The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) has shared its list of 2024 Gold Medal Plant winners, now available to the public through most garden retailers. The Gold Medal Plant Program was created by PHS in 1979 to celebrate and showcase beautiful, easy-to-grow plant species that are ideal for home gardening. Each year, a committee of horticulture experts convenes to assess trees, shrubs, and perennials on various criteria, including their suitability for home gardens in the mid-Atlantic region, their ease of cultivation, ready commercial availability, wildlife value, weather tolerance, and pest resistance.
Credit: Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Since the program's inception, PHS has named over 150 Gold Medal Plants. Including this year's winners, all plants are indicated for their hardiness in zones 4 to 8 on the USDA's hardiness zone map, making them ideal choices for the Mid-Atlantic region.
"The PHS Gold Medal Plant program provides amateur and professional gardeners alike with unique plant species suggestions to help refresh their gardens with easy-to-grow, hardy perennials, trees, shrubs, and edibles, many of which also bring ecological function to the garden and benefit local wildlife," said Andrew Bunting, PHS's Vice President of Horticulture. "This year's Gold Medal Plant winners provide a wide array of plant recommendations that are well-suited to many different types of garden spaces, making it simple to find a plant that is right for your garden's conditions."
Click here to view the list of winners
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society