Horticulture: Extension: Gold Medal Plants

2007 Gold Medal Winners at a Glance

Annual * Full Sun/Partial Shade

• Vigorous, shrub-like annual growing to 4 feet high and 3 feet wide
• Dark green foliage 2 to 3 inches wide & up to 6 inches long
• Produces upright panicles of crimson-red, tubular flowers opening over 3 to 4 weeks, lasting until frost
• Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
• Prefers full sun to part-shade & moist, well-drained soil; tolerant of brief dry periods
• Useful as a background plant in mixed-shrub border; also works well in containers
• Fertilize weekly with liquid; prune shoot tips to encourage compact growth & flowering
• Easy to propagate from cuttings

Herbaceous Perennial * Full Sun/Partial Shade * Hardiness Zones: 6 to 11

• Native herbaceous perennial with branching, upright habit; 5 to 6 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide.
• Produces blood-red flowers, 3 to 5 inches across, from late spring until frost
• Good choice for wet sites (water gardens, pond edges); also tolerates normal conditions
• Prefers sunny, moist sites rich in organic matter
• To encourage re-blooming, deadhead spent flowers or prune by one-third after bloom
• In north GA, it freezes to the ground in winter and re-sprouts in spring . Cut back old stems in late winter to rejuvenate the plant
• Easy to propagate by seed or cuttings; collect seeds from dried pods, briefly soak in water, plant them in moist, well-drained potting soil; or take 5 to 6-inch cuttings during the growing season.

Evergreen Vine * Sun/partial Shade * Hardiness Zones 7 (6) to 10

• Tough, fragrant, woody evergreen vine; fast grower reaching 20 to 40 feet at maturity
• Cultivar ‘ Madison ' is truly winter hardy in north GA.
• Needs help climbing to trellis or arbor as it lacks aerial roots
• Can also be used as a ground cover which requires less maintenance
• Star-shaped, creamy-white, phlox-like flowers in spring (late April in Athens , GA )
• After flowering, regular summer pruning is necessary to keep it in bounds
• Minimal fertilizer and irrigation will help control growth
• Full sun or partial shade; does not perform well on wet sites Pest tolearant

Deciduous Shrub * Sun/Partial Shade * Hardiness Zones 5 to 9

• Deciduous flowering shrub reaching 4 to 5 feet wide with an equal spread
• Prefers partial shade, but can survive full sun with sufficient irrigation
• Vibrant yellow flowers emerge prior to lustrous dark green foliage
• Fragrant flowers, mildew-resistant foliage which has an orange-bronze fall color
• Best used behind other plants in a perennial border
• Prefers moist, well-drained soils. It will not tolerate wet soil Prune after flowering; and fertilize lightly in spring with azalea-camellia fertilizer

Evergreen Tree * Full Sun * Hardiness Zones 5 to 8

• Large fast-growing evergreen tree growing 50 to 60 feet tall and 20 feet wide
• Tolerates most soil conditions and adverse weather (ice / wind)
• Deer & pest resistant
• Good alternative to Leyland for defining property lines & screening undesirable views
• Better suited for parks and large spaces
• Prefers full sun and well-drained soils; not tolerant of wet, poorly drained soils
• Plant 15 feet apart for best screening and wind resistance
• Fertilize in late winter & midsummer with granular fertilizer, such as 16-4-8

Compiled by Billy Skaggs, Hall CEA

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