Each year, members of the horticulture industry review regional plant performance for choosing new Plants of Merit.  Judging criteria include increasing landscape plant diversity, minimizing pesticide usage, energy and water conservation and reliability with low maintenance.  And while, each year, a certain number of listed plants are retired to an emeritus status, retirees remain as a feature of the list.

The Plants of Merit program also gives out awards to gardens using successful mixes of its plants. The recognition program shows a shared commitment of the Plants of Merit partners and its sponsors for enhancing the region’s cultivated landscape while protecting natural green spaces.

Across the region, businesses and communities, as well as homeowners, are increasing their commitment to environmental stewardship with the use of Plants of Merit. These are award-winning, non-invasive, reliable plants that display outstanding ornamental attributes while preserving and protecting the environment. And in an era of personalized choices for educated, environmentally conscious gardeners, Plants of Merit offers everyone the opportunity to garden and landscape “green.”