All-America SelectionsAll-America SelectionsAll-America SelectionsAll-America Selections
  • AAS Winners
    • Search AAS Winners
    • Buy AAS Winners
    • Complete AAS Winner List
    • About AAS Winners
    • Judges’ Biographies
  • Display Gardens
    • Visit an AAS Display Garden
    • Design Challenge Winners
  • Blog
  • About
    • About AAS
    • AAS Award Recipients
    • AAS Meetings
      • Summer Summit Sponsorship Sign-Up Form
    • Annual Reports
    • AAS Judges
  • Industry
    • How to Become a Display Garden
    • Display Garden FAQs
    • Display Garden News
    • Enter Design Challenge
    • Signs and Brochures
    • AAS Ambassador Tools
    • Breeders’ Entry Information
    • Important Dates
    • Judge’s Login
  • Contact
Previous

Two New Perennials to Add to Your Garden!

20 November, 2019
Two New AAS Winning Perennials to Add to Your Garden!

For easy, beautiful flower enjoyment, perennials are always a great option.

 

Sometimes, getting perennials that prosper year after year, can be a challenge. Drum roll, please… Enter the first-ever herbaceous perennials to win our All-America Selections (AAS) winners award, Echinacea Sombrero® Baja Burgundy and Rudbeckia x American Gold Rush.

AAS Perennial Trials Are Located Across North America

South MS Branch Experimental Station Perennial AAS Trials
South MS Branch Experimental Station AAS Perennial Trials
Colorado State University Perennial AAS Trials
Colorado State University AAS Perennial Trials

Each of these AAS Winners was trialed throughout North America by professional, independent, volunteer judges who grew them next to comparisons that were already considered best-in-class (best-in-garden). These two varieties performed better than their comparisons over a grueling three winter trial and were granted the prestigious AAS award designation.

Sombrero Baja® Burgundy Echinacea – 2020 AAS Perennial Winner

Echinacea Sombrero® Baja Burgundy AAS 2020 Herbaceous Perennial Winner
Echinacea Sombrero® Baja Burgundy AAS 2020 Herbaceous Perennial Winner

This coneflower, or echinacea, with its vibrant, deep violet-red blossoms will add a bold accent to any sunny garden or container. The flower color is stunning and is perfect for cut flower designs too. After being trialed over three tough winters, the AAS Judges noted that Sombrero® Baja Burgundy stood out with hardiness (Zone 4), its sturdy branching and its amazing blooming habit.

Not only will you enjoy this plant in containers and landscapes, but the birds and pollinators will flock to the flowers and seeds as well. Deer a problem in your area? Then plant plenty of Echinacea! Picky deer find the flower’s spiny center and the aroma of the plant unpalatable.

After three years in their AAS trial gardens, this is what some of our judges said about Sombrero Baja Burgundy…

  • “The plants were covered with flowers throughout the season.”
  • “Flowers and seed heads can be used in floral arrangements- cones can be dried and used for fall decorations.”
  • “The deep reddish-burgundy flower color was a standout and the plants were consistently full and compact.”

With prolific blooms from mid-summer until first frost, this is a definite must-have in your garden!

Rudbeckia x American Gold Rush – 2020 AAS Perennial Winner

Rudbeckia x American Gold Rush - AAS Herbaceous Perennial Winner
Rudbeckia x American Gold Rush - AAS Herbaceous Perennial Winner

American Gold Rush’s bright, golden-yellow flowers with black centers and arched petals are a gorgeous garden addition. This compact, upright domed-shaped beauty has narrow 2-inch wide hairy foliage that blooms from July to September, and some even until first frost. This cultivar has smaller foliage and shorter height compared to other rudbeckia varieties making it perfect for use in container gardening while being incredibly easy to grow!

Hardy to Zone 4, American Gold Rush is a pollinator magnet. Butterflies and bees will love the many flowers, and, in the fall, the finches will enjoy the seeds!

