Gold Medal Award-Winning Plants

The Pennsylvania Horticutural Society – the Philadelphia-based non-profit best known for running the world-famous Philadelphia Flower Show – has a panel of plant experts that each year names great plants that deserve more use in Pennsylvania yards.

Below is the list of award-winners from 1988 through 2024, arranged by plant type. More information on the program is posted on the PHS website:

Trees

American fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus)

American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)

Amur maackia (Maackia amurensis)

Black gum Green Gable® (Nyssa sylvatica)

Black gum ‘Wildfire’ (Nyssa sylvatica)

Cornelian cherry dogwood ‘Golden Glory’ (Cornus mas)

Crabapple ‘Adirondack’ (Malus hybrid)

Crabapple ‘Donald Wyman’ (Malus hybrid)

Crape myrtle ‘Natchez’ (Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’)

Crape myrtle Pink Velour® (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Whit III’)

Dogwood Aurora® (Cornus ‘Rutban’)

Dogwood Venus™ (Cornus hybrid)

Dwarf river birch ‘Fox Valley’ (Little King™) (Betula nigra)

Fernleaf full moon maple ‘Aconitifolium’ (Acer japonicum)

Flowering cherry ‘Okame’ (Prunus hybrid)

Flowering Yoshino cherry ‘Akebono’ (Prunus x yedoensis)

Hawthorn ‘Winter King’ (Crataegus viridis)

Japanese cornel dogwood ‘Kintoki’ (Cornus officinalis)

Japanese cutleaf maple ‘Tamukeyama’ (Acer palmatum var. dissectum)

Japanese cutleaf maple ‘Waterfall’ (Acer palmatum var. dissectum)

Japanese hornbeam (Carpinus japonica)

Japanese tree lilac ‘Ivory Silk’ (Syringa reticulata)

Japanese zelkova ‘Green Vase’ (Zelkova serrata)

Korean stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia var. koreana)

Kousa dogwood ‘Greensleeves’ (Cornus kousa)

Kousa dogwood Scarlet Fire® (Cornus kousa)

Kousa dogwood ‘Wolf Eyes’ (Cornus kousa)

London planetree (Platanus x acerfolia)

Magnolia ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ (Magnolia grandiflora)

Magnolia ‘Centennial’ (Magnolia stellata)

Magnolia ‘Daybreak’ (Magnolia hybrid)

Magnolia ‘Edith Bogue’ (Magnolia grandiflora)

Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’ (Magnolia hybrid)

Magnolia ‘Galaxy’ (Magnolia hybrid)

Magnolia ‘Genie’ (Magnolia hybrid)

Maple Autumn Blaze® (Acer x freemanii)

Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)

Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica)

Pin oak Green Pillar® (Quercus palustris ‘Pingreen’)

Redbud ‘Appalachian Red’ (Cercis canadensis)

Redbud ‘Rising Sun’ (Cercis canadensis)

River birch Heritage® (Betula nigra ‘Cully’)

Seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides)

Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor)

Sweetbay magnolia Moonglow™ (Magnolia virginiana ‘Jim Wilson’)

Three-flower maple (Acer triflorum)

Trident maple (Acer buergerianum)

Two-winged silverbell (Halesia diptera var. magniflora)

Weeping katsura tree ‘Morioka Weeping’ (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

White oak (Quercus alba)

Witch hazel ‘Jelena’ (Hamamelis x intermedia)

Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)

Shrubs

Abelia ‘Little Richard’ (Abelia x grandiflora)

Beauty briar (Eleutherococcus sieboldianus ‘Variegatus’)

Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma)

Black chokeberry ‘Viking’ (Aronia melanocarpa)

Bloodtwig dogwood ‘Midwinter Fire’ (Cornus sanguinea)

Blueberry ‘Sunshine Blue’ (Vaccinium corymbosum)

Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)

