The medal, which is highly coveted in the USA, has been awarded for 18 years for acknowledged excellence and superior quality in ornamental plant breeding. A wide variety of Benary new introductions have been on the list of candidates in recent years. In 2006, these included Benary's new vernalization-free astilbe ‘Astary’ and fibrous begonia ‘Nightlife’.
In July 2006, the new bronze leaf tuberous begonia ‘Nonstop® Mocca’ was the first Benary cultivar to actually be awarded the highly renowned “Greenhouse Grower Editor’s Medal of Excellence”.

The ‘Nonstop® Mocca’ series was chosen as the best cultivar from a pool of some 500 novelties prop