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…
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
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,…
When perennial borders begin to lose their early-season momentum, sneezeweed brings fresh energy. Helenium autumnale selections flower from late July into…
Aquilegia canadensis, commonly called eastern red columbine or wild columbine, is a valuable perennial for Chicagoland gardens. Its nodding red-and-yellow…
A black walnut tree can be one of the most valuable features in a Chicago-area garden. Its mature canopy provides shade, wildlife habitat, and strong…
Gardeners across Chicagoland often want perennials that can survive both winter and browsing pressure. Salvia nemorosa, commonly called woodland sage, is…
Amsonia hubrichtii, commonly called Arkansas blue star, is valued for more than its clusters of pale blue spring flowers. Its fine, threadlike foliage forms a…
A flower bed can lose much of its visual appeal between bloom cycles, but foliage keeps the garden composed from the first spring shoots through autumn’s final…
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.
