What have the award-winning plants been in 2024 and 2025? HortWeek lists the best.
2025
RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year
Four OAKS
Overall best new plant winner
Sundaville Topper Red Yellow Eye - Suntory Flowers Europe
Judges said: "We were stunned by this plant.: the fact that it is a compact form not needing a frame and such a brilliant colour. It's proving so easy to grow that more and more people will do so."
Herbaceous perennials
Miscanthus 'Lady In Red' - Kernock Park Plants
This wonderful cultivar is properly standout among a genus of lovely cultivars and species that perform perfectly in so many garden situations, including front and back of borders and large pots. With stunning red autumn foliage colours, contrasting perfectly with tawny-white plumes of flowers, this variety is sure to impress everywhere.
Judges said: "Architecurally outstanding and great to add movement to the garden, with good changing colours."
Pics: top middle.
Fleurostar winner
Fleuroselect, the international organisation for the ornamental plants industry, has given the FleuroStar Award 2025-26 to Digitalis purpurea Hanabee F1 White (pic top right), bred by Takii and commercialised in partnership with Florensis. Breeder Johan van Velzen, product strategy head Harm Custers, Takii marketing head Friederike van der Boon accepted the prize at FlowerTrials.
BBC Gardeners' World Live Overall winner of the Peter Seabrook award
Dahlia Gardenetta Velvet Crush: Ball Horticulture/Allensmore
Dahlia Gardenetta Velvet Crush has a double lavender-purple two-tone flower which contrasts against the deep bronze leaves.
The judging process, led by Gardeners' World's David Hurrion. assessed the plants for initial appeal, originality, form/habit/practicality, colour (flower/foliage), reliability and commerciality. Each category scored out of five and platinum winners scored 27-30, with golds getting 23-26.
Head judge David Hurrion said: “Dahlias are always popular plants but to have one that’s compact enough to grow well in a pot, with dark, almost black foliage and the most incredible plum and pink flowers is a real treat. It’s a well-deserved winner and is bound to be a hit. Peter Seabrook would have absolutely loved it.”
Rose of the Year
The rose was bred by W. Kordes & Sons (Germany, 2010) by Thomas Proll and introduced in Germany by W. Kordes' Söhne (Retail) in 2019 as 'Coral Lions-Rose'. It was introduced in Australia by Treloar Roses in 2024 as 'Coral Lions-Rose'. Pic bottom left.
GLEE
Plants, seeds and bulbs
- Colourful Spring Bulbs CDU — Bees Seeds
- Euphorbia ‘Walberton’s Little Treasure’ — Farplants
- Salvia ‘Strawberry Melba’ — Darby Nursery Stock (joint winners)
IPM
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Groundbreaker Blush’ from Diderk Heinje (pic bottom middle).
National Plant Show
The overall winner was Frank P Matthews’ Prunus ‘Japanese Lantern’ (pic bottom right)
2024
