Winter sidewalk maintenance is essential in Chicago, but deicing salts can create difficult growing conditions long after the snow has disappeared. Salt…
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 successful perennial bed is planned as a sequence of seasonal moments rather than a single summer display. In Chicagoland, the garden must move through a…
Hostas are often treated as dependable shade plants, yet their performance can vary widely across the Chicagoland region. Dense tree cover, dry root…
Agastache has become a favorite in pollinator gardens because its upright flower spikes offer vivid color, long bloom, and abundant nectar. Hummingbirds are…
A well-chosen perennial should earn its space through more than a brief display of flowers. It should offer dependable structure, support seasonal interest,…
A front yard has a demanding job. It should look welcoming from the street, support the architecture of the house, and remain attractive through changing…
Daylilies are valued for their reliable flowering, broad color range, and ability to fill difficult parts of a perennial border. In the Chicagoland region,…
Ground cover plants can solve several landscape problems at once: they suppress weeds, soften hard edges, protect soil from erosion, and fill spaces where turf…
Echinacea brings a long season of color to sunny perennial borders, prairie-style plantings, pollinator gardens, and commercial landscapes. Its daisy-shaped…
Propagating common Chicagoland perennials from division is a practical way to create more plants while refreshing crowded garden beds. Many established…
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.
