The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Announces Top 10 Gardening Trends of 2026

December 18, 2025 – Philadelphia, PA – The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), an established gardening resource for nearly two centuries, is unveiling its top 10 gardening trends for 2026. Forecasted by horticultural experts at PHS, these trends reflect the ideas, practices, and emerging aesthetics poised to influence gardeners across the country in the year ahead. 

“Gardening continues to evolve as people explore new ways to connect with nature, express creativity, and grow food and beauty in their own spaces,” said Andrew Bunting, Vice President of Horticulture at PHS. “From innovative houseplant displays and water-wise gravel gardens to cutting-edge AI tools and rewilding practices, the 2026 trends reflect how gardeners are experimenting, learning, and finding joy in every corner of their gardens.” 

This year's list highlights innovations in floral design, landscape practices, and ornamental design, as well as indoor growing and plant-forward lifestyle trends. Gardeners nationwide can look to PHS for expert guidance and experience, with many of these trends in practice at America’s largest and longest running gardening event, the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, taking place from February 28 – March 8, 2026. 

This list of top 10 trends provides gardeners of all experience levels with practical guidance and new ways to engage with their outdoor and indoor spaces. As gardeners look ahead to the 2026 season, now is the ideal moment to discover fresh ideas, try innovative techniques, and explore resources like the PHS Gardener’s Blog for inspiration and tips to bring this year’s trends to life in your own garden. 

Top 10 Gardening Trends of 2026 

1. Gardening Innovations – This year brought a fresh crop of gardening innovations that stand out for their originality and smart design. These new plants and products are not only eye-catching but also reflect a growing focus on sustainability and versatility both indoors and out. 

• Plants - In the world of new plants, Petunia ‘Firefly’ is a striking genetically modified innovation, with petals featuring subtle flecks that glow in the dark. The effect adds an unexpected layer of interest to containers and garden beds, extending visual appeal into the evening hours and offering gardeners a playful new way to experience familiar annuals. 

• Gardening medium like the 2nd Sand from Organic Mechanics highlights how sustainability is shaping everyday garden materials. Made from recycled glass, this versatile medium can be mixed into soil to improve drainage or used as a decorative top layer, making it especially well-suited for terrariums and other small-scale plant displays.  

• Climb-itt® by Leafjoy® reflects a similar focus on smart, eco-conscious design. These sustainable climbing poles support twining houseplants while replacing traditional materials with a blend made from potato skins and elephant grass, offering a functional, plant-based alternative that fits seamlessly into modern indoor gardens. 

2. Rewilding - This is a global trend whereby homeowners and landowners are letting portions of their properties “rewild”. This is not simply a matter of letting the landscape go wild but requires some level of intention. It is important for a rewilding project to allow native species to come back while deterring invasive exotics. 

3. Gravel Gardening - In the spring of 2026, “Gravel Guru” Jeff Epping will release a new book that covers all aspects of gravel gardening. This xeriscaping approach is gaining popularity with many notable public gardens including The Scott Arboretum and Gardens, Chanticleer, PHS Meadowbrook Farm, and Olbrich Botanic Gardens showcasing gravel gardens. This is both an aesthetic approach but also a type of gardening that promotes water-wise gardening with strong visual appeal, a win-win for those looking for beauty while wanting to be more environmentally sound. 

4. Growing Cut Flowers - Over the last decade, boutique flower farms have emerged across the country, reshaping how people grow, buy, and enjoy cut flowers. This movement reflects a growing interest in locally grown flowers that are fresher, more seasonal, and often cultivated using sustainable practices. Popular cut flowers include dahlias, zinnias, and heirloom annuals. 

5. Garden to the Max – Maximalist garden design celebrates the art of bold and unapologetically abundant spaces, where creativity and color take center stage. Teresa Woodard’s Garden to the Max: Joyful, Visionary, Maximalist Design promotes bold and abundant garden design and showcases how "more is more" in gardening. This approach to gardening promotes full and provocative gardens and is perfect for gardeners who don’t shy away from a profusion of color in the garden. 

6. The Houseplant Phenomenon Continues - Houseplants have become a global obsession since the pandemic in 2020, making gardening accessible for anyone regardless of space. From homes to offices, houseplants bring beauty and wellness indoors while also becoming a popular way to cleanse the air in the home and office. Below is a list of trending houseplants.   

