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2023 Color of the Year & Your Plants
It’s that time of year again when the world eagerly awaits the announcement of the 2023 Color of the Year by Pantone. This is a great place to find inspiration for interior design, fashion, beauty, graphic design, and most important to us - garden design! This year the selected color is Viva Magenta 18-1750. A vibrant color that packs a punch no matter where or how it is used. Representing bravery, fearlessness, and empowerment, and promoting joy and optimism, it’s a playful color that makes a definite statement.
“In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real. PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known. Rooted in the primordial, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength.”
The description of the color itself is inspirational, getting our creative engines revving. “As a nuanced crimson red tone that presents a balance between warm and cool, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta is also a hybrid color, one that comfortably straddles the physical and virtual in our multi-dimensional world. It is assertive, but not aggressive, a carmine red that does not boldly dominate but instead takes a “fist in a velvet glove” approach. Exuding dynamism, the 2023 color of the year PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta is a transformative red tone capable of driving design to create a more positive future.”
- Witherod Viburnum (Viburnum cassinoides) * Native *
- Shenandoah Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah')
- Royal Raindrops® Crabapple (Malus 'JFS-KW5' PP14,375)
- Double Play Doozie® Spirea (Spiraea x 'NCSX2' PP30,953)
- Chameleon Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium 'Chameleon' PP31,339)
- Kismet® Raspberry Echinacea (Echinacea x 'TNECHKR' PP28,768)
- Fanal Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii 'Fanal')
- SunSparkler® Dazzleberry Sedum (Sedum 'Dazzleberry' PP22,457)
- Summer Crush Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmacfive' PP30,359)
- Leading Lady Razzberry Bee Balm (Monarda x 'Leading Lady Razzberry' PP34,130)
- Red Creeping Thyme (Thymus praecox 'Coccineus')
- Ann Magnolia (Magnolia x ‘Ann’)
- Tempo™ Rose Geum (Geum x 'TNGEUTR' PP31,209)
- Mystic Ruby™ Buckeye (Aesculus x bushii 'Aaron1' PP29,092)
- Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers')
- Dark Horse Weigela (Weigela florida 'Dark Horse' PP14,381)
- Wine & Roses® Weigela (Weigela florida 'Alexandra' PP10,772)
- Pearl Glam® Beautyberry (Callicarpa x 'NCCX2' PP28,312)
- Tricolor European Beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Tricolor’ (‘Roseo-Marginata’)
There are many trees, shrubs, perennials, and even ornamental grasses that are Viva Magenta-esque and we’re highlighting a few below. If you want help planning your landscape, start your journey with We Plan, You Plant. This service is designed for homeowners who want to DIY their landscape as a family-friendly and hands-on option. We’re always here to help!
Find Viva Magenta In Your Landscape
* Native * All season interest. Diminutive white flowers bloom in early June, followed by drupes that turn a brilliant magenta in late summer. In fall, its leaves range from red to orange to purple. Require multiple plants to cross-pollinate. Great for wetter areas!
- Mature Height: 5 to 6 feet
- Mature Spread: 5 to 6 feet
- Utility: Hedge, Screen, Native Garden, Rain Garden, Pond Perimeters
- Catalog: #2 Containers
Shenandoah Switch Grass
Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'
A beautiful warm-season grass that begins green and in mid-summer, takes on magenta to dark red tones becoming more pronounced until it develops into a striking deep burgundy wine by fall. Airy clouds of pinkish flowers rise 1-2' above the foliage in late summer.
- Mature Height: 3-4 feet
- Mature Spread: 2-3 feet
- Utility: Border, Low Hedge, Screen, Mass Planting
- Catalog: #1 and #3 Containers
Royal Raindrops® Crabapple
Malus 'JFS-KW5' PP14,375
A true showstopper with fragrant, magenta flowers in spring set against unique, cut-leaf wine to burgundy foliage. Pretty red-purple ¼” fruit follows in late summer and lasts through winter, providing birds and wildlife plenty to snack on.
- Mature Height: 15–20 feet
- Mature Spread: 12–15 feet
- Utility: Specimen, Screening, Wildlife Garden
- Catalog: #15 Containers, Field Grown B&B
Double Play Doozie® Spirea
Spiraea x 'NCSX2' PP30,953
Expect masses of magenta to pink flowers to appear in late spring, blooming continuously through summer. This seedless variety just keeps on flowering with no deadheading required! Deer-resistant and drought-tolerant once established it’s a doozie!
- Mature Height: 2–3 feet
- Mature Spread: 2–3 feet
- Utility: Hedge, Border, Specimen, Mass Planting, Edging
- Catalog: #2 and #3 Containers
Chameleon Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium 'Chameleon' PP31,339
A delightful variegated cultivar of the native Little Bluestem that emerges green and white in spring and like a chameleon, its tips become a light purple in summer. By fall, the color intensifies to magenta, lasting well into the winter.
- Mature Height: 1 to 2 feet
- Mature Spread: 1 to 2 feet
- Utility: Border, Edging, Erosion Control, Mass Planting, Rock Garden
- Catalog: #1 Containers
Kismet® Raspberry Echinacea
Echinacea x 'TNECHKR' PP28,768
Masses of vibrant magenta coneflowers bloom earlier than most, continuously flowering until the first frost. Pollinators are attracted in droves, making them perfect in a mixed pollinator garden. Sturdy stems and long-lasting color make for great cut flowers.
- Mature Height: 1-2 feet
- Mature Spread: 2-4 feet
- Utility: Border, Mass Planting, Cut Flowers, Pollinator Garden
- Catalog: #1 Containers
Fanal Astilbe
Astilbe x arendsii 'Fanal'
Tall plumes of densely packed magenta flowers sit atop dark red stems, delivering a mighty punch of color to shadier gardens! Beautiful bronzy green foliage provides contrast and texture for these long-blooming beauties.
- Mature Height: 1-2 feet
- Mature Spread: 1-2 feet
- Utility: Borders, Mass Planting, Shade Garden, Cottage Garden, Cut Flowers
- Catalog: #1 Containers
SunSparkler® Dazzleberry Sedum
Sedum 'Dazzleberry' PP22,457
Huge clusters of brilliant raspberry to magenta flowers bloom from August to September, attracting an abundance of pollinators. Blue-grey disease-resistant foliage retains its color all season long.
- Mature Height: 6 to 8 inches
- Mature Spread: 12 to 18 inches
- Utility: Groundcover, Edging, Border, Mass Planting, Pollinator Garden
- Catalog: #1 Containers
Summer Crush Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmacfive' PP30,359
A compact hydrangea with intense raspberry to magenta flowers contrasted against rich green glossy foliage. Very hardy it blooms on both old and new wood making it reliable and easy to grow!
- Mature Height: 1.5-3 feet
- Mature Spread: 1.5-3 feet
- Utility: Border, Cottage Garden, Mass Planting, Edging
- Catalog: #2 and #5 Containers
