When summer color has faded and deciduous borders stand bare, a mature stand of Perovskia atriplicifolia can retain a surprising amount of presence. Its pale,…
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.
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Shaded gardens often depend on foliage for structure, yet a carefully chosen woodland perennial can add seasonal color without demanding full sun. Polemonium…
Allium giganteum brings a strong architectural accent to a sunny border. Its tall, globe-shaped flower heads rise above narrow foliage, creating a clear focal…
Delphinium elatum brings tall spires of blue, violet, lavender, pink, or white flowers to a perennial border. Its vertical form adds structure between rounded…
Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) brings unusually large flowers to Midwestern gardens, often in shades of white, pink, red, and bicolored patterns. Its…
Spring mulch protects perennial crowns from temperature swings, drying winds, and soil erosion, yet the same layer can delay shoots that are ready to emerge.…
A garden in Cook County can support butterflies from the first warm days of spring until frost, provided its planting plan offers a steady succession of nectar…
Choosing a ground cover for the Chicagoland region involves more than comparing catalog heights. A perennial must handle winter, spring moisture, summer heat,…
South-facing garden beds create a demanding environment for perennial plants. They receive intense summer light, reflect heat from paving and walls, and often…
A long-season flower border is built through succession, not by finding one plant that blooms for six months. The strongest designs combine early, midseason,…
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.