Buttonbush Sugar Shack (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

Chastetree ‘Shoal Creek’ (Vitex agnus-castus)

Deutzia ‘Nikko’ (Deutzia gracilis)

Doublefile viburnum ‘Shasta’ (Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum)

Dwarf lilac ‘Palabin’ (Syringa meyeri)

Florida anise ‘Woodland Ruby’ (Illicium floridanum)

Fothergilla ‘Mt. Airy’ (Fothergilla intermedia)

Fragrant sumac ‘Gro-Low’ (Sumac aromatica)

Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ (Hydrangea arborescens)

Hydrangea Bobo® (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Ilvobo’)

Hydrangea ‘Blue Billow’ (Hydrangea macrophylla)

Hydrangea ‘Haas’ Halo’ (Hydrangea arborescens)

Hydrangea ‘Limelight’ (Hydrangea paniculata)

Japanese mahonia (Mahonia japonica)

Oakleaf hydrangea ‘Snow Queen’ (Hydrangea quericifolia)

Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)

Red chokeberry ‘Brilliantissima’ (Aronia arbutifolia)

Redosier dogwood ‘Silver and Gold’ (Cornus sericea)

Rose-of-sharon ‘Diana’ (Hibiscus syriacus)

Smokebush ‘Grace’ (Cotinus)

Smokebush ‘Royal Purple’ (Cotinus coggyria)

St. Johnswort ‘Blue Velvet’ (Hypericum hybrid)

Southern bush-honeysuckle Cool Splash™ (Diervilla sessifolia)

Spicebush (Lindera glauca)

Spirea Mellow Yellow® (Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’)

Summersweet ‘Hummingbird’ (Clethra alnifolia)

Summersweet ‘Ruby Spice’ (Clethra alnifolia)

Summersweet Tom’s Compact (Clethra alnifolia ‘Compacta’)

Staghorn sumac Tiger Eyes® (Sumac typhina ‘Bailtiger’)

Viburnum Chicago Lustre® (Viburnum dentatum)

Viburnum ‘Conoy’ (Viburnum x burkwoodii)

Viburnum ‘Mohawk’ (Viburnum x burkwoodii)

Viburnum ‘Winterthur’ (Viburnum nudum)

Virginia sweetspire ‘Henry’s Garnet’ (Itea virginica)

Weigela Wine and Roses™ (Weigela florida ‘Alexandra’)

Winterberry holly ‘Red Sprite’ (Ilex verticillata)

Winterberry holly ‘Sparkleberry’ (Ilex hybrid)

Winterberry holly ‘Winter Gold’ (Ilex verticillata)

Winterberry holly ‘Winter Red’ (Ilex verticillata)

Witch hazel ‘Diane’ (Hamamelis x intermedia)

Witch hazel ‘Pallida’ (Hamamelis x intermedia)

Evergreens/Conifers

American holly (Ilex opaca)

Arborvitae ‘Green Giant’ (Thuja hybrid)

Baldcypress Debonair® (Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium ‘Morris’)

Blue holly Blue Maid™ (Ilex x meserveae ‘Mesid’)

Boxwood ‘Dee Runk’ (Buxus sempervirens)

Boxwood ‘Green Velvet’ (Buxus hybrid)

Camellia ‘Korean Fire’ (Camellia japonica)

Carolina allspice ‘Michael Lindsey’ (Calycanthus floridus)

Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

Dawn redwood ‘Gold Rush’ (Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Ogon’)

Dwarf holly ‘Maryland Dwarf’ (Ilex opaca)

Dwarf Japanese-cedar ‘Globosa Nana’ (Cryptomeria japonica)

Eastern redcedar Emerald Sentinel (Juniperus virginiana ‘Corcorcor’)

Eastern white pine ‘Fastigiata’ (Pinus strobus)

False-holly ‘Goshiki’ (Osmanthus heterophyllus)

Florida anise ‘Halleys Comet’ (Illicium floridanum)

