2022 plants of the year

Each year, the National Garden Bureau (NGB) chooses its plants of the year in several categories: annuals, perennials, bulbs, shrubs, and edible plants. This year they also added a houseplant to the roster.
Below are their picks for 2022. Take some time to learn more about these trendy plants and plan to add them to your own landscape in the new year:

• Gladiolus (bulb) – Dramatic flowers grow from these bulbs (corms, to be exact) each summer. Fun fact: Gladiolus is the official flower of the City of Greeley, once known as “Glad City.”
• Lilac (shrub) – Lilacs produce beautiful flowers, a wonderful fragrance and are drought-tolerant too.
• Phlox (perennial) – Phlox is a North American native wildflower that will give you showy spring flowers.
• Verbena (annual) – NGB chose annual varieties of verbena for 2022, but we like the perennial varieties that are native to Colorado, like Glandularia bipinnatifida.
• Salad greens (edible) – Red lettuce, chicory, kale, arugula, spinach…this category is big, diverse, and delicious. There are even some greens that grow wild in Colorado and can be foraged. Find an expert to help you forage the right plant and avoid illness through misidentification.
• Peperomia (houseplant) – As the name suggests, this diverse family of plants comes from the pepper family.

Talk with a landscape or garden center professional to find the best on-trend plant for your landscape’s conditions. Learn more about the categories above at the NGB website.