Missouri Botanical Gardens Plants of Merit Winners
Plants of Merit are plants selected by the Missouri Botanical Gardens for their outstanding qualities and dependable performance for the lower Midwest. We have found Missouri Botanical Gardens Plants of Merit to be outstanding choices, guaranteeing you success in your garden. Missouri Botanical Gardens Plants of Merit selection criteria:
- Easy to grow and maintain
- Not known to be invasive in our area
- Resistant or tolerant to diseases and insects
- Has outstanding ornamental value
- Reasonably available to purchase
IMPORTANT NOTE: All of the Missouri Botanical Gardens Plants of Merit listed here are available in the nursery, subject to availability. Some of these plants may be ordered online for pick up at the nursery.
We do not ship.
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Plant Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirements
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Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirement
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Bloom Time
Height
Uses
Resistance
Magnolia Butterflies
Lemon-yellow blossoms on an award-winning tree.
Acer griseum – Paperbark Maple
Showy red leaves create a pretty understory or focal point tree.
Aesculus Pavia, Red Buckeye
2023 Tree of the Year. Award-winning Missouri Native.
Allium – Millenium Ornamental Onion
2018 Perennial Plant of the Year.
Amelanchier – Autumn Brilliance Apple Serviceberry
Award-winning small tree with multi-season interest.
Amelanchier laevis, Allegheny Serviceberry
Native plant with showy multi-seasonal interest.
Aster oblongifolium – Aromatic Aster
Important Missouri native pollinator plant.
Calamintha – Calamint
2021 Perennial Plant Association Perennial Plant Of the Year. Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Of Merit. Sun-loving perennial.
Callirhoe involucrata – Purple Poppy Mallow
2019 Native of the Year. Long-blooming native Illinois and Missouri ground cover.
Carpinus betula Fastigiata, European Hornbeam
Award winning regal tree.
Cercis – Forest Pansy Redbud
Glossy purple heart shaped leaves and vibrant flowers.
Cercis – Ruby Falls Redbud
Weeping dwarf with elegant purple heart-shaped leaves and vibrant flowers.
Chionanthus virginicus – Fringe Tree
Missouri native tree with elaborate blooms.
Clethra Ruby Spice – Summersweet
Award-winning fragrant pink flowers.
Geranium – Rozanne Hardy Geranium
Winner of multiple top awards.
Hydrangea – Bobo Panicle Hydrangea
Award-winning tiny shrub with huge white flowers.
Hydrangea – Limelight Panicle Hydrangea
Huge fluffy flowers reliably bloom in abundance every year. Comes in shrub or tree form.
Hydrangea anomala petiolaris – Climbing Hydrangea Vine
A gorgeous perennial vine for shade.
Hydrangea arborescens – Smooth Hydrangea
2024 Native Plant Of The Year
Leucanthemum – Becky Shasta Daisy
Top award winner.
Malus – Royal Raindrops Crabapple Tree
Award-winning, easy-care tree with multi-seasonal interest.
Perovskia atriplicifolia – Russian Sage
Multiple award winner with lavender-blue flowers and fantastic silver foliage.
Pycnanthemum muticum – Blunt Mountain Mint
Top choice to attract butterflies and more, multiple award winner.
Quercus bicolor – Swamp White Oak Tree
Bring the gift of nature home with this beauty, MO and IL native.
Quercus rubra – Red Oak Tree
Statuesque MO and IL native tree.
Rhus Gro Low Fragrant Sumac
Rugged ground cover shrub with beautiful leaves. Perfect for fixing erosion issues.
Rudbeckia maxima – Cabbage Leaf Coneflower
Majestic flowers and powder blue foliage.
Spirea Gold Thread
Gold ferny leaves add great color and texture.
Sporobolus heterolepis – Prairie Dropseed
Popular Missouri native grass that smells like popcorn.
Thuja – Green Giant Arborvitae
Award-winning, fast growing evergreen. Perfect for living walls.
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FILTER THE ITEMS ON THIS PAGE BY:
Plant Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirements
Bloom Color
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Height
Uses
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Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirement
Flower Color
Bloom Time
Height
Uses
Resistance
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