Clustered Mountain mint named 2025 perennial plant of the year

USA – The Perennial Plant Association has announced Pycnanthemum muticum, commonly known as clustered mountainmint, as the 2025 Perennial Plant of the Year®.

This designation underscores the plant’s exceptional qualities and benefits for gardens across the eastern United States and Texas.

Clustered mountainmint stands out for its role in attracting a variety of pollinators. “While not necessarily the showstopper with large eye-catching flowers, it’s a great pollinator plant,” says Kyle Lambert, Perennial and Rose Manager at The Growing Place Garden Center.

“It provides a nice textural contrast to finer-leaved plants and has a minty fragrance when touched.” Its tiny white to light pink blooms draw butterflies, wasps, and bees from July to September. The plant’s silver bracts, which resemble frost, persist for months, adding seasonal interest.

Sam Hoadley, Horticulture Research Manager at Mt. Cuba Center, also highlights the plant’s value. “If you are looking to attract pollinators en masse to your garden, look no further than Pycnanthemum muticum. It is invaluable to gardeners thanks to its beauty, vigor, adaptability, and resistance to diseases and herbivores.”

This hardy perennial is known for its resistance to disease and its unpalatability to deer and rabbits due to its aromatic foliage. It features branched, vertical stems that reach two to three feet tall, forming dense, weed-suppressing clumps.

Although it spreads through underground rhizomes and can be aggressive in moist conditions, it is less invasive compared to true mints.

Adding to the excitement in the plant world is the rise of Green Dianthus, a unique flower that has captured the interest of florists and garden enthusiasts.

This flower, a result of a chance mutation discovered about fifteen years ago, is closely related to carnations but stands out due to its distinctive green appearance and long-lasting qualities.

Green Dianthus, a type of Sweet William that lacks petals, is becoming a favorite in floral arrangements. Its versatility allows it to create naturalistic mossy effects or make a striking statement as a stand-alone stem.

“It’s fluffy green appearance makes it extremely versatile,” says a floral designer. “It pairs beautifully with white flowers, making it especially popular for bridal bouquets and various arrangements.”

The heads of Green Dianthus can be separated and used in boutonnieres, corsages, or table decorations, providing a cohesive look across different floral elements.

This newcomer to the cut flower industry, despite its recent entry, has quickly become cherished for its unique aesthetic and durability.

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