Australia – Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Fairytrail Bride® Cascade Hydrangea® (Hydrangea × ‘USHYD0405’) and Skinny Fit® ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba ‘Menhir’), (AU tradenames Runaway Bride™ garland hydrangea and Lemonlime Spire ginkgo)have earned 2025 Plant of the Year designations from Nursery & Garden Industry, Victoria (Australia.)
The Plant of the Year designation acknowledges outstanding plant varieties in Australia. These plants spark innovation and interest in the industry and exemplify exciting developments in horticulture.
Plants are submitted into one of four groups: shrubs, trees, herbaceous plants, or specialist plants. Each entry is evaluated on aesthetic appeal, growth and performance characteristics, innovative features, and market potential.
During the first stage of judging, plants scoring 80% or higher receive high commendation. Among these, the top scorer in each category is then awarded the “Of the Year” title in their distinct category and advances to the final evaluation stage.
Awardee in the tree category was Lemonlime Spire ginkgo(US name: Skinny Fit ginkgo). This fastigiate treebrings the timeless charm of the ginkgo to even the smallest spaces. With its iconic fan-shaped leaves and a slender, upright habit, Skinny Fit ginkgo is ideal for urban gardens, tight landscapes, or as a striking vertical accent.
Maria Zampini, program manager for the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® line of ornamental trees, shared her enthusiasm: “It’s incredibly exciting to see Skinny Fit ginkgo (Lemonlime Spire) recognized in the tree category as a Plant of the Year in Australia. This honor reinforces the caliber of trees that growers and consumers have come to expect from the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® brand.”
Runaway Bride™ garland hydrangea (US name: Fairytrail Bride Hydrangea ×) was honored as the Plant of the Year in the shrub category. Bred in Japan by Ushio Sakazaki, this exceptional hydrangea first captured international attention when it was named Plant of the Year at the 2018 Chelsea Flower Show in the UK. Spring Meadow Nursery introduced it to the US market in 2022 under the name Fairytrail Bride and made it the inaugural member of their popular Cascade Hydrangea series. Fairytrail Bride hydrangea features abundant, lace-like white flowers that appear at every leaf node on long, trailing branches.
In the last two categories, Ground Hug™ Myoporum took top honors as Specialist Plant of the Year, and ‘Sincerity Rose Bicolour’ Dahlia was named Herbaceous Plant of the Year.
Once the four category winners are chosen, a single variety is singled out as the overall Plant of the Year. In this inaugural year, the premier distinction was awarded to Runaway Bride (Fairytrail Bride) hydrangea.
“We are incredibly proud that Fairytrail Bride hydrangea has earned the top spot as Plant of the Year from Nursery & Garden Industry, Victoria,” said Tim Wood, product development manager for Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs. “This recognition is a testament to the remarkable vision and talent of Ushio Sakazaki, whose innovative work continues to inspire breeders and horticulturalists worldwide. Fairytrail Bride hydrangea is a standout, and we’re honored to see it once again celebrated on the global stage.”
Skinny Fit gingko and Fairytrail Bride Cascade Hydrangea are both part of the Proven Winners® ColorChoice® line of ornamental shrubs. Growers can contact a Spring Meadow Nursery territory representative to purchase liners and learn more about these, and over 300 Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrub varieties.
Located in Grand Haven, Michigan, Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. manages the woody genetics in the Proven Winners® plant brand in North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. As a young plant liner producer, breeder, and representative for independent plant breeders worldwide, they are an industry leader in woody plant genetics. For more information, visit www.springmeadowursery.com.
