The National Garden Bureau (NGB), a 105-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a love of gardening, is delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 Green Thumb Awards.
These coveted awards, established in 1998, recognize exceptional new plant varieties and gardening products that meet rigorous criteria, including uniqueness, innovation, problem-solving capabilities, and overall appeal to gardeners. Winners of the “Professional’s Choice” award were selected by a panel of National Garden Bureau members. Winners of the “People’s Choice” award were selected by the National Garden Bureau’s home gardener community.
The 2025 Green Thumb Award Winners that could be perfect additions to any client’s landscaping:
Flowering Shrub (Professional’s Choice): Euonymus FIRE BALL SEEDLESS™ from Spring Meadow Nursery/Proven Winners Color Choice
Fire Ball Seedless euonymus is the only seedless, sterile, non-invasive burning bush (Euonymus alatus) on the market! Leave it to Dr. Tom Ranney and his crew at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station in North Carolina to develop this truly innovative, game-changing plant. It has all the durability and inferno-red color that you expect from burning bush but no risk of spreading like conventional burning bush. Hardy Zones: 4-8.
Flowering Shrub (People’s Choice): Hydrangea FlowerFull® Smooth from First Editions Shrubs & Trees
FlowerFull® Smooth Hydrangea stands out with bold blooms and sturdy upright stems that won’t flop in the wind and rain. With two-to-three times more blooms per season than other smooth hydrangeas, FlowerFull™ makes an outstanding focal point plant. Disease-resistant, low-maintenance, and maturing at just three to four feet tall, it’s the perfect choice for small and big landscapes alike.
Perennial (Professional’s Choice): Hellebore Endless from Monrovia Nursery
Endless Hellebore is a stunning compact, upward facing Hellebore with an extended bloom season! Selected for its abundant and long-lasting blooms, Endless Hellebore features glossy, dark green foliage topped with upward facing flowers that start out green and transition to a beautiful white. Hellebore is a must-have plant in the Garden of Nostalgia and Romance – a standout design trend for 2025. Hardy Zones: 5-9.
Perennial (People’s Choice): Butterfly Bush Little Rockstars Red from Dummen Orange
Buddleja Little Rockstars Red is part of a new compact series of Buddleja. They have beautiful, large, cone-shaped inflorescences. They are perfect for small pot production with a complete color assortment and all-season flowering.
Annual (Professional’s Choice): Cosmos Sea Shells Red from Sahin/Takii EU
Sea Shells Red is a charming and unique flower that brings a delightful touch to any garden. Known for its distinctive, tubular petals that resemble seashells, this variety showcases a beautiful palette of soft pinks and whites, adding a romantic flair to flower beds and arrangements. The flowers also make excellent cut flowers, offering a long vase life of 7-10 days, which means you can enjoy their beauty indoors as well.
Annual (People’s Choice): Calibrachoa LIA™ Abstract Lemon Cherry from Danziger
The LIA™ Abstract Lemon Cherry Calibrachoa, the new addition to the LIA™ series, dazzles with vibrant golden-yellow blooms accented by a bold cherry-red splash, making it an irresistible choice for any garden. Designed with a controlled, semi-trailing growth habit, this variety is perfectly suited for hanging baskets and combinations.
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