2024 GreatPlants Recommendations for the Great Plains
The goal of the GreatPlants for the Great Plains program is to assist gardeners in their quest to discover new or overlooked plants that deserve to be planted more. The 2024 GreatPlants of the Year were voted on by members of the Nebraska Nursery & Landscape Association (NNLA)—represented by nursery professionals, landscape designers and horticulture educators. Make plans to include this year’s winners in your landscape design; they deserve to be in every garden.
Read more about the 2024 GreatPlants selections -- plus additional articles -- in our annual publication, GreatPlants Gardener.
Cumulative List of GreatPlants 1998-2023
Tree of the Year
Baldcypress, Taxodium distichum
Birch, sweet, Betula lenta
Buckeye, Ohio, Aesculus glabra
Catalpa, northern, Catalpa speciosa
Coffeetree, Kentucky, Gymnocladus dioicus
Dogwood, Corneliancherry, Cornus mas
Dogwood, pagoda, Cornus alternifolia
Elm, American, Ulmus americana ‘Princeton’
Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba
Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis
Hickory, shagbark, Carya ovata
Hophornbeam, American, Ostrya virginiana
Hornbeam, American, Carpinus caroliniana
Maple, shantung, Acer truncatum
Oak, black, Quercus velutina
Oak, bur, Quercus macrocarpa,
Oak, chinkapin, Quercus muehlenbergii
Oak, Hill’s, Quercus ellipsoidalis
Oak, Shingle, Quercus imbricaria
Oak, Shumard, Quercus shumardii
Oak, swamp white, Quercus bicolor
Serviceberry, apple, Amelanchier xgrandiflora
Serviceberry, shadblow, Amelanchier canadensis
Sycamore, American, Platanus occidentalis
Tuliptree, Liriodendron tulipifera
Yellowwood, American, Cladrastis kentukea
Evergreen of the Year
Douglasfir, Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca
Fir, Canaan, Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis
Fir, concolor, Abies concolor
Fir, Korean, Abies koreana
Pine, border, Pinus strobiformis
Pine, Domingo, Pinus strobus x ayacahuite ‘Domingo’
Pine, eastern white, Pinus strobus
Pine, Japanese white, Pinus parviflora
Pine, Korean, Pinus koraiensis
Pine, lacebark, Pinus bungeana
Pine, pinyon, Pinus edulus
Pine, Ponderosa, Pinus ponderosa
Pine, red, Pinus resinosa
Pine, Swiss stone, Pinus cembra
Spruce, Black Hills, Picea glauca var. densata
Spruce, Norway, Picea abies
Spruce, Serbian, Picea omorika
Spruce, white, Picea glauca
Shrub of the Year
Buckeye, bottlebrush, Aesculus parvifolia
Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis
Chokeberry, black, Aronia melanocarpa
Coralberry, Chenault, Symphoricarpos xchenaultii
Currant, clove, Ribes odoratum
Elderberry, American, Sambucus Americana
Hazelnut, American, Corylus Americana
Hydrangea, oakleaf, Hydrangea quercifolia
Mahonia, creeping, Mahonia repens
Mockorange, Wild or Lewis, Philadelphus lewisii 'Blizzard'
New Jersey tea, Ceanothus americanus
Purple beautyberry, Callicarpa dichomata
Rose, redleaf, Rosa glauca (R. rubrifolia)
Sandcherry, ‘Pawnee Buttes’ western, Prunus besseyi,
Serviceberry, Regent, Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Regent’
Seven-son flower, Heptacodium miconioides
Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus
Spirea, Korean, Spiraea fritschiana
Spirea, 'Tor' Birchleaf, Spirea betulifolia
St. Johnswort, Kalm, Hypericum kalmianum
Viburnum, ‘Redwing’ American cranberrybush, Viburnum trilobum
Viburnum, blackhaw, Viburnum prunifolium
Viburnum, Viburnum sargentii ‘Chiquita’
Viburnum, Deam’s arrowwwood, Viburnum dentatum var deamii
Viburnum, Koreanspice, Viburnum carlesii
Wahoo, eastern, Euonymus atropurpurea
Witchhazel, Hamamelis vernalis
