These 9 gardening trends will be huge in 2025, says leading US horticultural society

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) has predicted its biggest gardening trends for the year ahead, spanning floral, landscape, and ornamental design, as well as houseplants and community gardening.

Some of these garden design ideas and planting trends are, we feel, enduring. Informed by the changing climate and a shift in environmental mindset, they will come as no surprise. Others, however, might spark new ideas and inspiration for your gardening goals in 2025.

As a trusted authority voice in the horticultural arena and organizer of the annual Philadelphia Flower Show, these trends reflect the ideas and gardening methods that the PHS says are gaining significant traction in the gardening world, both in the US and abroad.

Top 9 gardening trends for 2025

‘These 2025 gardening trends aggregate a mix of ideas and approaches stemming from our observations attending professional conferences, exhibitions, visiting countless personal and public gardens, and conversations with horticultural professionals,’ says PHS’s Vice President of Horticulture, Andrew Bunting.

‘They are a fantastic reflection of what gardeners are focusing on right now, and the direction the industry at large is headed. From professionals to the beginner gardener, these trends offer inspiration and education that everyone can take something away from.’

Here are the PHS's top gardening trends for 2025 and associated planting suggestions to help you get started.

Andrew Bunting

Andrew Bunting is Vice President of Horticulture and leads the utilization of planting and design to promote environmentally sound gardening practices at PHS. Prior to arriving at PHS, Andrew worked at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Chanticleer Garden, and the Scott Arboretum for a tenure of 27 years, and has received many commendations for his work. In 2015, Andrew published his first book, The Plant Lover’s Guide to Magnolias.

1. Tropical Foliage

While many may think drama in the garden comes from bountiful blooms, impactful foliage borders can be just as stunning. Incorporating plants with great foliage is a simple way to create long-lasting ornament in a home garden, stoop garden, containers, or window boxes, says the PHS team.

With the introduction of new annual and tropical foliage plants, there are more options than ever to create a great accent in the summer garden, adding unique color and seasonal flair.

To get started with a more tropical garden look, you could consider growing giant colocasia (elephant ears); caladium, coleus or begonias. You can even get this look with an indoor garden, as there are many exotic begonia varieties to choose from that work beautifully as indoor plants.

2. Bringing nature home

Inspired by Doug Tallamy’s influential book Bringing Nature Home, available on Amazon, this trend emphasizes climate-friendly, ecologically diverse, home gardening that anyone can implement.

With climate change and its effects becoming increasingly prominent, gardeners around the world are turning to approaches that preserve, protect, and restore local ecosystems through incorporating native and pollinator plant species, and adopting climate-friendly maintenance strategies.

While many gardeners see winter as one of the dreariest times of year in the garden, this trend champions the importance of year-round gardening, and positions winter as the ideal time for education and planning to ensure you’re set up for success come spring.

The PHS suggests several innovative ways we can all promote environmental stewardship. These include using leaves as a natural mulch, which also provides habitat for overwintering insects. Planting native plants like milkweeds, mountain mints, and native asters is a great way to attract native pollinators and other beneficial insects to your garden. And protecting bees by making bee hotels and reducing lawn mowing in spring helps provide homes to over 300 species of native bees.

3. Indoor gardens under glass

Creating gardens under glass is making a comeback - especially among houseplant enthusiasts. Ranging from simple terrariums to large-scale greenhouses, the interest in gardening using a glass environment has boomed.

For those with minimal space or light, terrarium gardens offer a technique to display plants with a particularly unique, personalized, and aesthetic flair. Additionally, because of the enclosed nature of terrariums, they become a micro-ecosystem, allowing you to grow fascinating carnivorous plants and humidity-loving varieties on something as small as a windowsill.

Ideal plant options for growing in terrariums or under glass include fittonias, begonias, ferns, pilea and peperomia.

4. On the wall

Living or green walls and vertical gardens are increasingly popping up as both outdoor and indoor installations, the PHS attests.

Green walls are especially popular in office buildings and other public spaces, and many incorporate amazing displays of tropical plants.

This urban horticulture trend is something I saw firsthand on a visit to Singapore last summer, which is on a mission to create a city within nature. Great plant options that are well suited to outdoor living walls include heuchera, liriope and sedums. Indoors, why not try pothos, bromeliads and tropical ferns.

5. Urban Gardening

Urban gardening is a movement we have watched grow for many years now, and the PHS says it will continue to flourish in 2025 as city-dwellers transform small spaces - be them courtyards, apartments, stoops, window boxes, and containers - into vibrant gardens.

Community gardens - where people join a shared public gardening space - are also booming, offering access to fresh food, cultural preservation, and community.

Meanwhile, the PHS observes that efforts to plant fruit trees and expand street tree canopies through community-led stewardship are bringing greenery, resilience, and health benefits to urban neighborhoods across the US.

6. Horticulture as therapy

Just as urban gardening continues to grow in popularity, likewise gardening continues to gain recognition as a powerful tool for wellness - green therapy and mindful gardening is a topic we have been writing about for several years.

Particularly in relation to mental health awareness, hospitals and healthcare systems are increasingly using horticulture as a way of healing.

For professionals and amateurs alike, the connection between plants and mental health is inspiring more people to cultivate greenery for both ecological and personal enrichment.

7. Water-wise gardening

As droughts and climate change impact more regions, water-wise gardening is gaining traction worldwide, even in parts of the world that are not known for being extremely arid.

For home gardeners feeling frustrated with the constant maintenance of watering and keeping their gardens thriving in increasingly dry climates, there will continue to be huge interest in drought-tolerant planting, predicts the PHS.

From designing crevice and gravel gardens, to incorporating drought-tolerant plants, this sustainable approach reduces maintenance and helps create climate resilient gardens which will thrive in our ever-changing and unpredictable climates.

8. The Houseplant Phenomenon

No 2025 gardening trends list would be complete without mention of houseplant trends, which have become a global obsession in the past five years, making gardening accessible for anyone, regardless of space.

From homes to offices, houseplants bring beauty and wellness indoors. Dedicated groups such as the Gesneriad society reflect the enduring appeal of this green trend and offer houseplant enthusiasts outlets to engage with other plant lovers to share knowledge.

9. Backyard fruit

The PHS says growing fruit trees and bushes in our backyards is gaining huge popularity in 2025, alongside vegetable gardening.

Appealing to both professionals and hobbyists, the promise of delicious harvests combined with garden beauty makes fruit growing an attractive prospect.

It's quite simple to get started with fruit trees, even if you just choose one delightful apple tree variety. With the shifts in climate, more options are open to backyard growers. For instance, pomegranates, which were once thought to be a subtropical or Mediterranean tree, are now hardy and fruit producing in USDA zone 7.

There are also a huge range of fruit trees you can grow in pots and containers, such as lemon trees, blueberries and American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), meaning even if you only have a patio or a balcony, you can still harvest your very own home-grow fruit.

We are certain at least one of the PHS gardening trends will be on your radar for 2025, but which are you most excited to focus on or try for the first time? Maybe your New Year's gardening resolution is to create a more pollinator-friendly plot, or perhaps this year will be all about growing your indoor plant collection by mastering the art of propagation. Whichever route feels more exciting, it is the perfect time of year to set your gardening goals, and see what you can grow in 2025.