Every year various horticultural organizations choose a plant of the year.
Perennial Plant of the Year
Perennial Plant Association members vote for the Plant of the Year. In addition to their vote, each member nominates plants for future consideration. The Perennial Plant of the Year Committee reviews the nominated perennials and selects 3 to 4 plants to be placed on the ballot. Nominations are based are the following criteria: * Suitable for a wide range of climatic conditions * Low maintenance * Pest and disease resistant * Readily available in the year of release * Multiple season of ornamental interest * Easily propagated by asexual or seed propagation

Amsonia hubrichtii, (North American Native)
Perennial Plant of the Year
The association has chosen Amsonia hubrichtii, more commonly known as Arkansas blue star or thread-leaf blue star. It's a plant that grows 36 inches tall and 36 inches wide in a mounded form. This hardy perennial grows in hardiness zones 4 through 9 and is a versatile North American native.

Amsonia offers a variety of features throughout the seasons. From late spring to early summer, 2- to 3-inch-wide clusters of small, light blue, star-shaped flowers are borne above the ferny foliage. The alternate-arranged leaves are bright green in spring and summer, but turn a bright yellow-golden color in fall.

Light: Plants thrive in full sun to partial shade.
Soil: This plant performs best in average, moist well-drained soil but tolerates less moisture. Once established, it can tolerate drier conditions.

Uses: This perennial for the seasons is an asset in borders, native gardens, cottage gardens or open woodland areas. It is best when massed. Arkansas blue star is attractive when mixed with ornamental grasses and plants that have attractive seed heads.
Unique qualities: Light blue flowers in spring are followed by marvelous foliage in summer. Golden-yellow fall color is second to none among herbaceous perennials.
 
Hosta of the Year
Each year the American Hosta Growers Association selects its Hosta of the Year to recognize hosta plants that are good garden plants in all regions of the country, are widely available in the year of selection. Since 1996 they have chosen great varieties that have exceptionally decorative foliage, showy or fragrant flowers, and perform well throughout USDA hardiness zones 3-9

Hosta 'Praying Hands' is one of the most unique hosta varieties. The stiff, upright, folded green leaves have thin gold margins. The slightly shiny, slightly rippled, twisted leaves are spectacular!

DESIGNER HOSTA: This variety joins a select few other hostas in the exclusive "Designer" category. This plant has distinctive garden presence and exemplary landscape performance. The foliage is of good substance and demonstrates superior resistance to garden pests. This plant grows well in all parts of the country. A premium plant that looks great all season long!

Praying Hands the Hosta of the Year
Herb of the Year
Every year since 1995, the International Herb Association has chosen an Herb of the Year to highlight. The Herb of the Year Program, spearheaded by IHA's Horticulture Committee, has established Herb of the Year selections up to 2015. All IHA members are invited to participate in the selection process. "The Horticultural Committee evaluates possible choices based on them being outstanding in at least two of the three major categories: medicinal, culinary, or decorative."

Dill (Anethum graveolens) as the 2010 herb of the year
Herb of the Year 2011
Horseradish
Armoracia rusticana
Armoracia was the old Latin name for horseradish, while rusticana means rustic or of the country. In the past, commercial cultivation of horseradish in the U.S. was centered around Chicago; plants were brought to this area about 1856 by a German family named Sell, who gave roots to the Sass family. St. Louis was another commercial area, where horseradish has been grown since the 1890s. Today, the majority of horseradish is grown in Illinois, in the three counties closest to St. Louis.

In the United States, the commercial practice is to plant root cuttings 1/4 to 3/4 inches diameter and 8 to 14 inches long obliquely (an estimated 30° angle from horizontal is claimed to be best) to horizontal in shallow furrows with a large crown bud end resting slightly higher than the small or lateral root end. These are spaced 18 to 24 inches within the row and 30 to 36 inches between rows, and produce 8,900 to 9,700 plants per acre.

The sets are covered with 2 to 4 inches of soil; rolling then firms the soil. Soil should be pH 6.0 to 6.5; liberal applications of manure prior to planting are recommended. Addition of boron in boron-deficient soils will increase yields.

During growth, roots increase in diameter but little in length. Water stress produces bitter roots. Suggested times for lifting are when the largest leaves are 8-to 10-inches long and again about six weeks later. Lifted roots are more uniform and easier to clean, but the total yield is reduced by this procedure. Roots are dug either in fall or early spring. Harvested lateral roots are stored until spring for replanting the next crop.

If you grow horseradish in the home garden, early spring is the best time to plant the pencil-thin branches trimmed from larger roots. If you cannot plant the roots immediately, store them in plastic bags in the refrigerator until ready to plant. Choose a sunny location and work in plenty of rotted manure or compost to a depth of 10 inches. Depending upon your needs, plant one or two dozen roots, spacing them 12-to 18-inches apart. Set each piece so that the top is at ground level in a trench 3-to 5-inches deep. You may dig the roots as you need them, but after falls first heavy frost is when the flavor is at its peak. In areas where the ground does not freeze, you may harvest throughout the winter! Remove only the largest roots, leaving the small ones to survive another season; roots that are more than three years old should be discarded as too tough.

Horseradish is commercially dehydrated for export but tastes best when served fresh. The root may be shaved into curls to decorate and flavor beef. To prepare horseradish sauce, scrape the roots, grate (with good ventilation to avoid asphyxiation), and combine 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt with every cup of grated root. Bottle tightly and refrigerate for up to two months; grated red beets or various mustards may also be added. For longer storage, freeze the grated horseradish. Mix the sauce with ketchup to taste for shrimp cocktail sauce. If you harvest too many roots in the fall, store them in damp sand or in the refrigerator for grating later. Serve horseradish only in porcelain or glass, never silver, which blackens on contact with horseradish.