Perennial of the Year
Anemone, snowdrop, Anemone sylvestris
Aster, aromatic, Aster oblongifolius
Black-eyed Susan, showy, Rudbeckia fulgida var. speciosa
Blazing star, meadow, Liatris ligulistylis,
Butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa
Coneflower, Echinacea species
Cranesbill, Geranium sanguineum
Dwarf blue indigo, Baptisia minor
Goldenrod, Fireworks, Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’
Hyssop, 'Blue Fortune,' Agastache
Ironweed, 'Iron Butterfly,' Vernonia lettermanii
Joe-Pye plant, Gateway, Eupatorium maculatum ‘Gateway’
Bluestar, narrowleaf, Amsonia hubrichtii
Prairie smoke Geum triflorum
Leadplant, Amorpha canescens
Lupine, Carolina, Thermopsis villosa
Milkweed, swamp, Asclepias incarnata
Pasque flower, Pulsatilla species
Penstemon species
Phlox, woodland, Phlox divaricata
Poppy mallow, purple, Callirhoe involucrata
Primrose, Fremont’s, Oenothera macrocarpa var fremontii
Queen of the Prairie, Filipendula rubra ‘Venusta’
Solomon’s seal, variegated, Polygonatum multiflorum ‘Variegatum’
Turtlehead, Chelone lyonii
Virginia Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum virginianum
Grass of the Year
Bluestem, big, Andropogon gerardii
Bluestem, big, Andropogon gerardii 'Blackhawks'
Bluestem, little, Schizachyrium scoparium
Bluestem, little, Schizachyrium scoparium ‘MinnBlue’
Dropseed, prairie, Sporobolus heterolepis
Giant sakaton, Sporobolus wrightii
Grama, blue, Bouteloua gracilis
Grama, sideoats, Bouteloua curtipendula
Indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans
Lovegrass, sand, Eragrostis trichodes
Miscanthus, Autumn Red, Miscanthus sinensis v. purpurascens ‘Autumn Red’
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’
Reedgrass, Korean feather, Calamagrostis brachytricha
Ruby Crystals grass, Melinus nerviglumis
Sedge, Blue Zinger, Carex flacca
Sedge, bristleleaf, Carex eburnea
Sedge, Gray’s, Carex grayi
Sedge, palm, Carex muskingumensis
Sedge, Pennsylvania, Carex pennsylvanica
Sedge, rosy, Carex rosea
Switchgrass, ‘Dallas Blues’, Panicum virgatum ‘Dallas Blues’
Switchgrass, Northwind, Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’
Switchgrass, Shenandoah, Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’
GreatPlants® Releases and Introductions
(plants below are Releases unless specified as Introductions after the year)
Allium senescens ‘Mongolian Gem’
Aspen, Prairie Gold quaking, Populus tremuloides ‘Prairie Gold’
Aster fendleri ‘My Antonia’
Big bluestem, Andropogon ‘Silver Sunrise’™
Clematis fremontii
Clematis fruticosa ‘Mongolian Gold’
Clematis tenuiloba ‘Pixie Parasols’
Dianthus ‘Prairie Pink’
Dianthus ‘Wink’
Dwarf spiderwort, Tradescantia tharpii
Eupatorium ‘Prairie Jewel’
Evening primrose, Oenothera macrocarpa 'Comanche Campfire'
Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Pink Clouds’
Iris spuria ‘Fontenelle’
Juniper, Juniperus virginiana ‘Taylor
Lemon Lace vine, Fallopia ‘Lemon Lace’
Liatris microcephala ‘White Sprite’
Liatris pycnostachya ‘Eureka’
Monarda ‘Prairie Gypsy’
Mongolian Silver Spires littleleaf peashrub, Caragana microphylla
Oak, dwarf chinkapin, Quercus prinoides
Penstemon grandiflorus ‘Prairie Snow’
Penstemon grandiflorus ‘War Axe’
Penstemon x ‘Prairie Splendor’
Poppy mallow, Callirhoe alcaeoides 'Logan Calhoun'
Prairie clover, purple, Dalea purpurea 'Stephanie'
Prairie Lode sundrops, Calylophus serrulatus ‘Prairie Lode’
Scabiosa superba ‘Mongolian Mist’
Sedum tatarowinii ‘Mongolian Stars’
Skullcap, Scutellaria resinosa
Skullcap, Scutellaria scoridifolia 'Mongolian Skies'
Solidago ‘Wichita Mountains’
Viburnum ‘Copper Ridges’
Viburnum ‘Prairie Classic’
