Growers/hybridizers evaluate their own seedlings for a period of at least one year, in every growing season. They either graft the original seedlings, or propagate from cuttings so that they can judge if the cloned seedling will perform better than the original seedling grown from seed. During this evaluation period they might choose to ask one or two others to grow a plant and add their evaluation to the hybridizer's observations. When satisfied that he has a unique seedling, or one that is similar to, but better than, a cultivar already in commerce, the hybridizer registers it with the American Hibiscus Society Nomenclature Officer and enters his bloom in a sanctioned AHS show. Most of these seedlings will have at least a working name, but the bloom may be entered with just a number. If his bloom wins a Best of Show Seedling Award, the cultivar must be named on the spot and breeding information furnished to the Show Chairman if this information is not already on the registration form. If the bloom has not been previously registered, it must be done at the time it wins the Best of Show Seedling Award. These registration forms are included in the Show Packet, and the Show Chairman will mail the registration form to the Nomenclature Officer. Seedlings must be registered to be considered for the HOTY competition.

BOSS wood must be furnished to the Seedling Coordinator by the June convention following the win. The hybridizer must furnish enough seedling wood to clone at least 10 plants to the Seedling Evaluation Coordinator. The Coordinator will graft plants and send one to each member of the AHS Seedling Evaluation Committee. This Committee will grow these plants for three years, reporting their findings twice each year to the entire Committee at the two Membership Meetings held in June and November. At the November Membership Meeting in the third year of evaluation, the Committee will vote for the four or five best seedlings to be considered for Hibiscus of the Year.

An example: The seedling class of 2001 provided the winning HOTY for 2005. In April, the Chairman of the SEC sends ballots to SEC members to select the winner. For this particular competition there are five candidates. The Committee members will assign three points to their first choice, two points to their second choice, and one point to their third choice. These ballots are returned to the AHS Executive Secretary, either by email or snail mail. She tabulates the votes and arranges for the appropriate plaques, pictures and certificates to be announced and awarded at the AHS Annual Convention in June.

Notes: A new seedling may be shown only five times in a period of no more than five consecutive show years as a seedling. If a seedling bloom is entered in an exhibit category as a regular variety, by an exhibitor other than the hybridizer, even without the hybridizer's consent, it can no longer be shown as a seedling. When a seedling wins BOSS at any show it shall no longer be shown as a seedling, but then only as a standard variety. Unless patented, a BOSS may be propagated and sold by anyone, including members of the SEC.
A sport must be grafted or grown on its own root before being shown.