Houseplant Options:

• Aroids remain very much in vogue and are very collectible with some cultivars in high demand for their unique foliage patterns. Popular options this year include Monstera, Philodendron, and pothos. 

• Proven Winners™ has introduced a new line of houseplants called leafjoy®. This is a line of new introductions and cultivars of popular houseplants. 

• Kokedama, a decorative planting technique in which plants are grown in a compact, soil-filled, ball wrapped in natural fiber such as coconut coir and displayed without a traditional pot, provides an artistic way to showcase orchids and other tropicals.   

• The snake plants Sanseviera (syn. Draceana) continue to be stalwart perennials with new cultivars including ‘Pagoda Tower’, ‘Jewel Crown’, ‘Lili Put’, ‘Tiger Crown’ and ‘Hedgehog’ with unique foliage and easy maintenance. 

7. Fruit Growing – Interest in home fruit growing continues to rise with several organizations hosting festivals and dedicated efforts to promote specific fruits. In the South, there is a considerable movement around the cultivation of the native paw paw, Asimina triloba within festivals, and many new introductions selected for the size of the fruit and the flavor. Heartwood Nursery in southern Pennsylvania hosts the annual Serviceberry Festival and in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Orchard Project promotes the cultivation of all kinds of fruiting plants throughout the city. Make sure to see if there is an organization near you that can help assist with your fruit growing questions.  

Popular Plant Options:

• Diospyros kaki, Asian persimmon, ‘Saijo’, ‘Great Wall’, ‘Fuyu’ 

• Diospyros virginiana, American persimmon  

•  Asimina triloba, paw paw ,‘Susquehanna’, ‘Shenandoah’, ‘Wabash’, ‘Rebecca’s Gold’, ‘Sunflower’ 

• Amelanchier canadensis, serviceberry  

•  Ficus carica, fig Fignomenal™  

8. AI and Gardening - Artificial intelligence is now influencing the garden. There are several garden design applications that utilize AI, and many plant identification apps also use AI to help people identify and learn about plants that they see in the wild. Undoubtedly, many have also seen fantastical images of hostas, elephant ears and other plants that seem otherworldly with some sites offering to sell seeds for these plants. Many of these are AI generated, so it is important to do your due diligence and to use AI as a tool but be aware of misinformation. 

9. Hydrangeas, hydrangeas, hydrangeas! - For over 20 years now, there has been a global resurgence on the once old-fashioned hydrangea. While the enthusiasm for many plant groups ebb and flow over time, hydrangeas have remained popular. Many of the world’s largest plant breeding companies have new hydrangea introductions each year. At CULTIVATE, a yearly global tradeshow in Columbus, Ohio, many new hydrangeas are showcased for the first time. The 2025 new plants included First® Editions Hydrangea paniculata Spring Sizzle® and from Bloomin’ Easy, Hydrangea paniculata Bubble Bath™. Native hydrangeas, including selections of the smooth hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens and oakleaf hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia, still remain popular. 

10. Gardens that Support Ecology - There are many trends that support creating gardens that benefit the environment and support a host of ecological functions.  

•  Native plants remain essential, especially pollinator-friendly species like butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, which attracts the threatened Monarch butterfly. Gardeners are also reducing lawn areas and adopting practices like “leaving the leaves” to create habitat for overwintering insects. 

• The PHS Gold Medal Program highlights exceptional trees, shrubs, and perennials that support ecological health, such as Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima’ (chokeberry) and Rudbeckia maxima (giant coneflower), which provide important food sources for birds. 

•  Habitat piles and bee hotels are aesthetically arranged piles of twigs, branches, and perennial stems, that offer shelter for insects, mammals, and birds as they decompose. Many gardeners are also adding creative “bee hotels” to support solitary bees. 

ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY   

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization founded in 1827, uses horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia Region. PHS programs create healthier living environments, increase access to fresh food, expand access to jobs and economic opportunity, and strengthen deeper social connections between people. PHS’s work spans 250 neighborhoods; an expansive network of public gardens and landscapes; year-round learning experiences; and the nation’s signature gardening event, the Philadelphia Flower Show. PHS provides everyone with opportunities to garden for the greater good as a participant, member, donor, or volunteer. For information and to support this impactful work, please visit PHSonline.org.     

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