Almost 50% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. Why not become a gardener this year, if you aren’t one already? You may discover that getting your hands full of the earth can be (most of the time) true bliss.
Already hooked? You can bring freshness and renewal to your gardening in 2026 by planting something new.
The Perennial Plant Association, the Garden Club of America, the National Garden Bureau and Proven Winners just announced their selections for Perennial Plant of the Year for 2026. If you’re a plant, it’s like winning MVP in the Super Bowl of Horticulture.
January is the month when glossy plant catalogs start landing in Yakima mailboxes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by their many tantalizing options, the lists of these associations’ new as well as past winners can help you narrow down your choices, especially if you’re a new gardener.
Over more than four decades, I swear I’ve tried every perennial hardy in planet Earth’s Zones 6 and 7. Few of them are alive today to tell the tale. The good news is that, along the way, I learned something. If you pick your plants like you do your very best friends, you’ll have a beautiful garden that brings you endless pleasure. Plants should be adaptable and dependable, hard-working, easy to get along with, uncomplaining and never pushy. In your eyes, they remain beautiful through all four seasons, even without makeup or a new haircut.
In keeping with that spirit, to win the Perennial Plant Association’s crown, a perennial must be suitable for a wide range of climates, low-maintenance, resistant to pests and diseases and offer ornamental interest in multiple seasons.
Their selection for 2026 is Andropogon gerardii, ‘Blackhawks’ (Big Bluestem.) Hardy in Zones 3-9, this compact native grass was recognized for its amazing seasonal color changes. Leaves emerge dark green in spring, develop reddish-purple tips in summer and morph into striking deep purple to near-black by September.
I’m always on the lookout for new ornamental grasses, and this one had me at “deep purple to near-black.” ‘Blackhawks’ is shorter than the usual big bluestem at 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide, making it a great choice for smaller gardens. Its leaves and stems provide cover and nesting material for birds and serve as a larval food source for several species of skipper butterflies.
‘Blackhawks’ also ranked among the top-rated selections in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s comparative trial of ornamental grasses. They recommended this warm season grass for native, naturalistic and cottage-style plantings. ‘Blackhawks’ is adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions and may flop in fertile, moist soils.
The Garden Club of America promotes lesser-known North American natives they consider worthy of preservation, propagation and planting. Their 2026 Plant of the Year is Vernonia lettermanii, ‘Iron Butterfly Ironweed.’ This winner comes from horticulture rock star Dr. Allen Armitage’s trials at the University of Georgia.
Hardy in Zones 4-9, ‘Iron Butterfly’ grows 24-36 inches tall and 18-24 inches wide. Aster-like bright purple blooms in late summer provide bees, butterflies and hummingbirds with nectar when other flowers are fading. This perennial is dense and multi-branched, and the foliage is attractive even when the plant isn’t blooming. Drought tolerant once established, ‘Iron Butterfly’ prefers rich soil with good drainage but will tolerate a variety of soils, even dry and rocky ones. Grow this plant in full sun to light shade.
We’ve all seen the boldly labeled nursery pots when plant shopping. Proven Winners, the global brand behind those labels, is known for annuals, perennials, shrubs and houseplants that are vigorous and easy to grow after extensive multi-year testing by breeders worldwide.
Their perennial selection for 2026, Astilbe hybrid ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, stands out as the first and only dark-leafed Astilbe. It features chocolate-burgundy foliage and raspberry buds that open into plumes of rosy purple flowers. Astilbes are long-lived perennials that are happiest when grown in rich soil and light shade to filtered sun. They do have one critical requirement. Plants must have consistently moist soil, especially in hot and dry Yakima summers. They will not tolerate drought.
The National Garden Bureau has designated 2026 as the ‘Year of the Sedum,’ highlighting the entire genus for its resilience and versatility. Sedums are a large group of succulent plants and most are hardy in Zones 3-9.
Known for their fleshy leaves, sedums are drought tolerance and low-maintenance. They thrive in full-sun and soil that drains quickly. From groundcovers to upright plants in an array of foliage forms and colors, sedums offer small starry flowers to pollinators. Use them in rock gardens, borders, containers, and green roofs.
As a New Year begins, I send my best wishes to my readers for bountiful harvests and endless inspiration from your gardens.
Comments are closed.