Gold Medal Plants

The PHS Gold Medal Plant Program is a resource for anyone looking for the perfect tree, shrub, vine, or perennial plant to add to their garden. Gold Medal Plants have been selected for their ease of cultivation, multiple seasons of interest, commercial availability, appropriateness for the Mid-Atlantic region, and value to wildlife.

What Makes a Plant a “Gold Medal Plant”? 

Each year, PHS convenes nursery owners, horticulturists, expert gardeners, and professional growers to conduct a review of both newly available and classic species and cultivars, selecting the best performing and most beautiful for inclusion in the Gold Medal Program.  

How to Use the Gold Medal Plant Database 

• Watch our user video below on how to best navigate the database, including sorting, alphabetizing, viewing images, printing a shopping list, and more!

• Place your cursor anywhere within the database (below). Scroll up and down within the database to navigate the listings. To expand a record in our ‘Plant Gallery’ view, just click into the box. Scroll within the record to see the attributes and growing conditions of the plant.
   
• To browse our pre-sorted views, click the square switch icon in the upper left-hand corner of the database, just under the tab named Gold Medal Plant Database.
   
• Enjoy browsing our decades of Gold Medal Plant expertise at your leisure!