Stachys Hummelo is Perennial Plant of the Year for 2019

Chris Beytes

The Perennial Plant Association has awarded the title Perennial Plant of the Year 2019 to Stachys Hummelo. Why this plant? Because it’s “stunning in massed plantings and popular with designers … as trouble-free and dependable as it is eye-catching,” says the PPA press release.

This late June-July bloomer was selected and introduced by famed German grower Ernst Pagels in the late 1990s. It gained popularity thanks to renowned designer and plantsman Piet Oudolf, who used it in some of his signature works.

“Hummel” means “bumblebee” in German—appropriate, as Ernst observed many pollinators visiting the flowers. The cultivar name also honored Ernst’s close connection to Piet and his nursery and home at Hummelo, The Netherlands. GT