GOLD MEDAL PLANTS

The latest additions to a Mid-Atlantic hall of fame

- MEGHAN SHINN

Above: Chinese fringetree blooms in late spring. The cultivar 'Tokyo Tower' offers a short, narrow habit that's easy to accommodate in small gardens.

COORDINATED BY THE Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Gold Medal Plants is an award program that highlights a handful of woody and perennial plants each year. Garden professionals collaborate to pick the winners, with criteria including ease of care, extended interest, wildlife value and availability in the trade. Gold medalists must perform well in the Mid-Atlantic states, where the climate runs hot and very humid in summer and moderately cold in winter, with extreme dips in temperature possible.

In 2026, the following trees, shrubs and perennials joined the list of Gold Medal Plants. Past winners can be found at phsonline.org/for-gardeners/gold-medal-plants.

‘TOKYO TOWER’ CHINESE FRINGETREE

‘Tokyo Tower’ Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus ‘Tokyo Tower’) is an excellent ornamental tree for tight spaces and challenging conditions. Chionanthus retusus is naturally small to medium in size, but this selection goes a step further, remaining even shorter and much narrower than the straight species.

Reaching a utility-line-friendly 15 feet tall and just 5 to 6 feet wide, ‘Tokyo Tower’ fits comfortably into shallow front or back gardens, courtyards and even foundation beds, where it might punctuate the corner of the building or accent the entryway.