Variety is the spice of life!
This grouping of new AAS Winners certainly has a wide variety of colors, tastes, sizes, etc. to choose from. These are the newest AAS Winner to recently hit the market and each one was trialed anonymously by independent, volunteer judges all across North America. Each AAS Winner is grown and scored next to a very similar variety (we call it a comparison variety) and only if the entry performed better than the comparison does it become an AAS Winner. The same is not good enough in our world! Keep an eye on this website and as each variety becomes available, the “Where to Buy” buttons will be updated so you can purchase your own AAS Winners for your gardens.
Celosia Kelos® Candela Pink
You know it’s good when an AAS Judge calls an entry the “Energizer Bunny” that just kept blooming! Across the board, the judges loved the bright pink blooms that rose above the foliage, almost like a tall, tapered candle! Unique, showy plumes of pink flowers kept their color all season long and the judges agree that this is a perfect filler plant to add height and interest to a combination container planting. But it is also useful in mass plantings, borders, and general garden use. Another added bonus: it works as a dried flower.
Available in plant form only.
Echalion Creme Brulee (BGS-270) F1
This echalion is the first-ever shallot to win the AAS Winner designation so it’s exciting to see such a beautiful and great tasting variety join the ranks. Growing a shallot from seed is fun and unexpectedly easy. Easy to peel, single-centered bulbs have a bright coppery pink outer skin and a pretty rosy-purple interior with thick rings. The sweet tender bulbs are earlier to mature than the comparisons and have a slight citrusy flavor when eaten raw. When caramelized, things get even better as the natural sugars are enhanced and do not leave any overpowering aftertastes. A fantastic variety for the home gardener as well as farm or fresh market growers.
Leucanthemum Sweet Daisy™ Birdy
Sweet Daisy™ Birdy Leucanthemum is a beautiful perennial with robust, long-lasting blooms and carefree longevity in gardens down to zone 3. In the AAS Trials, it demonstrated excellent cold and heat tolerance and maintained a tidy, sturdy habit over the three-year trial. The cheery flowers are large and pure white in color, appearing earlier in the season than the comparison varieties. The 5″ reflexed daisy blooms feature small feathery petals around golden yellow button centers. Leucanthemums, also known as Shasta Daisies, are used for both cut flowers and garden highlights while also providing food and habitat for many kinds of pollinators. Enjoy this beauty in the garden as a medium-height bright spot (great for moonlight gardens) that will provide years of beauty with very little maintenance other than deadheading spent blooms if desired, but not necessary.
Available in plant form only.
Pepper Pot-a-peno F1
Pot-a-peno is a fun new jalapeno pepper with a compact habit perfect for growing in containers and hanging baskets. Plentiful small, green jalapeño fruits have a traditional spicy zip that is great in any dish where you want a little punch of spice. Simply leave the fruit on the vine a few extra weeks and they will ripen to red for a sweet, spicy flavor. This variety is earlier to mature than other jalapenos giving you a head start on your garden’s harvest. A unique trait of Pot-a-peno is how the fruit hangs down beneath the plant making it very easy to harvest without damaging the appearance or productivity of the plant. A dense foliage canopy makes for an attractive addition to your patio or balcony garden.
Squash Goldilocks F1
Once upon a time, there was an acorn squash named Goldilocks. In summer trials all across North America, the vigorous plant, high yield, disease tolerance, and rich nutty flavor of this variety had our judges saying, “Ahhh, this squash is just right!” like in the fairy tale. The bright orange fruits with uniform shape and color double as an ornamental decoration. Makes a great compliment to AAS Winner Honey Bear acorn squash.
Zinnia Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor
“JUST SO CUTE! WOW, WOW WOW!” When multiple judges write comments like that, it’s no surprise that it’s a Gold Medal Winner! Introducing…a beautiful new bicolor addition to the popular Profusion series of zinnias. This gorgeous zinnia starts the season with a bold vibrant red center ring surrounded by golden-yellow outer petals. As the season progresses, the aging flowers morph into soft, beautiful shades of apricot, salmon, and dusty rose to bring a plethora of color to the garden, all from one variety! Trial garden visitors clamored over this floriferous and compact plant during the summer trials noting how well the plant continued to bloom new flowers over old so there was never a decline in the beauty presented by Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor.
The Proof is in the Plant™ when you grow these AAS Winners!
“This post is provided as an education/inspirational service of All-America Selections. Please credit and link to All-America Selections when using all or parts of this article.”
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AAS Winners
You don’t list days to maturity on the vegetables.
Hi Pat,
We do list days to maturity/days to harvest on each AAS Winner page.
Those are linked to in that blog.
Here is an example for the echalion:
https://all-americaselections.org/product/echalion-bgs-270/
(It’s in the “In The Garden” section)
Thanks!