I can’t believe it’s already Week 2 of 2025. As I start the first newsletter of the new year, not only would I like to wish you a Happy New Year, but I’d like to thank you for being a loyal subscriber in 2024 and in previous years if you’ve beared with me for longer. How many of you have been with me since the first newsletter in 2014? Can you believe it’s been nearly 11 years since the very first newsletter was sent out on February 7, 2024. A newsletter would certainly not survive 11 years if nobody read it.  

So, once again, thanks to you for reading Perennial Pulse twice a month for nearly 11 years, and while I’m at it, I’d like to continue my sappy moment and give a special thanks to Bossman Beytes and the entire staff at Ball Publishing for inviting me to be part of their wonderful team and for all the support and editorial lessons they've provided over the years. Ya’ll rock! 

The PPA’s 2025 Plant of the Year is ... 

Pycnanthemum muticum 

Photos: Chicago Botanic Garden. 

Pycnanthemum muticum most commonly known as clustered mountainmint (less commonly as blunt mountainmint or short-toothed mountainmint) is not a mainstream perennial (at least not yet), but does have many appealing attributes.   

Clustered mountainmint is in the mint family and does have scented leaves, but is not a true mint (Mentha spp.). It’s a must-have perennial for pollinator gardens as it attracts tons of pollinators—it truly is a pollinator magnet. It grows 24- to 36-in. tall and spreads by underground rhizomes, but less aggressively than the true mints. Pycnanthemum covers itself with heads of tiny white to light pink blooms in the summer and continues flowering for several months. The aromatic foliage of this Zone-4 perennial is unpalatable to deer and rabbits.  

PPA isn’t the only organization that promotes a perennial of the year. Each year, Proven Winners selects a perennial from its offerings to feature as the National Perennial of the Year. These plants have been chosen for their proven excellence and ability to be used successfully nationwide by growers and gardeners alike.

The Proven Winners 2025 National Perennial of the Year is ... Brunnera Jack of Diamonds.

Jack of Diamonds is a giant version of the very popular cultivar Jack Frost. Jack of Diamonds has huge 9- to 10-in. overlapping leaves. The leaves have heavy silver overlays with vivid, wide, dark green veining. It produces cute clusters of baby blue, forget-me-not type flowers in mid-spring. 

Growers and retailers can easily take advantage of the extra promotion these plants receive each year. Several perennials made the cut this year. NGB has designated 2025 as the "Year of the Asclepias." 

With the Monarch butterfly being on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) vulnerable list and the recent increase in interests in protecting pollinators, I think asclepias is an awesome selection for 2025. Did you know that asclepias is the only host plant for Monarch caterpillars?  

Growers, landscapers and gardeners are mostly familiar with various cultivars of Asclepias tuberosa, such as the straight species or Hellow Yellow, and varieties of Asclepias incarnata, including Cinderella and Ice Ballet. Most growers aren't aware there are easily at least 15 other species of asclepias out there that can be used in landscapes and native plantings.

Asclepias Possibilities

The beginning of the New Year marks what I like to call the winter trade show season. A few events have already passed, but there are numerous upcoming opportunities to attend. Consider attending one or more of the following events to learn about new products, innovations, growing practices and to network with your peers. Simply click the name of the events below to learn about each of them.