All-America Selections (AAS) announces its 2024 national award winners - six flower and two vegetable selections. National awards are given to plants with consistently great performance across the United States.
AAS is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the testing and introduction of new flowers and vegetables varieties for the home gardener. Plants are trialed anonymously at sites across the country by volunteer horticulture professionals. Selection as an AAS Award winner recognizes a flower or vegetable for significant achievements, proven to be superior to all others on the market. Founded in 1932, this year AAS celebrates 91 years of introducing new varieties to the gardening market.
To see pictures of these and other great plants visit the All-America Selection website, www.all-americaselections.org.
Broccoli ‘Purple Magic’ is a showstopper! It’s deep purple stems and purple-tinged heads are striking, but plants also have great flavor and are easy to grow. Serve ‘Purple Magic’ raw, stir-fried, roasted, lightly blanched, or steamed but no matter how you serve it you will find the flavor sweeter and more tender than traditional green broccoli. Plants perform best in full sun during cool times of the year - spring or fall - and reach a height of about 30-inches. Expect one large head per plant, with possible side shoots. Available from Hoss, Johnny’s Seed and Park Seed.
One judge commented, “Wicked good. The nicest purple [broccoli] I’ve seen, ever.”
Pepper ‘Red Impact’ is a Lamuyo-type pepper - a sweet-fleshed, bell pepper with an extra-long shape - which are often difficult to grow, but not ‘Red Impact’. This pepper is easy to grow and produces thick, sweet walls, even when green. Tidy upright plants, 28 to 36-inches in height, have good disease resistance and will be loaded with fruits for a high yield. Peppers are bright red and very uniform in shape. Available from Park Seed or Victory Seed.
From the judges, “Good flavor makes this a multi-purpose pepper for your garden.”
Celosia ‘Burning Embers’ has gorgeous bronze foliage and dark pink veins, which contrast well with the dark pink flower plumes. Eight-to-nine-inch plants are compact and sturdy, require no staking, even when covered with flowers. Place ‘Burning Embers’ in full sun for best flower production. Expect flowers from late spring until frost. Available from Park Seed.
Impatiens ‘Solarscape XL Pink Jewel’ has large vibrant pink flowers on 11 to 13-inch mounded plants, blooming from late spring to frost. Plants thrive from full sun to partial shade and recover after drought stress without losing any flower buds. Superior disease resistance to impatiens downy mildew. Looks great massed in garden beds or borders, and is fantastic in containers, too. Available from Park Seed.
Not Yet Available
The final four winners are not yet available through catalogs or garden centers, but hopefully will be soon. Check the AAS website for updates on vendors.
Geranium ‘Big EEZE Pink Batique’ has striking pink flowers with darker pink and white striations against a background of dark green foliage. Each plant is covered with large bloom heads, 4-5 inches across. Plants prefer full sun to partial shade.
One judge says it all, “What a beautiful geranium! The mosaic blooms were absolutely beautiful and plentiful. The heat tolerance was excellent, as many other geraniums in our trials died much earlier.”
Marigold ‘Siam Gold’ – Neatly mounded, 18 to 20-inch plants produce fully double golden flowers. Large 3 to 4-inch flowers are held on sturdy stems above the foliage. Plants bloom from late spring through summer, and into fall. ‘Siam Gold’ plants are low maintenance, tolerant to heat, drought and rain.
Judges noted, “Excellent cut flower. Well-branched, long stemmed.” And “Continuous blooms! The plant was covered with [flowers] all summer.”
Petchoa ‘EnViva Pink’ is a cross between petunia and the prolific flowering calibrachoa. Flowers are bright pink with a yellow throat and large, each 2 to 3-inches across, blooming from spring to fall. Plants are heat tolerant and the flowers bounce back after rain. ‘EnViva Pink’ is perfect for ground beds, containers and hanging baskets.
‘Absolutely stunning!’, according to one judge.
Verbena ‘Sweetheart Kisses’ develops a low mounding plant, expect a height 10 to 16-inches, with delicate airy foliage. But its flowers are the standout, creating an explosion of color from midsummer to frost, with red and rose hues and a sprinkling of pink and white. ‘Sweetheart Kisses’ is an easy to grow ground cover, thriving even in sunny locations and dry conditions once it’s established.
Judges commented “Very fast and full growth, nice color.” And “The flower color variation in stunning!”