Top Gardening Trend Predictions from the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show
The Phoenix Rising exhibit from Laurel-Brook Gardens. | Becca Mathias, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) has unveiled its predictions for global gardening trends to emerge from the 2026 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening.”
“The Philadelphia Flower Show has long been a place where new ideas take root and influence gardening worldwide,” says Seth Pearsoll, Vice President and Creative Director of the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show. “From towering tropicals and massed floral forms to rewilded, ecologically minded landscapes, the 2026 trends highlight bold, immersive gardens that connect to heritage, place, and plant care.”
2026 Flower Show Trends
Trending Plants
Carnivorous Plants:
Carnivorous plants are growing in popularity for their striking and unusual shapes and bug-eating abilities. Varieties like pitcher plants, including purple and sweet types, add visual interest while helping manage pests naturally.
Bold Tropical Plants:
Tropical plants will continue to anchor large-scale displays and home decor, adding texture and structure to garden and personal spaces. Monstera deliciosa is joined by accessible favorites such as rubber plants, fiddle leaf figs, and weeping ficus, part of a resurgence of ficus as a design staple. Newer introductions like Philodendron Birkin, Xanthosoma, and silver-toned Scindapsus pictus add striking foliage and collector appeal. Schaffer Designs’ Flower Show exhibit FLORAMERE: A LIVING NETWORK, showcased tropicals to create a lush, sculptural canopy.
Floral Plants
Massed Blooms and Rounded Forms:
Hydrangeas, delphiniums, roses, and sunflowers are used to create sculptural, rhythmic compositions. The Flower Show’s Entrance Garden, The Forest Floor, highlighted this approach with layered, flowing plantings that highlighted rounded shapes.
Locally Grown and Sourced Florals:
Regional cut flower farms are influencing floral choices, with designers prioritizing seasonal, locally sourced blooms to strengthen the connection between growers and gardens.
Landscape Plants
Accessible and Customizable Design:
Affordable tools and customizable outdoor features make garden design more accessible and unique. Features like solar lighting, once requiring costly wiring, are now simple and budget-friendly to install alongside color-changing bulbs, app-controlled lighting, and other customizable elements. According to the USDA NASS 2024 Horticulture Operations Report, U.S. nursery stock sales reached $5.34 billion, up 17% since 2019, reflecting increased investment in outdoor spaces.
Rewilded Landscapes:
Designers are continuing to create landscapes that appear untouched but are carefully guided to support ecological balance. Native and pollinator-friendly plants help restore local systems while reducing maintenance. Laurel-Brook Gardens’ exhibit, Phoenix Rising, evoked a self-sustaining, natural environment.
The 2027 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show will return to the Pennsylvania Convention Center from March 13–21, 2027. To learn about additional trends and predictions from the 2026 show, please read the full release here.
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