Each year, the Perennial Plant Association recognizes distinguished perennial professionals for their contributions to the industry. The Awards are described below.

2024 Special Recognition Award Winners

2023 Special Recognition Award Winners

Previous Year Winners

Nominations for 2025 now open:

Nominate Here

Nomination Deadline: February 21, 2025

 2025 Awards will be presented at the national symposium in Des Moines, IA.

Special Award Descriptions

Perennial Excellence Award
This award recognizes an individual or organization who has distinguished themselves through their contributions, skills, and efforts related to herbaceous perennial plants and the perennial plant industry. The awardee’s endeavors may be connected to—but are not limited to—growing, production, sales, service, marketing, design, installation, breeding, and innovation. The recipient of this award need not be a member of the Perennial Plant Association.

Perennial Outreach and Education Award
This award recognizes an individual or organization who has distinguished themselves by advancing perennial plants and the industry through education, advocacy, awareness, outreach, or promotion. Awardees will have inspired and increased public awareness of the use of perennial plants, increased attention to the work done by the perennial plant industry, and/or increased fundamental knowledge and understanding of perennial plants. The award may be given to—but is not limited to—nominees in academic settings, research fields, public gardens and public service, promotional fields, or the media. The recipient of this award need not be a member of the Perennial Plant Association.

Emerging Perennial Professional Award
This award may be given to a Perennial Plant Association (PPA) member who is a talented and diligent newcomer to the perennial plant industry. They will have shown involvement in PPA and portrayed a positive image of the industry to the public. This award recognizes the individual’s contributions and involvement in the perennial field and encourages future growth. The awardee need not be of a certain age but should be early in their career within the industry.

Perennial Service Award
This award acknowledges a Perennial Plant Association (PPA) member for outstanding service to the PPA. The award goes to a member who has contributed considerable time and effort by serving on committees, diligently attending meetings, motivating the membership to act on concerns within our industry, and demonstrating leadership and organizational skills.

Directors' Award
This award recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond in their support of the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) and the broader perennial industry. This award is reserved for the PPA Board of Directors' nomination and is given at the Board’s discretion; it need not be presented each year. The recipient of this award is someone who makes outstanding contributions and is exceptionally committed to the advancement of the PPA and/or the perennial industry. Membership with PPA is not required for this award.