Web Special

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL AWARD WINNING PLANTS FOR 2004

Each year, plant societies, garden groups, and botanical gardens across North America evaluate and award plants based on their overall or regional performance. Some of these plants are relatively new introductions that show promise, while others are garden classics that have become proven performers over time. Here are some of the plants that have received awards for 2004, along with links to the organizations that sponsored the individual award programs. If you click on those links, you can view photographs of many of the award-winning plants and learn more about their attributes and cultural needs.

All-America Daylily Selections Winners
http://www.daylilyresearch.org

• Hemerocallis ‘Chorus Line’

• Hemerocallis ‘Lady Lucille’

All-America Selections Winners
http://www.all-americaselections.org

• Gold Medal Flower Award Winner- Celosia plumosa ‘Fresh look Yellow’ and ‘Fresh look Red’

• Bedding Plant Award Winner- Gypsophila 'Gypsy Deep Rose'

• Flower Award Winner- Hollyhock 'Queeny Purple'

• Vegetable Award Winners: Melon F1 'Amy', watermelon F1 'Sweet Beauty', and winter squash F1 'Sunshine'

All-America Rose Selections Winners
http://www.rose.org

• Floribunda Rose- Rosa ‘Day Breaker’

• Floribunda Rose- Rosa ‘Honey Perfume’

• Hybrid Tea Rose- Rosa ‘Memorial Day’

The American Daylily Society’s Award Winners
http://www.daylilies.org

The American Hosta Society’s “Hosta of the Year”
http://www.hosta.org

• Hosta ‘Sum and Substance”

The American Ivy Society’s “Ivy of the Year”
http://www.ivy.org

• English Ivy- Hedera helix ‘Misty’

The American Rhododendron Society’s Regional Award-winning Rhododendrons
http://www.rhododendron.org

Mid-Atlantic

• Elepidote Rhododendron: 'Gigi'

• Lepidote Rhododendron: 'April Pink' (R. minus var. chapmanii x R. mucronulatum 'Cornell Pink')

• Evergreen Azalea: 'Girard's Fuchsia' [(R. 'Sandra Ann' x R. 'Ev 1689' Girard seedling) x (R. 'Herbert' x R. 'Hot Shot')] x R. 'Sandra Ann'

• Deciduous Azalea: 'Crimson Tide' (R. 'Homebush' x R. ' Melford Red Letter')

Midwest

• Elepidote Rhododendron: 'Ken Janeck' (Select form of R. degronianum subsp. yakushimanum)

• Lepidote Rhododendron: 'Weston's Aglo' (R. minus compact form x R. dauricum hybrid)

• Evergreen Azalea: 'Girard's Fuchsia' ([(R. 'Sandra Ann' x R. 'Ev 1689' seedling) x (R. 'Herbert' x R. 'Hot Shot')] x R. 'Sandra Ann')

• Deciduous Azalea: 'Rosy Lights' (R. prinophyllum x R. 'Kosterianum)

Northeastern

• Elepidote Rhododendron: 'Nestucca' (R. fortunei ssp fortunei x R. degronianum ssp yakushimanum)

• Lepidote Rhododendron: 'Gable's Pioneer' (R. 'Conemaugh'? x unknown)

• Evergreen Azalea: 'Helen Curtis' (R. 'Desiree' x R. 'Rosebud)

• Deciduous Azalea: 'Crimson Tide' (R. 'Homebush' x R. 'Melford Red Letter')

Northwestern

• Elepidote Rhododendron: 'Percy Wiseman' (R. degronianum ssp. yakushimanum x R. 'Fabia Tangarine') selfed

• Lepidote Rhododendron: 'Dora Amateis' (R. minus var. minus 'Carolinianum' x R. ciliatum)

• Evergreen Azalea: 'Fascination' (R. 'Grace Freeman' x R. 'Amagasa')

• Deciduous Azalea: 'Arneson Gem' ((R. 'C. B. Van Nes' x R. 'Koster's Brilliant Red') x unknown)

Southeastern

• Elepidote Rhododendron: 'English Roseum' (R. catawbiense x unknown)

• Evergreen Azalea: 'Autumn Royalty'

• Deciduous Azalea: 'Colonel Mosby' (R. 'Hotspur Yellow' x R. austrinum)

Southwestern

• Elepidote Rhododendron: 'Vulcan' (R. 'Mars' x R. griersonianum)

