Proven Winners�® Landscape Perennial of the Year

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National Plant of the Year�® Program

The National Perennial, Hosta, and Landscape Perennial of the Year are selected by Walters Gardens and Proven Winners with consultation from industry professionals. Candidates for the National Perennial of the Year must have been commercially available for at least one year, have a confident supply chain, and have exceptional retail and landscape performance. These candidates will then be voted on by various growers and industry professionals, each considering the plant�™s market potential.

The National Landscape Perennial of the Year™ is targeted towards commercial and municipal landscapes, where longevity and reliability are paramount. Winners of this award might be lacking in container presence that makes them popular at retail, but have the traits for enduring, vibrant landscapes.

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2026 - Baptisia DECADENCE® 'Lemon Meringue'

You�™ll be impressed with the excellent vigor of this yellow flowered selection. It forms an upright, vase-shaped mound of attractive blue-green foliage topped with long, charcoal stems which carry the lemon yellow flowers in late spring to early summer. The contrast of dark stems with light flowers really pops in the landscape, delivering an excellent floral display. Ornamental seed pods extend the season of interest into fall.

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2025 - Nepeta faassenii 'Cat's Meow'

Truly the “cat�™s meow”! Unlike most Nepetas that have a bit of a wild, unkempt look, this first class selection keeps its tidy, dense, rounded shape all season long. Its small, grey-green, aromatic leaves are topped with well-branched stems carrying spikes of sky blue flowers with purple calyxes from early summer into early fall.

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2024 - Amsonia tabernaemontana 'Storm Cloud'

Native perennials are trending, and Bluestar is the classic North American perennial! ‘Storm Cloud�™ is and improved selection that performs well for both northern and southern growers. In spring, new stems emerge near-black with leaves that are very dark green with silver veins. The stems stay dark throughout spring. Light periwinkle blue, star-shaped flowers completely cover the foliage in late spring, and rebloom for many weeks afterward. Although the main interest of this plant is in spring, it maintains a great garden presence throughout the summer and fall. Its wide, mounded habit lends itself well to be used in place of shrubs in the landscape. Younger plants will have more of a vase-like habit, but make sure to give this plant some space for when it reaches its mature size.

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