Golden privet ‘Sunshine’ (Ligustrum sinense)

Hinoki cypress ‘Nana Gracilis’ (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

Holly Red Beauty® (Ilex ‘Rutzan’)

Holly tea olive ‘Gulftide’ (Osmanthus heterophyllus)

Inkberry holly ‘Densa’ (Ilex glabra)

Japanese cedar ‘Yoshino’ (Cryptomeria japonica)

Japanese plum yew ‘Duke Gardens’ (Cephalotaxus harringtonii)

Japanese plum yew ‘Prostrata’ (Cephalotaxus harringtonii)

Japanese umbrella pine (Sciadopitys verticillata)

Juniper ‘Grey Owl’ (Juniperus)

Juniper ‘Robusta Green’ (Juniperus chinensis)

Juniper ‘Silver Mist’ (Juniperus conferta)

Korean fir (Abies koreana)

Korean white pine (Pinus koraiensis)

Leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei)

Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana)

Oriental spruce (Picea orientalis)

Portugal laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

Privet honeysuckle (Lonicera pileata)

Sweetbox ‘Fragrant Valley’ (Sarcococca hookeriana)

Viburnum ‘Dart’s Duke’ (Viburnum x rhytidophylloides)

Weeping Alaska-cedar (Xanthocyparis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’)

Vines

American wisteria ‘Amethyst Falls’ (Wisteria frutescens)

Carolina jasmine ‘Margarita’ (Gelsemium sempervirens)

Chinese trumpetcreeper ‘Morning Calm’ (Campsis grandiflora)

Clematis ‘Betty Corning’ (Clematis viticella)

Clematis Viticella group (Clematis viticella)

Cross vine ‘Dragon Lady’ (Bignonia capriolata)

Hydrangea vine ‘Moonlight’ (Schizophragma hydrangeoides)

Trumpet honeysuckle ‘Major Wheeler’ (Lonicera sempervirens)

Perennials

Aster ‘October Skies’ (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)

August lily (Hosta plantaginea)

Autumn fern ‘Brilliance’ (Dryopteris erythorsora)

Barrenwort ‘Frohnleiten’ (Epimedium x perralchicum)

Betony ‘Hummelo’ (Stachys officinalis)

Bugbane ‘Hillside Black Beauty’ (Actaea simplex)

Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)

Clustered mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum)

Coralbells ‘Caramel’ (Heuchera villosa hybrid)

Coralbells ‘Autumn Bride’ (Heuchera villosa)

Coreopsis ‘Zagreb’ (Coreopsis verticillata)

Creeping sedum ‘Angelina’ (Sedum rupestre)

Dixie wood fern (Dryopteris x australis)

False indigo ‘Purple Smoke’ (Baptisia)

Foamflower ‘Brandywine’ (Tiarella cordifolia)

Garden phlox ‘Jeana’ (Phlox paniculata)

Geranium ‘Biokovo’ (Geranium x cantabrigiense)

Giant hyssop ‘Blue Fortune’ (Agastache x ‘Blue Fortune’)

Great coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima)

Indian pinks (Spigelia marylandica)

Ironweed ‘Iron Butterfly’ (Vernonia lettermannii)

Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra)

Japanese roof iris (Iris tectorum)

Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)

Little bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’ (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Mum ‘Hillside Sheffield Pink’ (Chrysanthemum)

Ornamental onion ‘Summer Beauty’ (Allium x ‘Summer Beauty’)

Peony ‘Bartzella’

Pink turtlehead ‘Hot Lips’ (Chelone lyonii)

Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’

Russian sage ‘Little Spire’ (Salvia yangii)

Salvia ‘Caradonna’ (Salvia nemerosa)

Switchgrass ‘Northwind’ (Panicum virgatum)

Threadleaf bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii)

Variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’)

Perennials

Asparagus ‘Millennium’ (Asparagus officinalis)