Hillier Celebrates Plant of the Year Win at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 with World-First Philadelphus

Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centres is delighted to announce that its groundbreaking new plant introduction, Philadelphus x ‘Petite Perfume Pink’, has been named RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2025, marking another proud milestone in the company’s long horticultural heritage. The plant is being showcased within the Sparsholt College garden, which this year celebrates resilient and innovative planting suitable for UK conditions.

The award, judged by a panel of RHS experts, recognises the most innovative and high-performing plants introduced to UK gardens each year. Among this year’s 16 shortlisted entries, Philadelphus x ‘Petite Perfume Pink’ was praised for its exceptional fragrance, garden performance and most notably, its status as the first-ever truly pink-flowered Philadelphus.

The plant was bred by Alan Postill, one of the most highly regarded plant breeders in British horticulture. Alan began his remarkable 60-year career at Hillier in 1962, joining the team at just 15 years old, and retired in 2023. Even in retirement, his influence continues, with new plant introductions that are set to inspire and shape UK gardens for generations. International licensing is managed by Plantipp bv.

“To see Petite Perfume Pink win Chelsea Plant of the Year is incredibly special”, said Charles Carr, Head of Wholesale Nurseries at Hillier. “Not only is it a breakthrough plant in its own right, it’s also a shining example of the skill, vision and passion Alan Postill brought to Hillier and to British horticulture. This win is a tribute to him and to everything he’s given to our industry.”

Alan’s influence can be seen in many garden favourites, including Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’, named for his wife, and Choisya x dewittiana ‘Aztec Gold’, launched at Chelsea in 2012. Known for his dedication and exceptional skill in propagation, Alan has introduced countless resilient, beautifully formed plants that continue to inspire gardeners across the country.

This year’s win crowns a strong performance for Hillier, which had two plants shortlisted for RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year. Joining the winning Petite Perfume Pink on the shortlist was Rhaphiolepis indica ‘White Cloud’ – a refined evergreen with pure white blooms and strong garden performance, ideal for low-maintenance planting schemes.

Philadelphus x ‘Petite Perfume Pink’ is available exclusively at Hillier Garden Centres in 3 and 7.5 litre pots. With the Chelsea win now confirmed, high demand is expected from gardeners and collectors alike. 

To discover more about Hillier Nurseries’ Chelsea-winning plants, visit www.hillier.co.uk.

Ends

Editors notes

“To inspire the creation of green living spaces for now and the future” Hillier is one of the leading names in the horticultural industry, with 160 years of growing and retail experience.

Founded in 1864 by Edwin Hillier, the company remains a family-run nursery with the fifth generation now actively involved in the family business as it continues to grow.

Not only is Hillier the largest producer of semi-mature trees in Europe and grower of over one million plants at its Hampshire nursery, but it also employs over 750 staff across its nursery, amenity trees and 22 garden centre divisions and is a flourishing multi-million pound company. It proudly holds the world record for the most consecutive gold medals awards at the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with 74 wins.

As one of the leading growers in the UK, Hillier is involved in many peat-free initiatives, including the RHS Peat-Free Fellowship, the largest peat-free collaborative research project globally. The company was amongst the first nurseries to become 100% peat-free across both its production nursery and retail garden centres, and all Hillier plants are grown in peat-free compost.

Recent successes for the company include the launch of its online shop, the substantial redevelopment of Hillier Garden Centre Newbury and the acquisition of the Rosebourne Garden Centre Group in November 2022, as well as sponsorship of BBC Gardeners’ World Live and BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, and the incredibly popular free ‘Hillier Gardening Club’ loyalty program which now has over half a million members.

Renowned for being a leading breeder of plants in the UK at its 100% peat-free nursery in Hampshire, each year Hillier introduces amazing new varieties. Many of these have become essentials in British gardens and the company continues with the tradition of innovation and the introduction of new garden plants in the present day.