2021 Plants of the Year - Award Winning Plants for Your Garden

Be inspired by this list of 2021 plants of the year from leading gardening sites and organizations. A great place to start when planning this year's garden.

For many years I have shared a compilation of the top choices different organizations have chosen for the new year. Typically the winners are those plants that are easy to grow and are hardy to a large area of the nation.

I personally like to see if there is anything that I want to add to my wish list for the coming year and there always are several plants that I want to add to my own gardens. Maybe you will find a few too.

Garden Organizations Picks for 2021 Plants of the Year

Perennial Plant Association

The perennial plant association's "Perennial of the Year" was probably the first annual award that I learned about. Perennial flowers are definitely a favorite of mine and I continue to add some every year. Sometimes the chosen plant is one that I already have but this year's Calamintha is new to me so it's going on my list.

I love the cottagey feel this plant has and adding white in the garden is always a good idea. It's relatively short in height and thrives in full-sun, so I think it will look great on my back hillside.

Proven Winners Plants of the Year

Proven Winners has a whole group of plant favorites that they refer to as their National Plants of the Year. I picked just a few but you can click on the headlines of any of the organizations to see more details about all the plants and additional information about the organizations.

Proven Winners Perennial of the Year - 'Cat's Pajamas' Catmint

What a cute name, cat's pajamas! It certainly is a great looking perennial. Catmint is one of my favorite perennials. I have the 'Walker's Low' variety but this one looks like it has more flowers so I may have to add it to my list.

Proven Winners Annual of the Year - Supertunia Mini Vista® Pink Star

Supertunias grow well in containers. This pink and white variety is beautiful. Add it to the list!

Proven Winners Landscape Plant of the Year - Kodiak® Orange - Diervilla x

How beautiful is this shrub? I have never heard of this one and it looks like it grows in shade as well as sun. It reaches only 3-4 feet tall and wide. I know that I'll have a space for this beauty in my garden.

National Gardening Bureau - Year of Plants 2021

The national gardening bureau selects one annual, one perennial, one bulb, one edible, and one shrub every year to promote. They are chosen because they are popular, easy to grow, and versatile. You may already know of or grow some of these plants but if you click on their links you can learn more details about the plants, different varieties, and helpful tips.

• Year of the Hibiscus
• Year of the Garden Bean
• Year of the Hyacinth
• Year of the Monarda
• Year of the Sunflower

2021 AAS - All American Selection Winners

This last organization, the All American Selection chooses winners that will grow well all over North America. They utilize a huge list of judges with tons of gardening experience, so you can bet that these winners are a good choice for your own garden.

2021 AAS Annual Winner - Celosia Kelos® Candela Pink

Celosia Kelos® Candela Pink is a gorgeous annual with such bright Barbie-like pink flowers. I bet this would look wonderful with any number of combinations in a container or alone. I hope I can find it in the nursery this spring.

2021 AAS Perennial Winner - Leucanthemum Sweet Daisy Birdy

Sweet Daisy Birdy is a pretty perennial that blooms for a long time. Similar to Shasta Daisy, a well-known perennial, but this one is more compact and has a sweet feathery petal growth around the yellow center that's unique.

These are just two of the winners that I'm interested in. However, you can read more about some of the other 2021 AAS winners and see if there are any that you want to add to your list this season.