Discover the 2026 All-America Selections (AAS) Winners!
Are you ready to upgrade your garden with proven performers? In this session, we deep-dive into the 2026 AAS Winners, showcasing plants rigorously trialed across North America for superior heat tolerance, disease resistance, and yield.
We’ll explore how these new varieties fit into 2026’s biggest gardening trends, including “Lemonading” (low-stress, high-joy gardening) and water-wise gravel gardens. Whether you’re a home gardener or a professional grower, these “best in class” selections are your roadmap to success in the upcoming season.
Gold Medal Standouts: Why Zinnia ‘Profusion Double White Improved’ and Kale ‘Rubybor’ F1 earned the highest honors.
Space-Saving Edibles: Small-space solutions like ‘Butter Lamp’ F1 Squash and ‘Majesty’ Pole Beans.
Low-Maintenance Color: The heat-resistant Dianthus ‘Supra Cherry Picotee’ and Coreopsis ‘SunGlobe’.
New Perennials: A first look at Sedum ‘Spectacular’ and Heliopsis ‘Sole Giatto’.
Learn more at ngb.org – we are here to help!
Learn more about all of the AAS Winners https://all-americaselections.org/
0:00 – Introduction & Panelist Introductions
Diane introduces the AAS webinar and panelists: Jesse (Ryman Gardens/Iowa State) @ReimanGardens Amy @syngentaflowersNA Mark (Green Bay Botanic Garden), Kirsten (Pureline Seeds) @purelineseedsinc.1185 and Connie (William Dam Seeds) @williamdamseeds3925
3:20 – Most Common Questions Judges Get About AAS
Panelists share what visitors and friends ask most — what a trial is, where to buy winners, and simply “what is AAS?”
9:37 – 2026 Winner: Basil Treviso
Jesse covers the compact habit, slow-to-flower trait, and anise-forward flavor. Discussion of basil downy mildew resistance and why it matters across the US.
15:30 – 2026 Winner: Bean Majesty (Purple Pole Bean)
Kirsten (the breeder) and Amy (the judge) discuss the 6-inch purple pods, sweet flavor, good yield, and better-than-average insect resistance.
19:38 – 2026 Winner: Coreopsis Sun Globe
Mark, Jesse, and Kirsten highlight early blooming (2 weeks ahead of comparisons), season-long flowers, compact habit, and easy germination from seed.
22:56 – 2026 Winner: Dianthus Supra Cherry Picotee
Judges note its surprising heat tolerance through 90°F+ summers and endless blooms, plus its place within the Supra series award framework.
25:04 – 2026 Winner: Heliopsis (Perennial)
Jesse covers results from the 3-year perennial trial — compact habit (no flopping), double flowers, and strong winter survivability in tough Iowa conditions.
27:27 – 2026 Gold Medal Winner: Kale Ruby Boré
The standout discussion of the webinar. Judges rave about the deep purple color from day one, tender leaves, surprising pest resistance, multi-season ornamental appeal, and incredible harvest bounce-back. Jesse adds the Pizza Hut kale trivia.
34:31 – 2026 Winner: Rudbeckia Claire Orange
Connie and Mark discuss compact habit, season-long bloom, pollen-free flowers (great for cut arrangements), and disease resistance late in the season.
36:32 – 2026 Winner: Sedum Spectacular (Perennial)
Discussion of this rare seed-grown sedum — drought tolerance, compact non-flopping habit, good germination, and zones 3–9 hardiness.
39:01 – 2026 Winner: Squash Butter Lamp
Kirsten highlights early maturity, high yield on a trellis, beautiful rind color, great taste, and strong storability through winter.
41:22 – 2026 Winner: Tomato Bada Bing (Cherry)
Kirsten spotlights this Wisconsin-bred larger cherry tomato — standout taste, good skin that resists cracking, and disease resistance.
43:40 – 2026 Gold Medal Winner: Zinnia Profusion Double White Improved
Mark and Connie discuss early blooming, pure white color, compact uniform habit all season, and why Mark was skeptical at first but became a total convert.
45:38 – What Is an AAS Display Garden?
Jesse explains the network of 150–200 public display gardens across the US and Canada showing the last three years of winners.
47:06 – AAS Trivia & Fun Facts
Judges are quizzed on founding year (1932), total number of winners (918), most popular categories (tomatoes & petunias), number of trial types (7+), trial sites (~80), and whether judges are paid (volunteers!).
Find more information about…
– New Plants for Your Garden and Home – https://ngb.org/new-plants/
– Year of Plants – https://ngb.org/2026-year-of-plants/
– Shop Our Members – https://ngb.org/shop-our-members/
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You can find All-America Selections Winning Seeds Here:
Find more AAS Winners at https://all-americaselections.org/winners/
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