RHS plant of the centenary - in pictures

1913-1922: Saxifraga ‘Tumbling Waters’ Rosettes of silvery foliage topped with magnificent arching spikes of frothy white flowers. Raised in 1913 by renowned rock garden specialist Captain Symons-Jeune, it won the Award of Merit in 1920. Photograph: The RHS

1923-1932: Pieris formosa var. forrestii Introduced by Victorian plant hunter George Forrest, this elegant evergreen shrub made its debut at Chelsea in 1924. It has brilliant red young growth and large, slightly fragrant flower panicles. Photograph: The RHS

1933-1942: Lupinus Russell hybrids Decades of work by plant breeders trying to increase the colour range of lupins were rendered superfluous by George Russell, who in 1938 revealed the rainbow palette of lupin cultivars he had bred. Chelsea visitors were dazzled by the Baker’s Nursery display of these plants in 1939. Photograph: The RHS

1943-1952: Rhododendron yakushimanum An evergreen species with bell-shaped white flowers, this plant was discovered on the Japanese island of Yakushima. The plants were first exhibited at Chelsea in 1947 to great acclaim. This species has been hugely influential in the development of rhododendrons for smaller gardens. Photograph: The RHS

1953-1962: Rosa 'Iceberg' This pure white Floribunda, from German rose breeder Reimer Kordes, stole the show at Chelsea in 1958. It’s probably still one of the best-known of all roses. Photograph: The RHS

1963-1972: Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ A small tree with showy white bracts in May and brilliant autumn colour. Bred by Canadian nurseryman Henry M Eddie, it won Chelsea’s Award of Merit in 1972. Photograph: The RHS

1973-1982: Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’ This perennial grows up to 75cm high, has mauve flowers and glaucous leaves and can flower for almost the whole year. An Award of Garden Merit plant, it was named in honour of the plantsman E A Bowles and was first shown at Chelsea in 1982. Photograph: The RHS

1983-1992: Heuchera villosa ‘Palace Purple’ Shown first at Chelsea in 1983, this plant was raised and selected from seed sent from America. It was the first heuchera to become widely popular as a flowering foliage plant, starting one of the major plant fashions of the last quarter century. Photograph: The RHS

1993-2002: Geranium 'Rozanne' Exhibited first in 2000, this geranium is tall and fast-growing, with violet-blue flowers streaked with red. It is probably the bestknown hardy geranium cultivar. Photograph: The RHS

2003-2012: Streptocarpus ‘Harlequin Blue’ Raised by Lynne Dibley of Dibleys Nurseries and making its debut at Chelsea in 2010, ‘Harlequin Blue’ has short flower stems and compact leaves. This plant won the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year award in 2010. Photograph: The RHS