.
It’s more of a traditional lilac than the last one, in that it blooms once during the spring and grows to 8′ tall and wide.
However, it is a little more heat tolerant…so I will be definitely be trying this one in my SC garden!
Re-blooming Mountain Hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata)
Light: Part Sun to Sun
Zones: 5 to 9
Height: 24″ to 36″
Flowers: Blue or pink depending on soil acidity
Bloom Time: Summer to Fall
Did I mention that I love re-blooming plants? Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha® Reblooming Mountain Hydrangea is another of the new 2019 plants that is re-blooming.
Having said that, I would buy this Hydrangea just for its beautiful double flowers that will be either blue or pink depending on the acidity of your soil (the more acidic your soil, the more blue the blooms will be).
It also is quite low maintenance, not even requiring pruning.
Dwarf Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Light: Sun
Zones: 5 to 9
Height: 24″
Flowers: Purple
Bloom Time: Early Summer to Fall
Pugster® Amethyst Butterfly bush is a dwarf plant that produces full sized flowers in purple, blue, periwinkle, pink or white.
I love this new variety because you get the small size (the standard sized Buddleia tend to get a little unruly in my garden), but don’t give up any of the bloom size.
As with all butterfly bushes, it attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
Other Plants You Might Like
- New Perennials for 2020
- Shade Loving Shrubs: 11 Beautiful Bushes To Plant Under Trees
- 10 Beautiful Perennial Plants With The Most Fragrant Flowers
Have you found some other plants to add to our list of the best new 2019 perennials and shrubs? Tell us in the section below.
Pin It So You Don't Forget It!
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This post was originally published on November 25, 2018 but was updated with new content on September 15, 2022.
This was especially helpful as we moved from NM (yipee)(back to green and rain) and I need some new plants for the yard. Thank you for helping with my search for what works here. There are 3 huge trees (2 oak and 1 Chinese Tulip) in the yard so it is a new challenge.
You’re welcome, Char! I’m glad to hear you are moving back to a good gardening area 🙂
thanks for all the info on more dwarf size plants, I have huge square plant boxes and have my garden up on the 15th floor apt balcony….so fare I’m having great success…I’ve being doing this for 3 yrs now……
That’s great, Bev! Hopefully some of these new plants will work in your balcony garden, too 🙂
How long from seed to bloom.will they bloom the first year?
Hi Bill…many perennials will bloom the same year if you start them indoors before the growing season starts, or if they have late summer flowers. Check the instructions on the seed packets…they will usually have that kind of information printed on them.