The National Garden Bureau (NGB) has announced the winners of the 2025 Green Thumb Awards. These awards, established in 1998, recognize exceptional new plant varieties and gardening products that meet rigorous criteria, including uniqueness, innovation, problem-solving capabilities, and overall appeal to gardeners. Winners of the “Professional’s Choice” award were selected by a panel of NGB members, and winners of the “People’s Choice” award were selected by the NGB’s home gardener community.
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2025 Professional’s Choice Green Thumb Award Winners
Flowering Shrub: Euonymus ‘Fire Ball Seedless’ from Spring Meadow Nursery/Proven Winners Color Choice
Euonymus ‘Fire Ball Seedless’ is the only seedless, sterile, non-invasive burning bush (Euonymus alatus) on the market. Leave it to Dr. Tom Ranney and his crew at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station in North Cearolina to develop this truly innovative, game-changing plant. It has all the durability and inferno-red color that you expect from a burning bush but no risk of spreading like a conventional burning bush.
Perennial: Helleborus x hybrida ‘Endless’ from Monrovia Nursery
Endless Hellebore is a stunning compact, upward facing Hellebore with an extended bloom season! Selected for its abundant and long-lasting blooms, Endless Hellebore features glossy, dark green foliage topped with upward facing flowers that start out green and transition to a beautiful white. Hellebore is a must-have plant in the Garden of Nostalgia and Romance – a standout design trend for 2025.
Annual: Cosmos ‘Sea Shells Red’ from Sahin/Takii EU
Sea Shells Red is a charming and unique flower that brings a delightful touch to any garden. Known for its distinctive, tubular petals that resemble seashells, this variety showcases a beautiful palette of soft pinks and whites, adding a romantic flair to flower beds and arrangements. The flowers also make excellent cut flowers, offering a long vase life of up to 10 days, which means you can enjoy their beauty indoors as well.
Edible: Ocimum ‘Everleaf Lemon’ from PanAmerican Seed
The Everleaf collection features basil plants that are tall, upright, and highly branched for plenty of harvest potential. They are also very late to flower – up to eight weeks later than standard basil – for season-long enjoyment of tasty leaves. Everleaf Lemon is the first lemon basil bred for this collection. It has a bright lemon flavor perfect for adding to dressings, marinades, and fresh salads. The plants are versatile and perform well in-ground and in patio containers.
Houseplant: Philodendron ‘Prismacolor Orange you Gorgeous’ from leafjoy
This tropical houseplant is a living kaleidoscope of citrus-inspired colors, with elongated, spade-shaped leaves emerging a mottled bright orange color, then slowly fading to a marbled tapestry of gold and green. Leaf petioles, midribs, and margins have a warm, orangey glow, reminiscent of a sunrise over a tropical grove.
Garden Product: Crescent Too Circular Positive Planter Collection from Crescent Garden
Crescent Too Circular Positive planters are revolutionary. They are made with UBQ, a climate-positive material upcycled from landfill waste. With TruDrop Flex Self-Watering Containers and Emma Planters, these products promote a circular economy, promoting sustainable consumption while minimizing waste and resources.
2025 People’s Choice Green Thumb Award Winners
Flowering Shrub: Hydrangea ‘FlowerFull Smooth’ from First Editions Shrubs & Trees
Hydrangea ‘FlowerFull Smooth’ stands out with bold blooms and sturdy upright stems that won’t flop in the wind and rain. With two to three times more blooms per season than other smooth hydrangeas, FlowerFull makes an outstanding focal point plant. Disease-resistant, low-maintenance, and maturing at just three to four feet tall, it’s the perfect choice for small and big landscapes alike.
Perennial: Buddleja ‘Butterfly Bush Little Rockstars Red’ from Dümmen Orange
Buddleja ‘Little Rockstars Red’ is part of a new compact series of Buddleja. They have beautiful, large, cone-shaped inflorescences. They are perfect for small pot production with a complete color assortment and all-season flowering.
Annual: Calibrachoa LIA ‘Abstract Lemon Cherry’ from Danziger
The Calibrachoa LIA ‘Abstract Lemon Cherry’, the new addition to the LIA series, dazzles with vibrant golden-yellow blooms accented by a bold cherry-red splash, making it an irresistible choice for any garden. Designed with a controlled, semi-trailing growth habit, this variety is perfectly suited for hanging baskets and combinations.
Edible: Brassica ‘Purple Magic F1’ from Sakata Seed
AAS winner Purple Magic, the first purple stem, purple-headed broccoli in the world. The large, dome-shaped heads weigh in at about 1 pound each. Purple Magic is very high in anthocyanin (a plant-based chemical called a flavonoid) and nutritious. The plants grow well in all regions of the US and harvest about 90 days from transplant.
Houseplant: Philodendron ‘Prismacolor Orange you Gorgeous’ from leafjoy
This tropical houseplant is a living kaleidoscope of citrus-inspired colors, with elongated, spade-shaped leaves emerging a mottled bright orange color, then slowly fading to a marbled tapestry of gold and green. Leaf petioles, midribs, and margins have a warm, orangey glow, reminiscent of a sunrise over a tropical grove.
Garden Product: Crescent Too Circular Positive Planter Collection from Crescent Garden
Crescent Too Circular Positive planters are revolutionary. They are made with UBQ, a climate-positive material upcycled from landfill waste. With TruDrop Flex Self-Watering Containers and Emma Planters, these products promote a circular economy, promoting sustainable consumption while minimizing waste and resources.
For more information about the Green Thumb Awards program or membership in National Garden Bureau, please contact NGB Executive Director Diane Blazek or send an email to [email protected].
