The Long Island Gold Medal Plant Program began in 1999 and is administered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. The mission of the Gold Medal Plant Program is to identify and promote exceptional ornamental plants that will thrive in the Long Island home landscape. Increased public education and awareness of sustainable plant selections are the main goals of the Program.
Four award-winning plants are selected each year, which may be trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, groundcovers, grasses, or annuals. Gold Medal Plant Winners are identified by the Plant Selection Committee, which is a volunteer group of horticulture professionals.
Hey there, fellow Long Island gardeners! I’ve been tending gardens here for years, and let me tell ya – picking the right perennials can make or break your garden game. Today, I’m super excited to share my tried-and-true list of perennials that absolutely crush it in our unique Long Island climate.
Why These Perennials Rock for Long Island
Before we dive in here’s why these picks are perfect for our area
- They’re tough enough to handle our weird weather
- Most come back stronger each year (talk about getting your money’s worth!)
- They’re low-maintenance (because who has time for high-maintenance plants?)
- Many are native species that support our local wildlife
Best Sun-Loving Perennials
1. Black-Eyed Susan
These happy little sunshine faces are like the golden retrievers of the garden world – friendly reliable and always cheerful! They
- Bloom all summer long
- Attract butterflies like crazy
- Grow 2-3 feet tall
- Need basically zero maintenance
2. Butterfly Milkweed
Y’all, this is a must-have if you want monarchs visiting your garden:
- Gorgeous orange blooms from May to September
- Grows 1-2.5 feet tall
- Super drought-tolerant
- Perfect for those sandy Long Island soils
3. Daylilies
These bad boys are like the Swiss Army knife of perennials
- Come in literally every color except blue
- Bloom for weeks
- Handle full sun like a champ
- Spread naturally (free plants, anyone?)
Best Shade-Loving Perennials
4. Coral Bells (Heuchera)
These are my go-to for shady spots:
- Amazing foliage colors
- Low-growing (perfect for borders)
- Spring blooms that hummingbirds love
- Look great all year round
5. Plantain Lily (Hosta)
The MVP of shade gardens:
- Over 2,000 varieties to choose from
- Gorgeous leaf patterns
- Summer blooms
- Basically indestructible
6. Fringed Bleeding Heart
This one’s a real showstopper:
- Heart-shaped pink/purple flowers
- Blooms spring through fall
- Perfect for woodland gardens
- Fern-like foliage
Best Native Perennials
7. Common Yarrow
This tough cookie is perfect for Long Island gardens:
- White flower clusters
- Blooms April to September
- Spreads easily
- Great for pollinators
8. Joe Pye Weed
Don’t let the name fool ya – this is a stunning plant:
- Grows 5-7 feet tall
- Mauve flowers
- Vanilla-scented blooms
- Butterfly magnet
Best Season-Specific Perennials
9. Trumpet Honeysuckle (Spring)
- Grows up to 20 feet
- Scarlet-orange flowers
- Hummingbird favorite
- Perfect for trellises
10. Showy Goldenrod (Summer)
- Bright yellow blooms
- 2-3 feet tall
- July to September flowers
- Great for pollinator gardens
11. Mexican Bush Sage (Fall)
- Purple spikes with white blooms
- Late summer to frost
- 2-3 feet tall
- Butterflies love it
12. Christmas Rose (Winter)
- White flowers in late winter
- 12 inches tall
- Perfect under trees
- Deer resistant
Care Tips for Success
- Soil Prep
- Most perennials like well-draining soil
- Add organic matter before planting
- Test your soil pH (Long Island tends to be acidic)
- Watering
- Water deeply but less frequently
- Most established perennials are drought-tolerant
- Morning watering is best
- Maintenance
- Deadhead spent blooms
- Divide crowded plants every 3-4 years
- Cut back in late fall or early spring
My Personal Experience
I gotta tell ya, I learned some of these lessons the hard way! Last year, I planted some Mexican Bush Sage without checking the zone (oops!) and lost it during that crazy cold snap we had. But that’s gardening for ya – sometimes you win, sometimes you learn!
Where to Buy
I’ve had great luck with these local spots:
- Hicks Nurseries (Westbury)
- Long Island Natives
- Local garden centers
Pro Tips
Here are some tricks I’ve learned:
- Group plants with similar water needs
- Plant in odd numbers for better visual appeal
- Consider bloom times for continuous color
- Leave some seedheads for winter interest (and bird food!)
Remember, gardening is like cooking – sometimes you gotta adjust the recipe to make it work for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works in your specific spot!
Now get out there and start planting! Your future self will thank you when these beauties come back bigger and better next year.
Need more specific advice? Drop a comment below – I’d love to help you create your perfect Long Island perennial garden!
P.S. Don’t forget to join our local gardening community on social media for more tips and tricks!
Why are Gold Medal Plants special?
- Proven performance in Long Island garden settings
- Pest-free with multi-season ornamental appeal
- Adaptable to challenging landscape conditions
- Easily grown by those of any skill level
- Widely available from local wholesale/retail sources
2021 to 2023 Gold Medal winners will be posted soon.