(Information compliments of the Herb Society)
 
Other Plants of the Year
2011 All-America Selections Winners
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Red’
AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner

This Salvia coccinea was consistently rated “superior” or “above average” by the AAS judges because of its early and generous flower blossoms, continuing from spring to autumn. Additionally, each dwarf and densely branching plant remains a tidy 20 inches tall, even at full maturity. The bright red flower spikes are covered with half inch blooms making it perfect for the bird lover’s garden where the bright red color acts as a magnet for hummingbirds. As an added bonus, goldfinches swarm the plant for seeds. Even the leaves add beauty with their finer-textured, dark-green color. ‘Summer Jewel Red’, just 50 days from sowing to first flower, is approximately two weeks earlier than comparisons. Expect long season performance and superior holding ability in both wind and rain. This annual is ideal for full sun containers, mixed beds and borders where uniformity is desired. Bred by Takii & Co, Ltd.
AAS® Winner Data
Genus species: Salvia coccinea
Common name: Hummingbird sage, Scarlet sage, Texas sage
Unique qualities: More compact and earlier to flower
Flower color: Bright red
Foliage color: Dark green
Flower form: Spike
Flower size: ½ inch
Plant height: 20 inches at most
Plant width: 16 inches
Plant type: Dwarf, branching
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 10 to 12 inches apart
Length of time from sowing seed to flower: 50 days
Closest comparisons on market: ‘Lady in Red’		 Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’
AAS Flower Award Winner
Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ offers a new and unique apricot color for this class. Blooms have yellow edges that deepen to a rich apricot in the center. Judges noted the award-winning distinctive flower color of the 3 to 3.5 inch daisy-like flowers, described as exceptionally lovely and lighter in color than traditional gaillardia. Just 105 days after sowing seed, this Gaillardia x grandiflora will bloom from early summer into autumn. The compact 12-inch tall plants offer bright green foliage and a tidy uniform habit best viewed when planted to the front of the flower bed. ‘Arizona Apricot’ is free-flowering, blooming heavily without vernalization, covering the plant with bright blooms that look great in mass. This long-flowering perennial is hardy in USDA Zones 2-10, is relatively maintenance free, and drought-tolerant once established. Gardeners will want to remove old flowers to encourage additional blooming. Bred by Ernst Benary of America Inc.
AAS® Winner Data
Genus species: Gailardia x grandiflora
Common name: Blanket flower
Unique qualities: Earlier flowering, unique color for gaillardia
Flower size: 3 to 3.5 inches
Flower form: Daisy-like single flower
Flower color: Apricot
Foliage color: Bright green
Plant height: 12 inches
Plant width: 12 inches
Garden location: Full sun
Length of time from sowing seed to flower: 90 days
Closest comparisons on market: ‘Granada’ and ‘Golden Goblin’
Viola ‘Shangri-La Marina’ F1
AAS Cool Season Bedding Plant Award Winner

This winning Viola cornuta is an early-flowering, mounding viola in a vibrant new color for this type. In trials, the 6-inch tall plants kept a low-growing mounding habit. Colorful and prolific 1¼  inch blooms have light blue petals with a velvety dark blue face that is surrounded by a narrow white border. Judges noted earlier (70 days from sowing to first flower) and showier blooms with noticeable drive-by flower power. Flower color was a consistent deep Marina blue throughout the season. This vigorous frost-tolerant biennial provides a solid mat of fall color until covered with snow followed by a great recovery in spring. Grow in full sun as a low edging in the garden or in hanging baskets and pots. Bred by Tokita Seed Co., Ltd.
AAS® Winner Data
Genus species: Viola cornuta
Common name: Viola
Unique qualities: Early flowering, new color
Flower color: Marina (light blue with baby face)
Flower size: 1.25 inches
Flower form: Single flower
Foliage color: Green
Plant type: Low growing, mounding habit
Plant height: 6 inches
Plant width: 12 inches
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 8 inches apart
Length of time from sowing seed to flower: 70 days Frost tolerant
Closest comparison on market: ‘Four Seasons Cooler Improved’

 Ornamental Kale ‘Glamour Red’ F1
AAS Cool Season Bedding Plant Award Winner

This is All-America Selections’ first winning kale (edible or ornamental) in seventy-eight years of trialing! ‘Glamour Red’ is an excellent achievement in breeding for its unique shiny leaves. The waxless quality of the leaves makes them shiny with a more intense, vivid color as compared to existing ornamental brassicas. Judges noted that the shiny foliage is striking in the landscape and it out-performed comparisons with outstanding success. It is a fringed leaf type Brassica oleracea with flower head size of 10 to 12 inches. This full sun annual will bloom 90 days from sowing seed to first color. Leaf coloring begins when night temperatures fall below 55°F for approximately two weeks. Expect good disease tolerance in all regions and frost tolerant blooms from November to March in warmer climates. Bred by Takii & Co., Ltd.
AAS® Winner Data
Genus species: Brassica oleracea
Common name: Ornamental kale
Unique qualities: Non-waxy shiny leaves, brighter color tone
Flower size: Head size is 10 to 12 inches
Flower form: Fringed leaf type
Flower color: Purple
Foliage color: Green
Plant height: 12 inches
Plant width: 14 inches
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 12 inches apart
Length of time from sowing seed to flower: 90 days (for leaf coloring)
Closest comparisons on market: ‘Kamome Red’ and ‘Nagoya Red’
   
   

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