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Best of the Best: All-America Selections Award-Winning Annuals

Nierembergia 'Purple Robe', a 1942 winner, remains popular today. Every year, dozens of new plant varieties hit the market—some with novel colors or bigger blooms, others bred for greenhouse efficiency. But “new” doesn’t always mean “better” for home gardens. That’s why All-America Selections (AAS) was founded: to trial new varieties across North America and award only those that truly outperform existing standards. A handful earn the AAS designation each year.

With a long list of winners, we asked AAS judges to vote for their all-time favorites. Here are the standouts.

Petunia

Over 60 petunias have won AAS since 1934. The judges’ top pick is Wave Purple Classic (1995): a 6-inch-tall spreader that blankets 4 feet with vivid purple blooms—ideal for groundcover or hanging baskets. Another favorite, Tidal Wave Silver (2002), grows more upright to 2 feet tall and 5 feet wide, smothered in silvery-blue flowers from spring to frost. Both Wave petunias bloom continuously without pinching, producing flowers all along the stems, not just at the tips.

Learn more about petunias.

Zinnia

More than 40 zinnias have earned AAS since 1935. The 2010 winner Zahara Double Fire tops the list: fully double, bold orange flowers on a disease-resistant, drought-tolerant plant perfect for containers. Profusion Cherry (1999) remains a star with brilliant cherry-pink blooms on 16-inch plants that attract butterflies and resist heat, drought, and disease. Other judge favorites: Zowie! Yellow Flame (large yellow flowers with red centers, 36 inches tall) and Magellan Coral (dwarf, double coral-pink blooms on 12-inch plants).

Learn more about zinnias.

Celosia

Cockscomb is a heat- and drought-tolerant old-fashioned favorite. Fresh Look Red (2004) won praise for its compact, well-branched habit, rose-red candle-flame plumes, and self-cleaning blooms—no deadheading needed. New Look (1988) offers bright red flowers over bronze-purple foliage, thriving in beds, borders, and containers; its blooms also dry beautifully for crafts.

Learn more about celosia.

Salvia

Garden salvia attracts hummingbirds and butterflies with spiky, colorful blooms. 'Evolution' (2006) bears lilac-blue flowers on gray-green foliage, loves heat, and is wonderfully drought-tolerant (native to Texas). It grows 20 inches tall, thrives in ground or containers, and its flowers dry well. Note: 'Evolution' is perennial in Zones 8–10. For hot-color lovers, 'Lady in Red' (1992) delivers cherry-red spikes on 24-inch plants, thriving in intense heat. Both have scented foliage that deters deer and rabbits.

Learn more about salvia varieties.

Marigolds

African marigolds (native to the Americas) offer dark, ferny foliage and large, brilliant orange-yellow flowers. Moonsong Deep Orange (2010) produces pumpkin-colored, 3-inch blooms all summer without deadheading on 15-inch plants. French marigolds are smaller but equally garden-worthy; Janie (1980) is exceptionally heat-tolerant, holding cheery yellow, orange, or rust-red flowers over deep-green foliage on 10-inch mounds.

Learn more about African marigolds and French marigolds.

Cosmos

Breezy, butterfly-friendly cosmos self-seeds reliably. Cosmic Orange (2000) is a vigorous yet compact 12-by-18-inch plant smothered in golden-orange flowers. The classic Sensation Red (1934) grows 4 feet tall, performs in heat, humidity, and poor soil, and is often sold in mixes.

Learn more about cosmos.

Ornamental Peppers

Ornamental peppers shine in hot, dry weather with attractive foliage and colorful (but inedible) fruit. 'Black Pearl' (2006) stuns with purple-black leaves, purple flowers, and round black fruits that ripen to cherry red. It reaches 18–20 inches (up to 36 inches in long summers) and stays 12 inches wide.

Learn more about ornamental peppers.

Ornamental Grasses

Few grasses win AAS, so those that do are garden standouts. Millet 'Purple Majesty' offers deep purple-black foliage topped by dark seed stalks, growing 5 feet tall in heat and drought. Its foliage pairs with any color—chartreuse, silver, pink, blue, orange, yellow.