Web Special
National and Regional Plant Awards for 2006

This list of plant awards sponsored by various national and regional gardening organizations is a Web special linked from the March/April 2006 issue of The American Gardener magazine, which has a full description of the 2006 selections from the GreatPlants program in Nebraska in the Gardener’s Notebook department..

Representing various garden habitats and zones, these plants have been picked by plant societies, garden clubs, university horticultural programs, botanical gardens, and arboreta for their outstanding garden performance. For more information on the individual plant award programs, please click on the links included with each award listing.


NATIONAL AWARDS

• All-American Daylilies
  
  Hemerocallis ‘Buttered Popcorn’
  Hemerocallis ‘Persian Market’
   

• All-America Rose Selections
  
  
  
  Rosa Julia Child (cultivar WEKvossutono)
  Rosa Rainbow Sorbet™ (cultivar Baiprez)
  
  
  
  Rosa Tahitian Sunset™ (cultivar JACgodde)
  Rosa Wild Blue Yonder™ (cultivar WEKisosblip)
   

• All-America Selections
  
  Dianthus interspecific ‘Supra Purple’ - F1 China pink
  Diascia intergerimma ‘Diamonte Coral Rose’ - F1 Diascia
  Nicotiana x sandarae ‘Perfume Deep Purple’ - F1 Flowering tobacco
  Capsicum annuum ‘Black Pearl’ - Ornamental pepper
  Salvia farinacea ‘Evolution’ - Mealycup sage
  Viola cornuta ‘Skippy XL Red-Gold’ - F1 Viola
  Zinnia elegans ‘Zowie! Yellow Flame’ - F1 Zinnia
  Daucus carota L. ‘Purple Haze’ - F1 Carrot
  Coriandrum sativum ‘Delfino’ - Cilantro
  Capsicum annuum ‘Carmen’ - F1 Pepper
  Capsicum annuum ‘Mariachi’ - F1 Pepper
   

• American Rose Society
  
  2006 Awards of Excellence (new miniature and mini-flora roses)
  
  Rosa ‘Baby Bloomer’
  Rosa ‘Caliente’
  Rosa ‘Iced Raspberry’
  
  Members’ Choice Award
  
  Rosa ‘Bee’s Knees’
   

• Ivy of the Year
  
  Hedera helix ‘Anita’
   

• Perennial Plant of the Year
  
  
  
  Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Feuerhexe’ - Cheddar pink
   

• Urban Tree of the Year
  
  Gymnocladus dioica—Kentucky coffee tree

REGIONAL AWARDS

•  Cary Award Winners (New England)
  
  Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Morioka Weeping’ - Katsura tree
  Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Wintergreen’ - Japanese umbrella pine
   

• Florida Plants of the Year
  
  Aspidistra ‘Milky Way’ - Cast-iron plant
  Bulbine frutescens - Yellow African bulbine
  Calliandra emarginata - Dwarf powder puff
  Ocimium x ‘Purpurascens’ - African blue basil
  Phalaenopsis Baldan’s Kaleidoscope (‘Golden Treasure’)
  Phoenix sylvestris - Wild Indian date palm
  Thrinax radiate - Florida thatch palm
  Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’
   

• Georgia Gold Medal Plants
  
  Ceratostigma plumbaginoides – Leadwort
  Cuphea spp. – cuphea
  Quercus lyrata – Overcup oak
  Viburnum macrocephalum – Chinese snowball viburnum
  Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’ – Amethyst Falls wisteria
   

• Georgia Native Plant Society Plant of the Year
  
  Lobelia cardinalis
   

• Gold Medal Plant Award Winners (USDA Hardiness Zones 5-7)
  
  Eleutherococcus sieboldianus ‘Variegatus’ - Beauty Briar
  Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ - Panicle Hydrangea
  Maackia amurensis ‘Starburst’ - ‘Starburst’ Amur Maackia
  Quercus palustris ‘Pringreen’ - Green Pillar® Pin Oak
  Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’ - American Wisteria
   

• Great Plant Picks (Pacific Northwest)
  
  Perennials and Bulbs
  
  
  
  Acanthus caroli-alexandri - Bear’s breeches
  Adiantum venustum - Himalayan maidenhair fern
  Aruncus aethusifolius - Korean goatsbeard
  Asarum caudatum - Western wild ginger
  Asarum splendens - Splendid wild ginger
  Asplenium scolopendrium - Hart’s-tongue fern
  Asplenium trichomanes - Maidenhair spleenwort
  Athyrium otophorum - Eared lady fern
  
  
  
  Ceratostigma plumbaginoides - Dwarf plumbago
  Epimedium x perralchicum
  Epimedium x perralchicum ‘Frohnleiten’
  Epimedium x versicolor ‘Neosulphureum’
  Epimedium x warleyense
  Epimedium x warleyense ‘Orangekonigin’
  Epimedium ‘Black Sea’
  Epimedium ‘Yubae’
  Hakonechloa macra ‘Alboveriegata’ - Variegated Japanese forest grass
  Helleborus x sternii - Hybrid hellebore
  Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’ - Golden hop
  Molinia caerulea ssp. Caerulea ‘Heidebraut’ - Purple moor grass
  Molinia caerulea ssp. Caerulea ‘Moorflamme’ - Purple moor grass
  Polystichum neolobatum - Asian saber fern
  Trillium chloropetalum - Giant trillium
  Trillium erectum - Purple trillium
  Trillium gradiflorum - Great white trillium
  Trillium luteum - Yellow trillium
  Trillium ovatum - Coast trillium
  
