By late summer, monarchs moving through the Chicagoland region need dependable nectar as they build energy for the journey south. Many spring and early-summer…
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 pollinator-friendly garden should offer food from early spring until the final hard frost. In the Chicagoland region, that means combining plants with…
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, commonly called New England aster, is a dependable late-season perennial for gardens around Chicago. Its generous display of…
Reblooming daylilies can extend the color of a perennial border well beyond the first flush of summer flowers. In a Zone 5 garden, however, their repeat…
Pathway borders experience a special kind of wear. Shoes clip the planting bed while people pass, guests step aside to let others through, and winter…
Sedums are often grouped together as drought-tolerant succulents, but their performance can differ greatly by species, climate, and growing conditions. Sedum…
Shade gardens in the Chicagoland region can be productive, colorful, and ecologically valuable, especially when their soil remains consistently moist. Yet…
Verbena bonariensis brings an airy, vertical presence to perennial borders. Its tall, branching stems rise above lower plants, carrying clusters of small…
The transition from spring to summer can leave a garden looking briefly unfinished. Early bulbs and flowering trees fade, while many warm-season perennials are…
Heuchera, commonly called coral bells, can bring foliage color to a Chicagoland garden long after many perennials have gone dormant. Their rounded leaves form…
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.
