Author: Pettinelli, Dawn

2024 All-American Selections

2024 All American Selection Winners
By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center

As we usher in the New Year, garden enthusiasts and horticulturists alike eagerly anticipate the unveiling of the All-America Selections (AAS) winners for 2024. The AAS is a prestigious organization that annually recognizes outstanding new varieties of flowers, vegetables, and herbs that have proven their excellence through rigorous trials. Trial gardens were established throughout the United States and even as far north as Canada. New varieties, species or strains of annuals, vegetables and bedding plants are grown and evaluated based on their performance. Two vegetables and 5 flowers were chosen as national winners this year. Those selected as winners are outstanding plants and deserve a trial in your gardens as well.

Broccoli ‘Purple Magic F1’ takes center stage among the vegetable winners. With its striking purple hue and exceptional taste, this broccoli variety is a standout choice for home gardeners. This easy to grow variety is tolerant to heat and stress with tight uniform heads on 30-inch tall plants. Plants should be spaced about 2 feet apart and harvests can begin about 90 days after transplant. Beyond its visual appeal, ‘Purple Magic F1’ offers a nutritious addition to meals, providing both beauty and health benefits to your garden and table.

Broccoli 'Purple Magic'
Broccoli ‘Purple Magic F1’ from https://all-americaselections.org/

For those seeking a vibrant addition to their vegetable patch, sweet pepper ‘Red Impact’ is a true gem. ‘Red Impact’ is a Lamuyo type that are typically difficult to grow because of the long time it takes these large peppers to mature to red. The 7-inch long, sweet crispy fruits have thick skins and can be harvested red or green. Plants reach up to 3 feet in height and since there can be 10 to 15 peppers per plant, staking is recommended. The dark red, uniform fruits mature in 90 days from transplant. ‘Red Impact’ is resistant to a number of diseases including tobacco mosaic virus.

In the realm of flowers, ‘Burning Embers’ celosia captures attention with its vibrant pink blooms that contrast well with its striking pink veined bronze foliage. This well-branched, vibrantly colored celosia will add drama and flair to gardens and containers. The very long-lasting flowers hold up well through periods of heat and humidity. The 8 to 9-inch plants can be spaced a foot apart in garden beds and used as edging or massed in groups. No staking or deadheading is necessary. Blooming from late spring through frost, makes ‘Burning Embers’ a standout choice for those looking to infuse outdoor spaces with bold colors and distinctive shapes.

Celosia 'Burning Embers'
Celosia ‘Burning Embers’ from https://all-americaselections.org

Geranium lovers rejoice. ‘Big EEZE Pink Batik’ is a true show stopper with its large, eye-catching pink blooms that are streaked and spotted with darker pink markings in a batik-like pattern. Upright 18-inch plants are very floriferous with 4 to 5-inch flower clusters. Deadhead to encourage continuous flowering throughout the growing season. Plants do especially well in containers and are vigorous and heat tolerant.

Impatiens ‘Solarscape XL Pink Jewel’ lives up to its name offering an abundance of vibrant pink blooms that will add sparkle to any garden or container. The foot high plants spread out to almost 20 inches so give them room to grow. The single pink blossoms open to almost 3 inches across. Plants do great in containers or in the ground and no staking or deadheading is needed. ‘Solarscape XL Pink Jewel’ will do well in sun to part shade as long as regularly watered. Gardeners will be glad to know plants are resistant to impatiens downy mildew.

With its vibrant, fully double, golden blooms and compact growth habit, marigold ‘Siam Gold F1’ is a reliable choice for borders, edging, or as a cheerful addition to mixed plantings. The 3 to 4-inch blooms are held high and continue throughout until frost if deadheaded. Staking is not needed for the sturdy 20-inch-tall plants that are tolerant of heat, drought and rain. Use the flowers in arrangements to bring a golden glow indoors. Plants are easily started from seed directly sown in the garden after the last frost date or can be started 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date indoors. Its ability to thrive in diverse conditions makes it a go-to option for gardeners seeking low-maintenance yet stunning floral displays.

The final national winner, Petchoa ‘En Viva Pink’, represents a unique and exciting addition to gardens and containers. This innovative hybrid combines the best qualities of petunias and calibrachoas, resulting in a plant that offers the best of both worlds. Plants are loaded with bright, iridescent pink, 2 to 3-inch, yellow-throated blossoms that stand up to heat, wind and rain. These plants require no staking or dead-heading and at 10 to 16-inches high and wide would be outstanding in hanging baskets, containers or cascading over garden edges.

The 2024 All America Selections national winners represent the pinnacle of horticultural achievement. As we embrace the gardening season ahead, let these national winners inspire and guide your choices for a flourishing and vibrant outdoor space. For your gardening questions, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension center.