All-America Selections has announced three new AAS winners, the first for the 2026 gardening season.
Brokers, growers and retailers can add these proven garden performers to their assortments to prep for upcoming demand.
All AAS winners are trialed throughout North America by professional, independent, volunteer judges who grow new, never-before-sold entries next to comparisons that are considered best-in-class. Only those entries that have superior garden performance, better than the comparisons, are granted the AAS award designation.
The newest AAS winners are:
Ornamental Winners
Zinnia ‘Profusion Double White Imp.’: Gold Medal Winner, known for continuous color and disease resistance.
This Gold Medal award-winning Zinnia Profusion Double White features large double flowers (2.5 to 3 inches in diameter) that keep their pure white color and hold up through the hottest summer. Bred for superior performance, this variety is exceptionally sturdy, disease-resistant and thrives in diverse climates, even enduring high night temperatures. Immaculate appearance from spring through frost without deadheading, 14 inches tall and 20 inches wide.
Kale ‘Rubybor F1’: Gold Medal Winner, ornamental variety.
This kale is a dual-purpose showstopper, as it won a Gold Medal award in both the ornamental and vegetable trials, a first occurrence in the AAS trials. Rubybor;s rich, deep purple foliage and uniform, compact habit make it a standout ornamental in any garden or container. Unlike many kales, this selection maintains its excellent color and tidy, bushy shape with shorter internodes, making it ideal for smaller spaces and Southern heat. The leaves are exceptionally tender and non-bitter, providing a continuous harvest of high-quality greens from spring until frost.
Coreopsis ‘SunGlobe F1’: National Winner, for its compact habit and abundant blooms.
Praised by judges for its habit and bloom quantity, this Coreopsis variety produces tons of fluffy, golden yellow, semi-double flowers on sturdy stems slightly earlier than comparisons. The plant maintains a tidy, compact and densely branching form, delivering multiple flushes of vibrant gold from spring through fall. Ideal for borders or containers.
Dianthus ‘Supra Cherry Picotee F1’: National Winner, excellent for containers.
This interspecific hybrid joins the Supra series, delivering profuse blooms on a compact, bushy plant. Judges praised its excellent habit and strong heat and drought resistance, keeping the foliage green and the flowers vibrant all summer. The unique, fringed blooms feature a picotee pattern, opening with dark cherry centers and soft pink edges. Supra is easy-care and requires no deadheading, ensuring three seasons of color in landscapes, garden beds and containers.
Sedum ‘Spectacular’: National Winner, a hardy perennial.
This Sedum spectabile grown from seed delivers rock-solid garden performance typically found only in vegetative varieties, according to the AAS judges. The plants are sturdy, full and do not flop, maintaining a tight, compact, mounded habit perfect for borders or containers. Noted for its excellent vigor and uniformity in both height and spread, this variety flowers slightly earlier than its comparisons. It produces generous, light pink flower clusters set against attractive, light green foliage.
Rudbeckia ‘Claire Orange F1’: National Winner, from seed.
Claire Orange is the world’s first pollen-free F1 hybrid Rudbeckia, according to Takii. This compact, early-flowering selection features a tidy, uniform habit and an abundance of bright, clear orange blooms. Inspired by its namesake, the central “eye” remains perfectly clean, free from pollen. Its vigor, floriferousness and heat and disease tolerance ensure a long-lasting, vibrant display, even in challenging conditions.
Heliopsis ‘Sole Giatto’: National Winner, a perennial.
Sole Giatto is a compact false sunflower perfect for containers, borders or any sunny spot, Standing 12 to 16 inches tall and wide, this highly floriferous perennial explodes with long-lasting bright yellow blooms from late spring through fall. Bred for extended appeal and continuous garden performance, Sole Giotto attracts beneficial pollinators while resisting deer and rabbits. Hardy in Zones 4 to 8, this vibrant and easy-care plant is ideal for adding reliable color to any landscape.
Edible Winners
Basil ‘Treviso’: National Winner, compact, slow to bolt, great for pesto.
Pole Bean ‘Majesty’: Regional Winner, purple pods, easy to spot.
Winter Squash ‘Butter Lamp F1’: Regional Winner, known for its rich flavor.
Tomato ‘BadaBing! F1’: Regional Winner, excellent taste.
Source: gardencentermag.com©