UPDATE: The All-America Selections (AAS) has just announced the hot new award-winning flowers and vegetables for 2026, delivering exciting options for gardeners looking to elevate their landscapes. This annual reveal, which has been a tradition since 1932, showcases varieties that demonstrate outstanding performance, making them essential for the upcoming gardening season.
This year’s winners include a stunning array of flowers and vegetables that promise to transform gardens with vibrant colors and robust growth. The AAS winners bear the iconic red, white, and blue logo, a symbol of quality and excellence in gardening.
Here are some of the standout selections that are set to dominate gardens in 2026:
Coreopsis SunGlobe: This perennial dazzles with its mounds of golden yellow, semi-double flowers on sturdy stems. Standing at 12 inches tall, it’s perfect for containers or as an edge plant in perennial gardens. It thrives in Zones 3 and 4, providing season-long color from early summer through fall.
Dianthus Supra Cherry Picotee: Judges praised this annual for its profuse, eye-catching blooms and compact, bushy form. With unique fringed petals that showcase dark cherry centers surrounded by soft pink edges, it grows up to 12 inches high and is exceptionally heat and drought tolerant.
Heliopsis Sole Giatto: This perennial, measuring 20 inches tall and wide, boasts long-lasting bright yellow blooms. It is winter-hardy for Zones 3 and 4 and attracts beneficial pollinators while resisting deer and rabbits, making it a fantastic addition to any landscape.
Rudbeckia Claire Orange: Compact and early-flowering, this beauty features an abundance of bright orange blooms and a brown central eye. Judges noted its exceptional vigor and remarkable heat tolerance, making it ideal for containers and flower beds.
Sedum Spectacular: Another winter-hardy perennial, this variety is known for its compact habit and light pink flower clusters. Growing to about 14 inches, it thrives in hot, dry conditions, making it perfect for resilient gardens.
Zinnia Profusion Double White Improved: Renowned for its superior performance, this compact zinnia maintains its pure white blooms even in the hottest summers. It grows to 14 inches high and spreads to about 20 inches wide, making it a stellar choice for flower beds.
Kale Rubybor: Making history as a winner in both ornamental and vegetable trials, this kale features deep purple foliage on compact plants. Its non-bitter leaves allow for continuous harvests, promising beauty and utility in the garden.
Basil Treviso: This basil variety is praised for its vigor and heat tolerance, maintaining quality late into the season and offering gardeners a flavorful herb option.
Winter Squash Butter Lamp: This mini, pumpkin-shaped squash produces delicious fruits with a smooth, buttery flavor. Its short vines make it easy to grow in limited spaces, perfect for urban gardeners.
Tomato BadaBing: Slightly larger than typical cherry tomatoes, BadaBing delivers outstanding flavor and disease resistance, making it a must-try for tomato enthusiasts.
Pole Bean Majesty: Known for high yields and resilience against pests, this bean variety is optimized for vertical gardening, making it perfect for small spaces.
As gardeners prepare for the 2026 season, these award-winning varieties promise to bring beauty, resilience, and productivity to gardens everywhere. The AAS winners are now available in seed catalogs and plant tags, ready to inspire gardeners globally.
Stay tuned for further updates on gardening trends and tips as we head into this exciting new year!
