Tall garden phlox, usually Phlox paniculata, is a familiar midsummer perennial with fragrant flower clusters and strong cottage-garden appeal. In the Chicago…
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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Choosing a perennial for the Chicago area involves more than admiring a catalog photograph. Plants must handle cold winters, wet springs, hot summers, heavy…
A perennial border can offer color from spring through fall when its planting design accounts for timing as carefully as it accounts for flower color. The goal…
Rain gardens help slow stormwater, reduce runoff, and give excess water time to soak into the soil. In the Chicago region, these planted depressions must…
Testing new aster cultivars in Chicago means looking beyond a single impressive flower display. A plant may bloom beautifully in September yet disappoint if it…
Salvia nemorosa has earned a strong reputation as a durable, long-blooming perennial for sunny gardens. Its upright flower spikes bring intense color in early…
Vernonia, commonly called ironweed, brings a valuable combination of late-season color, wildlife interest, and regional toughness to Chicago-area gardens. Its…
Heuchera, commonly called coral bells, have become garden staples because they offer a broad range of foliage colors, compact habits, and delicate flower…
Selecting a perennial for Northern Illinois requires more than finding a plant with an attractive flower. The region includes cold winters, humid summers,…
Ornamental grasses bring movement, texture, and long-lasting structure to gardens across the Chicago region. Their foliage can soften hard edges, frame a…
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.
