Learning how to overwinter perennials in unheated balcony pots is mostly a matter of managing exposure. In Northern Illinois, winter cold is only one concern.…
Evaluating Perennials for Chicagoland Gardens
Perennials in Focus is a plant evaluation program that examines new and underused plants for Chicagoland, the third largest metropolitan area in the country. A group of horticultural experts trials and evaluates plants at numerous locations across the region. Results help consumers, public gardens, growers, landscape designers, breeders, and other industry professionals make informed plant choices.
Blog
A Chicago parkway can be a difficult planting site: narrow, sunny, compacted, exposed to road salt, and frequently dry between rainstorms. Yet these strips of…
Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, is a long-lived North American perennial valued for its pink to rosy flower clusters, upright habit, and importance to…
Leucanthemum × superbum, commonly called Shasta daisy, is valued for its clean white flowers, sturdy stems, and dependable summer performance. Some cultivars…
Choosing a ground cover for a Chicagoland garden involves more than finding a plant that tolerates shade. A dependable selection must also handle winter,…
A winter garden can serve birds long after its flowers have faded. Perennial stems, dried leaves, seed fluff, bark fibers, and soft plant debris remain…
Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos hybrids) bring dinner-plate flowers, strong summer color, and reliable cold tolerance to perennial gardens. Their large…
Mulch affects far more than the appearance of a perennial bed. A suitable layer can slow evaporation, moderate soil temperature, reduce erosion, and protect…
False indigo is one of the most dependable long-lived perennials for a Chicagoland garden. Its blue-green, three-part foliage emerges early, followed by…
A perennial border should have something to offer after the last flowers fade. In the Chicagoland region, that means planning for spring emergence, summer…
In the Garden
Evaluator gardens are located across the Chicagoland area, representing a range of growing conditions. Visit our retail and wholesale partners to find trialled perennials for your own garden.
Retail & Wholesale: Hinsdale Nurseries (Willowbrook, IL), Mariani Nurseries (Kenosha, WI & Garden Prairie, IL), Northwind Perennials (Burlington, WI), The Growing Place (Aurora, IL).
Wholesale Only: Hinsdale Nurseries (Plano, IL), Intrinsic Perennial Gardens (Hebron, IL).
Our Evaluation Program
The 2017–2020 evaluation cycle included Agastache 'Blue Boa', Allium senescens 'Blue Eddy', Amsonia ciliata var. filifolia 'Georgia Pancake', Astilbe 'Chocolate Shogun', Boltonia astroides 'James Crocket', Brunnera 'Alexander's Great', and Geranium cinereum 'Jolly Jewel Purple'. Completed evaluations include Amsonia 'Blue Ice' (2004–07).
On April 10, 2020, the program published snapshot profiles for Vernonia lettermanii 'Iron Butterfly', Stokesia laevis 'Elf', Stachys officinalis 'Pink Cotton Candy', Lobelia 'Monet Moment', Helleborus 'Winter Thrillers', Geum 'Mai Tai', Geranium soboliferum 'Butterfly Kisses', Gentiana x intermedia 'True Blue', Eurybia divaricata, Asparagus 'Purple Passion', and Agastache 'Bolero'.
Browse the full collection of snapshots organized alphabetically — from A–D, E–H, I–Q, and R–Z — to find detailed performance data on perennials trialled across Chicagoland.
