AHGA and AHS Hostas of the Year
The AHGA Hosta of the Year (1996-2025)
The American Hosta Growers Association established the AHGA Hosta of the Year program in 1996.
The winners were selected by a vote of AHGA members. Award winners are hostas that are good
garden plants in all regions of the country, are widely available and in sufficient supply, and retail for
$15.00 to $20.00 in the year of selection. The AHGA Hosta of the Year program was terminated in
2025. The criteria used by AHGA was primarily for marketing purposes.
The AHS Hosta of the Year (2026-Present)
With the termination of the AHGA Hosta of the Year program in 2025, the American Hosta Society Board
decided to continue the Hosta of the Year program with new guidelines for selection of the AHS Hosta of the
Year. The winner of the AHS Hosta of the Year uses the winner of the Benedict Garden Performance Award
as the Hosta of the Year for the following year. If the Benedict Garden Performance Award winner has
previously been an AHGA Hosta of the Year selection, a previous recent Benedict Garden Performance Award
winner is selected as the next AHS Hosta of the Year. The new criteria used by AHS are not for marketing
purposes but are meant to guide gardeners to hostas that have demonstrated excellent garden performance.
2026 Hosta of the Year
'Halcyon'
Previous Winners:
- 2025 - 'Skywriter'
- 2024 - 'Mini Skirt'
- 2023 - 'Neptune' PP 19,674
- 2022 - 'Island Breeze' PP 27,151
- 2021 - 'Rainbow's End' PP 17,251
- 2020 - 'Dancing Queen'
- 2019 - 'Lakeside Paisley Print'
- 2018 - 'World Cup'
- 2017 - 'Brother Stefan'
- 2016 - 'Curly Fries'
- 2015 - 'Victory'
- 2014 - 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd'
- 2013 - 'Rainforest Sunrise'
- 2012 - 'Liberty'
- 2011 - 'Praying Hands'
- 2010 - 'First Frost'
- 2009 - 'Earth Angel'
- 2008 - 'Blue Mouse Ears'
- 2007 - 'Paradigm'
- 2006 - 'Stained Glass'
- 2005 - 'Striptease'
- 2004 - 'Sum and Substance'
- 2003 - 'Regal Splendor'
- 2002 - 'Guacamole'
- 2001 - 'June"
- 2000 - 'Sagae'
- 1999 - 'Paul's Glory'
- 1998 - 'Fragrant Bouquet'
- 1997 - 'Patriot'
- 1996 - 'So Sweet'
2027 Hosta of the Year will be 'Clear Fork River Valley'
