Top 5 New Proven Winners Shrubs for Zone 3

Spring 2024 is proving to be full of new plant introductions from Proven Winners! Seventy five new plants to be exact. Amazing! You’ll want to make room for five of the new shrub introductions for Zone 3. Happy gardening!

Pinky Winky Prime Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pinky Winky Prime’)

An improved Pinky Winky Hydrangea.

Pinky Winky Prime is a new extremely cold hardy, salt tolerant hydrangea for Zone 3 gardens.

Part to Full Sun Location

Mature Height:  1.8 – 2.7 m          Mature Spread:  1.8 – 2.7 m 

A large upright shrub with dark green foliage and massive blooms. This shrub blooms on new wood (current years’ growth). In mid- summer the flower stalks begin as white blooms, progressing to two tone pink and white at the beginning of fall. In late fall the blooms are a solid deep pink. Soil pH will not affect flower color. This shrub makes a great focal point in a garden or a spectacular hedge on an acreage. The beautiful blooms attract pollinators including bees and butterflies. 

Pinky Winky likes nutrient rich, loamy soil with good drainage. It will not tolerate sitting in soggy soil. After planting, water regularly to establish a strong root system. In subsequent years water moderately.

Prune in late winter or early spring. Cut back to 1/3 the height and width of the existing shrub. Prune back to 7mm above an existing large outward facing bud.  The larger buds produce the most vigorous branches.

When planting include Mykes Tree and Shrub or water in with a 10-52-10 root booster to encourage outward root growth into the new soil. In subsequent years apply a slow release deciduous shrub fertilizer in early spring.

Hydrangea blooms make gorgeous cut flowers. Cut 2 inches up each stem to prolong the vase life of the blooms. 

Oso Easy Ice Bay Rose -  Rosa x ‘Bozmillwin’

Mature Height: 61 cm – 1 m          Mature Spread:  61 cm – 1 m

A small, disease resistant* shrub with a mounded habit, great for mass planting.   Can be used in large shrub borders and makes a great cut flower.

Oso Easy Ice Bay Rose flowers on new wood all summer into late fall. This shrub produces a profusion of brilliant fragrant white blooms with golden stamens at the centres. No deadheading is necessary! As with most roses, it will tolerate heat and loves a full sun location.

Attracts most pollinators, including bees and butterflies.

Plant in slightly acidic to neutral pH soil in a location that has great drainage. Water regularly to establish a strong root system. This rose is also salt tolerant.

Heavy pruning yearly is not usually needed. Trim in late winter, early spring. Shape in late winter or early spring and trim back any diseased, dead or crossed branches.

Fertilize with a slow release rose food once in spring and again in mid-summer.

The Oso Easy series of roses can be somewhat thorny, but the amount of thorns varies from cultivar to cultivar.

*Resistant to black spot and powdery mildew.

Double Play Dolly Spirea  (Spiraea japonica ‘SMNSJSA’)

Spireas are low maintenance landscaping favorites and often used as border, edging and mass landscaping shrubs. You cannot go wrong with planting a Spirea! They are tough as nails and Double Play Dolly is no exception.

Part Sun to Sun. A full sun location is preferred as it brings out the best in the foliage color and number of blooms. Dolly blooms on new wood (current year’s growth).

Mature Height:  46 – 76 cm           Mature Spread:  46 – 76 cm

The new foliage in spring is a gorgeous orange – red. It then matures to a chartreuse color in late spring followed by prominent purple/pink blooms. The blooms continue all summer into fall. This is followed by outstanding fall leaf color. Let the flowers go to seed in the fall for winter bird food. This shrub produces sterile seed so self-seeding is not a concern.

Dolly is deer and rabbit resistant. The blooms attract pollinators including bees and butterflies.

Once established, this shrub has average water needs.

Lightly trim after the first bloom in spring. A new flush of bright orange-red growth will occur. Mulch with a 5 cm layer of compost after planting to provide nutrition, and suppress weeds.

Remove the oldest, woodiest stems every two years to encourage fresh new growth.

As new leaves emerge in spring, fertilize around the drip line of the shrub with a slow release granular deciduous shrub fertilizer.

Bloomerang Purpink Reblooming Lilac  (Syringa x pubescens ‘ Bloomerang Purpink’)

Mature Height: 91 cm – 1.5 m          Mature Spread: 61 – 91 cm

A very prolific re-blooming lilac. Purple/pink fragrant flowers bloom in spring, summer, and fall. They bloom on old and new wood. Pollinators love lilacs; especially bees and butterflies.

They are used in multiple landscape applications; borders, mass plantings, foundation plantings and as beautiful cut flowers.

Like all lilacs, they like a full sun location with an alkaline to neutral, well-draining soil. They cannot tolerate wet, soggy conditions.

For best re-bloom it is important that the plant grows vigorously during late spring and early summer. Fertilize in early spring and early summer around the drip line of the shrub with a slow release deciduous shrub fertilizer.

If you do want to prune, do so immediately after spring bloom. Never in fall, winter, or early spring. This will remove spring flower buds. Trimming after bloom in early spring will delay the re-bloom time.

Bloomerang Purpink has reliable deer and disease resistance.

Flavorette ‘Honey-Apricot’ Rose  Rosa x ‘Boznatafra’

I have included this Zone 4-8, disease resistant rose as I think it is really worth a try if you have a sheltered location on your property. Mulch before winter.

Full Sun location

Mature Height: 91 cm – 1.2 m          Mature Spread: 91 cm – 1.2 m

Honey Apricot has an upright shrub form with glossy green foliage.

A prolific, summer flowering, edible rose! As the name suggests the scent and petal taste of this rose is a mild, sweet, honey-apricot. The 5 cm to 7.5 cm pale, orange-apricot, multi-petal blooms are produced all summer. They do not require deadheading. Honey-Apricot is wonderful in Victorian or Cottage gardens. Pairs well with dark blues, yellows and pinks.

Plant in a nutrient rich, slightly acidic soil that has good drainage. Water at ground level, preferably in the morning. They do not like to sit in soggy, wet locations. Fertilize in early spring with a slow release rose fertilizer and follow up in early summer with a liquid rose fertilizer to encourage more blooms.

Pruning:  Prune this shrub rose back by at least one-third its total height in early spring. Do this just as new buds begin to emerge and swell on the stems. Cut 7 mm above a thick, healthy bud. These buds produce the most vigorous growth and many flowers.

Use in perennial beds, as a border plant, in mass plantings and as a cut flower.