AAS was founded by Ray Hastings in 1932, making it the oldest international seed and plant testing organization in North America.
The plants are then tested at more than 40 independent sites located in 24 US states and 5 Canadian provinces.
The site judge is responsible for conducting the trial of entries and the closest comparisons on the market.
In the last ten years, an entry needs to have at least two significantly improved qualities to be considered by judges for an AAS Award.
The other AAS Award recognizes a flower or vegetable for significant achievements, proven to be superior to all others on the market.
Award winners in past years have included the pansy variety Viola wittrockiana ‘Dwarf-Swiss Giants’,[2] Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise’, ‘Sugar Snap’ peas, and Zinnia ‘Thumbelina’.