'Jelena' blooms a coppery orange; 'Diane' is a much redder flower. Other than that, they are similar in size, habit and bloom time and share similar cold hardiness. In my area, these are typically in bloom in February or early March.

They do not have a long a bloom period and produce coarsely textured foliage so their value as a front yard 'specimen' is a matter of personal choice. I prefer to see them in more of an open woodland setting or a partially shaded shrub border.

I figured they were very similar... they look so on google searches. I can get the Jelena 2 gal for $55 vs $80 for Diane. So Jelena it is... I am leaning towards a backyard setting that is more of a "woodland setting" rather than focal point single specimen placement. Hopefully these can withstand our -20F temps that we occasionally get here some winters.. Thank you!

'Jelena' shows up much better in bloom. Put it where you will see the flowers easily during the winter. But also where it will have enough room to develop.

My area isn’t a good fit for these as it gets just a bit too cold. I would check around to see if there are any good sized specimens in your area, and if not, ask yourself if you want to spend the $$.

Arnold/s promise and the straight species is definitely reliable, the latter is native to our region... but they aren't as "sexy" as these crosses!