One of the winning traits for American Gold Rush is that it was bred for its resistance to Septoria leaf spot. This cultivar showed no signs of the fungus even in wet, humid conditions. Septoria leaf spot is a very common fungus on other black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia) varieties.  The fungus starts on the lower leaves and then moves up the plant during the season.

AAS Judges comments after growing this new AAS Winner include…

  • ” I believe this is one of the very best rudbeckias I’ve trialed and one of the very best perennials, too.”
  • “Would make an excellent addition to a yard, especially in any sort of mass planting.”
  • ” The foliage texture, plant habit, and flower show are refined in appearance.”

Give it a try, this new AAS Winner is destined to be the new rudbeckia staple in your garden and landscape!

What is AAS?

All-America Selections is the oldest and most well-known non-profit plant trialing organization in North America. Our All-America Selections  Winners have been tested for garden performance by a panel of expert judges. The AAS Winners offer gardeners reliable new varieties that have proven their superior garden performance in Trial Grounds across North America, thus, our tagline of “Tested Nationally and Proven Locally®”.

South MS Branch Experimental Station AAS Trial Grounds
Rotary Gardens AAS Trial Sign

When you purchase an AAS Winner, “The Proof is in The Plant™”, you know that it has been put through its paces by an independent, neutral trialing organization and has been judged by experts in their field. The AAS Winner label is like a stamp of approval. AAS Winners are bred and produced without using genetic engineering, commonly referred to as genetic modification or GMOs.

Pin It…

Two New AAS Perennial Winners to Add to Your Garden! - All-America Selections
Tweet
Pin3
Share
3 Shares

1 comment

  • Carol Sandt Reply 11/22/2019 at 8:34 AM

    In the summer of 2018, I bought three Sombrero Baja Burgundy Echinacea plants from Stauffer’s of Kissel Hill garden center in Rorherstown, Pennsylvania. Of all the Echinacea plants available at Stauffer’s, and there were quite a few, Sombrero Baja Burgundy stood out as the most beautiful. I planted them in my sunny garden and watched as they continued to display their lovely blooms for the rest of the growing season. At that time I wondered why I had not heard of this cultivar before. I am so glad that Sombrero Baja Burgundy Echinacea survived the testing necessary to be chosen as an All American Selection.

Leave a Comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Blog via Email

Sign-up to receive notifications of our new posts.


Topics

  • AAS in the News
  • AAS Winners
  • Annuals Winners
  • Design Challenge Winners
  • Display Gardens
  • Flowers/Ornamentals Winners
  • Gardening Podcasts
  • Gardening Tips
  • Gardening Videos
  • News from AAS
  • Perennials Winners
  • Recipes
  • Trial Judges
  • Vegetables/Edibles Winners

Archives

  • November 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • July 2015
  AAS Winners

MISSION STATEMENT

"To promote new garden varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America."

CONTACT

5201 Walnut Ave. Suite 3
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone: 630-963-0770

QUICKLINKS

  • AAS Winners
  • Buy AAS Winners
  • Press Room
  • Judge’s Login

ENEWS SIGN-UP

  AAS Winners
Copyright © 2019 All-America Selections.
  • AAS Winners
    • Search AAS Winners
    • Buy AAS Winners
    • Complete AAS Winner List
    • About AAS Winners
    • Judges’ Biographies
  • Newsletter Sign up
  • Display Gardens
    • Visit an AAS Display Garden
    • Design Challenge Winners 2017
  • News
  • About
    • About AAS
    • AAS Award Recipients
    • AAS Meetings
    • Annual Reports
  • Industry
    • Display Garden FAQs
    • Display Garden Newsletters
    • How to Become a Display Garden
    • Enter Design Challenge
    • Signs and Brochures
    • AAS Ambassador Tools
    • Breeders’ Entry Information
    • Important Dates
    • Judge’s Login
  • Contact
All-America Selections