  Shrubs and Vines
  
  Abelia ‘Edward Goucher’ - Glossy abelia
  Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Bagatelle’ - Dwarf purpleleaf Japanese barberry
  Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Royal Cloak’ - Purpleleaf Japanese barberry
  Ceanothus ‘Victoria’ - California lilac
  Corylopsis glabrescens - Japanese winterhazel
  Corylopsis sinensis - Chinese winterhazel
  Corylopsis spicata - Spike winterhazel
  Daphne x transatlantica ‘Summer Ice’ - Variegated hybrid daphne
  Elaeagnus x ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’ - Variegated hybrid elaeagnus
  Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’ - Hybrid witchhazel
  Ilex crenata ‘Mariesii’ - Columnar Japanese holly
  Mahonia x media ‘Arthur Menzies’ - Hybrid mahonia
  Mahonia x media ‘Lionel Fortescue’ - Hybrid mahonia
  Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ - Hybrid mahonia
  Parthenocissus tricuspidata ‘Veitchii’ - Boston ivy
  Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’ - Mock orange
  Podocarpus nivalis - Alpine totara
  Rhododendron schlippenbachii - Royal azalea
  Rosa ‘Adelaide d’Orleans’ - Rambling rose
  Rosa ‘Felicite Perpetue’ - Rambling rose
  Rosa ‘Francis E. Lester’ - Rambling hybrid musk rose
  Rosa ‘Ghislaine de Feligonde’ - Rambling multiflora rose
  Rosa ‘Lykkefund’ - Rambling rose
  Rosa ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ - Rambling musk rose
  Rosa ‘Sander’s White Rambler’ - Rambling rose
  Rosa ‘Seagull’ - Rambling multiflora rose
  Rosa mulliganii - Rambling species rose
  Salix nakamurana var. yezoalpina - Creeping alpine willow
  Sarcococca hookeriana var. hookeriana - Sweet box
  Vaccinium ‘Sunshine Blue’ - Blueberry
  Vitis coignetiae - Crimson glory vine
  
  Trees and Conifers
  
  
  
  Acer crataegifolium - Hawthorn maple
  Acer crataegifolium ‘Veitchii’ - Variegated hawthorn maple
  Acer tegmentosum - Manchurian snakebark maple
  Acer tegmentosum ‘Joe Witt’ - Manchurian snakebark maple
  Carpinus betulus - Hornbeam
  Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ - Columnar hornbeam
  Carpinus betulus ‘Frans Fontaine’ - Columnar hornbeam
  Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Green Arrow’ - Weeping Alaskan yellow cedar
  Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ - variegated giant dogwood
  Corylus colurna - Turkish filbert.
  Davidia involucrata - Dove tree
  Magnolia ‘Pegasus’
  Magnolia grandiflora ‘Edith Bogue’ - Southern magnolia
  Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ - Small-leaf southern magnolia
  Magnolia grandiflora ‘Victoria’ - Southern magnolia
  Magnolia grandiflora Blanchard™ - Southern magnolia
  Magnolia macrophylla - Bigleaf magnolia
  Microbiota decussata - Siberian cypress
  
  
  
  Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’ - Persian ironwood
  Picea orientalis ‘Aureospicata’ - Golden Caucasian spruce
  Pinus contorta var. contorta - Shore pine
  Pinus densiflora ‘Umbraculifera’ - Tanyosho pine
  Pinus wallichiana - Himalayan white pine
  Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia’ - Golden false acacia
  Taxodium distichum - Bald cypress
   

• GreatPlants Program (Plains Region)
  
  Plants of the Year
  
  Quercus muehlenbergii - Chinkapin oak
  Rosa glauca (syn. R. rubifolia) - Redleaf rose
  Pulsatilla spp. - Pasque flower
  Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens ‘Autumn Red’ - Autumn Red miscanthus
  
  GreatPlants® releases
  
  Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba - Rock clematis
  Penstemon grandiflorus ‘Prairie Snow’ - Prairie Snow shell-leaf penstemon
  Andropogon ‘Silver Sunrise’ - Silver Sunrise bluestem
  Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Prairie Pink’ - Prairie Pink dianthus
  Liatris pycnostachya ‘Eureka’ - Eureka thickspike gayfeather
   

•  Missouri Botanical Garden Plants of Merit (St. Louis Region)
  
  Visit this site for recommended regional annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, and vines.
   

• Oklahoma Proven Selections
  
  Malus ‘Prairifire’ - ‘Prairifire’ crabapple
  Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’® - ‘Diabolo’ ninebark
  Agastache foeniculum ‘Golden Jubilee’ - ‘Golden Jubilee’ anise hyssop
  Torenia Summer Wave™ series - Wishbone flower
   

• Theodore Klein Plant Awards (Kentucky)
  
  
  
  Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ - ‘Wolf Eyes’ dogwood
  Nyssa sylvatica - Blackgum
  Viburnum ‘Mowhawk’ - ‘Mowhawk’ viburnum
  Baptisia australis - blue false indigo
  Rohdea japonica - sacred lily
   

• Texas Superstars
  
  Visit this site for recommended regional plants.