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Acer triflorum (Three-flowered Maple) This small, deciduous tree, along with the 2012 Gold Medal winner Acer griseum, is a trifoliate maple that is ideal for any residential landscape as a signature tree. It has a striking golden amber bark with vertically-fissured streaks, and come autumn its leaves turn brilliant colors of red and yellow. Reaching a mature height of 20 to 30 ft., growth habit and shape are uniformly rounded, with both single- and multi-trunked specimens exhibiting full, dense crowns. The three-flowered maple is very adaptable to a wide range of growing and soil conditions and is trouble-free. In fact, it is so special that Michael Dirr, renowned horticulturist and professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia, refers to this species as “one of my favorites; the bark and fall color cannot be adequately described in words.” |
Ilex x Rutzan Red Beauty (Red Beauty® Holly) Red Beauty® holly is a hybrid holly introduced by Rutgers’ plant breeding program. It has fine, dark green foliage, and produces berries abundantly year in and year out. ‘Red Beauty’ forms a conical shape, maturing to around 10 ft. tall with a 5 to 6 ft. spread, which lends itself well for use in Long Island landscapes where other upright broadleaf hollies grow too large. ‘Red Beauty’ will perform best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade, and as with most hollies prefers a slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil. It should also be noted that this plant has few pest problems, and by all accounts seems to be deer resistant. Lastly, to ensure good fruit set a male companion plant should be planted nearby; Ilex ‘Blue Prince’ and Ilex ‘Blue Stallion’ are compatible. |
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Helleborus x ballardiae HGC Pink Frost (Helleborus Winter Jewels® Series and Gold Collection®) Hellebores are low-growing, herbaceous perennials with palmate, evergreen foliage. Their most impressive feature is their five petaled, bowl shaped flowers, which appear as early as December but more often in late winter into spring. The Winter Jewel Series® and Gold Collection® cover a wide spectrum of flower colors and forms including, singles, doubles, anemone-flowered, speckled, picoteed, veined and more. The pictured Gold Collection® Helleborus x Pink Frost is a big and bold variety with large flowers in multiple shades of pale to rosy pink. Early, long-blooming, upward-facing flowers rise above the foliage, which offers combinations of silvery green leaves with red stems. Hellebores in general are low maintenance, but prefer a moist, well-drained, acidic soil sited in a partially shaded woodland. They are adaptable, however, to most landscape situations (including containers) and in even in areas with high deer pressure as hellebores are deer resistant since they are poisonous. |
Itea virginica (Virginia Sweetspire) Native to southern parts of the U.S. Virginia sweetspire is a deciduous, flowering shrub that is appealing both for its ornamental and habitat value. From late spring to early summer, sweetly fragrant white flowers grow from stem tips and are highly attractive to pollinators. For dramatic ornamental effect and to best provide cover for wildlife, plant this mounding shrub in groups and give it room to grow, as it will spread. In fall, its glossy green leaves turn shades of orange-red to burgundy. Several cultivars are available ranging in mature size from 6 by 6 ft. for ‘Henry’s Garnet’ to the more compact forms of ‘Scarlet Beauty’ and ‘Little Henry’, which grow about 3 ft. in height and 4 ft. wide. The species can grow as tall as 8 ft. under ideal site conditions. This shrub is practically trouble-free and is adaptable to full sun or shade, but grows best in acidic, moist soils high in organic matter. Deer tend not to browse it. |
What is a Gold Medal Plant?
The Long Island Gold Medal Plant Program began in 1999 in an effort to promote exceptional under-utilized plants for Long Island gardens and landscapes. The selection committee represents a wide cross-section of the local nursery and landscape industry.
Long Island Native Perennials 2022
FAQ
What is the best low maintenance perennial plant?
- Salvia x sylvestris ‘May Night’ SKU: F37620. …
- Iris germanica ‘Immortality’ – Reblooming SKU: F32267. …
- Lamprocapnos spectabilis SKU: F27735. …
- Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ SKU: F20970. …
- Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ SKU: F24134. …
- Hemerocallis (Daylily) ‘Hyperion’ SKU: F30990.
What is the longest blooming perennial?
The longest blooming perennial is threadleaf coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’, which blooms from early summer to the end of fall, according to The Spruce.
What’s a good perennial that blooms all summer?
There are several perennials that bloom all summer, including penstemons, euphorbia, roses, hardy geraniums, and astrantia.
What is the most hardy perennial?
- Astrantia Ruby Wedding. …
- Iris x robusta Dark Aura. …
- Aquilegia Black Barlow. …
- Hosta. …
- Geranium Rozanne. …
- Helenium autumnale Can Can. …
- Hellebores. …
- Echinops.
What are the best perennials for Long Island?
Long Island has a moderate climate perfect for growing a wide variety of perennials. With proper planning and plant selection, you can have stellar perennials that provide non-stop color from spring to fall. Here are my picks for the 10 best perennials for Long Island gardens along with tips for caring for them. 1. Daylilies
Are perennials a good investment for Long Island landscapes?
Perennials are a great investment for Long Island landscapes, as they can be enjoyed year after year by planting them once. Hicks Nurseries carries an outstanding selection of the best performing perennials, ensuring confidence in both quality and value.
Are native perennials a good choice for sustainable gardening?
When plants naturally grow in a certain area without any help from people, they are called native perennials. These plants come back every year and adapt to the conditions there. They require less maintenance, as they are adapted to local conditions. This makes them an excellent choice for sustainable gardening.
Do daylilies grow on Long Island?
Daylilies Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) are tough, adaptable perennials that thrive in Long Island. They bloom in a rainbow of colors including yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, and bicolor. Daylilies grow well in full sun to part shade and adapt to most soil types. They spread to form dense clumps and also work well in containers.
Is investing in perennials a good idea?
Perennials are a good investment because you plant them once and can enjoy them year after year, growing bigger and better with age. They are a great choice with many uses in nature. Hicks Nurseries guarantees the quality and value of roses and perennials until November 1st of the same year purchased.
Do phlox grow on Long Island?
Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) are Long Island favorites prized for their large, fragrant flower clusters in summer. They grow up to 3-4 feet tall and come in white, pink, purple, red and bicolor. Plant garden phlox in full sun to light shade and fertile, well-drained soil. Pinch back tips in spring to promote bushy growth.