• Lepidote Rhododendron: R. formosum

• Evergreen Azalea: 'George Lindley Taber' (sport of R. 'Omurasaki')

• Deciduous Azalea: 'My Mary' (R. 'Nacooche' x R. austrinum)

Southern California/Hawaii

• Vireya Rhododendron: 'Jock's Cairn'

Arkansas Select Winners
http://www.arhomeandgarden.org

• Summer snowflake viburnum- Viburnum plicatum ‘Summer Snowflake’

• Hybrid begonia- Begonia Doublet Series

• Disco belle hibiscus- Hibiscus moscheutos 'Disco Belle'

• More plants are listed on their Web site

Athens Select ™ Ornamentals
http://www.athensselect.com

• Alternanthera- Alternanthera ‘Gail’s Choice’

• Coleus- Solenostemon ‘Red Ruffles’ (improved)

• Mexican heather- Cuphea ‘Plum Mist’

• Ruellia- Ruellia ‘Ragin’ Cajun’

• Turnera- Turnera ‘Eldorado’

The Cary Awards of Tower Hill Botanic Garden
http://www.caryaward.org

• Magnolia- Magnolia 'Elizabeth'

• White pine- Pinus strobus 'Soft Touch'

• Three-toothed cinquefoil- Sibbaldiopsis tridentata

Florida Nurserymen & Growers Association Winners
http://www.fnga.org

• Needle palm- Rhapidophyllum hystrix

• Purple trumpet tree- Tabebuia impetiginosa ‘Ipe’

• Camellia- Camellia sasanqua ‘Shishigashira’

• Pelican flower- Aristolochia grandiflora

• Red russelia- Russelia sarmentosa

• Lion’s ear- Leonotus leonurus

• Aglaonema- Aglaonema ‘Silverado’

• Coleus- Solenostemon scuttellarioides ‘Hurricane Louise’

Gold Medal Winners of The University of Georgia Plants Selection Committee http://www.ces.uga.edu

Great Plant Picks of The Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden http://www.greatplantpicks.org

• Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Rosea'

• Erica x darleyensis 'Kramer's Rote'

• Cornus alternifolia 'Argentea'

• Many more listed on their Web site

Great Plants® for the Great Plains Winners
http://www.arboretum.unl.edu

• Burr oak- Quercus macrocarpa

• Clove currant- Ribes odoratum

• Variegated Solomon’s-seal- Polygonum multiflorum ‘Variegatum’

• Indian grass- Sorghastrum nutans

Oklahoma Proven Selections
http://oklahomaproven.okstate.edu/

• Firebush- Hamelia patens

• Autumn sage- Salvia greggii 'Pink Preference'

• Winter jasmine- Jasminum nudiflorum

• Shantung maple- Acer truncatum

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal Plant Awards http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org

• Magnolia- Magnolia ‘Daybreak’

• False holly- Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’

• Sweetbox- Sarcococca hookeriania var. humilis

The Perennial Plant Association’s “Perennial Plant of the Year”
http://www.perennialplant.org

• Painted fern: Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'

Plant Select Winners (Colorado State University and the Denver Botanic Garden) http://www.ext.colostate.edu/psel/ps0401.html

• Sunset foxglove- Digitalis obscura

• Cherry skullcap- Scutellaria suffrutescens

• Hopflower oregano- Origanum libanoticum

• Bluestem joint fir- Ephedra equisetina

• Sea foam artemisia- Artemisia versicolor 'Sea Foam'

• Chocolate flower- Berlandiera lyrata

• Kashmir sage- Phlomis cashmeriana

The Society of Municipal Arborists “Urban Tree of the Year”
http://www.urban-forestry.com

• Autumn blaze maple- Acer x freemanii 'Jeffersred'

Texas Superstar Plants
http://www.texassuperstar.com/plants.html

• Hibiscus- Hibiscus x 'Flare'

• More plants are listed on their Web site

Theodore Klein Plant Award Winners
http://www.ca.uky.edu/HLA/Dunwell/TKPA04.pdf

• Yellowwood- Cladrastis kentukea

• Lenten rose- Helleborus x hybridus (H. orientalis)

• Oriental spruce- Picea orientalis

• Bald cypress- Taxodium distichum 'Mickelson' Shawnee Brave™

Compiled by Jessie Keith, editorial intern for The American Gardener.