Award-Winning Perennials, Annuals and Edibles

I am always on the prowl for exceptional perennials. All-America Selections are remarkable plants (perennials, vegetables, annuals) that have been rigorously trialed and received glowing reports from expert judges. All-America Selections, founded in 1932, is the oldest, independent testing organization of flowers and edibles in North America. There are two award categories: national and regional. Varieties that perform best over all of North America become AAS National Winners. Those that performed particularly well in certain regions are AAS Regional Winners. I love the AAS’s tag line “Tested Nationally and Proven Locally”.

Two of the award-winning perennial national winners are those that I use repeatedly in my designs, much to my client’s delight: Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ and Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’. These powerhouse natives bloom nonstop for months. Both also make terrific cut flowers. Check out more winning perennials here.