The PA Horticultural Society has selected the 2017 winners of the PHS Gold Medal Plant Awards, recognizing exceptional plants for the home gardener and professional landscaper. PHS and its Gold Medal committee also chose hardy favorites in the perennial category.

“The Gold Medal Plant program recognizes exceptional trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials for the home gardener. These plants are selected for their beauty, reliability and ease of care. Their performance and hardiness in the Mid-Atlantic growing region, from New York to Washington, D.C., has been proven,” said Matt Rader, PHS President.

The Gold Medal program has honored and promoted woody plants of outstanding merit since 1979. Nominations for plants are submitted by home gardeners, garden designers, horticulturists, landscape architects, nursery owners and propagators.

The program was originally conceived by noted nurseryman Dr. J. Franklin Styer, who realized homeowners and gardeners needed to learn about superior woody plants for their landscapes.

These plants are evaluated and chosen for their superb eye-appeal, performance, and hardiness in the growing region of Zones 5-7. Many winners are hardy in a much broader geographic range. Nominated plants are reviewed by a committee of expert horticulturists.

“I’m proud to be a member of the Gold Medal Plant Award selection committee. We serve this important PHS program by using our horticultural expertise to evaluate the nominated perennial and woody plants,” said Steve Mostardi, PCH, Chairman of the Gold Medal Plant Committee. “Through in-person discussions and an online rating system, we award the Gold Medals on a yearly basis to those who meet the rigorous criteria for excellence set forth by PHS.”

When a gardener acquires a plant designated a Gold Medal winner, he or she can be assured the plant will exhibit standards of excellence for pest and disease resistance, as well as ease of growing when planted and maintained appropriately. Gold Medal Plants are also chosen for their beauty through many seasons, whether it be foliage, flower, form or bark.

A full list of all Gold Medal winners and photos of this year’s winners can be found at PHS’ PHS Gold Medal Plant Awards webpage.

(Photo: Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’ (Crapemyrtle) U.S. National Arboretum, one of the PHS 2017 Gold Medal Plants.)

8/15/2016