Chicagoland gardeners can grow a remarkable range of native perennial plants, from sunny prairie flowers to shade-loving woodland species. These plants evolved…
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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Lobelia cardinalis, commonly called cardinal flower, brings an intense red display to places where many garden perennials lose vigor. Its upright stems and…
Utility boxes, meter housings, air-conditioning equipment, and other service fixtures are necessary parts of a functioning property, but they can interrupt an…
New cultivars of Heliopsis that resist powdery mildew are attracting attention from gardeners who want a long season of golden flowers without sacrificing…
Creeping phlox can create one of the most effective spring displays in a rock garden. Its low, evergreen-to-semi-evergreen foliage settles over stones,…
Perennials that provide winter food for birds in urban settings can turn a small garden into a dependable cold-season feeding ground. While many birds rely on…
Cutting back perennials is less about following a single calendar date than reading the garden. In Chicagoland, autumn can bring an early freeze, a long mild…
Chicago-area gardeners often work with soil that is alkaline, compacted, or heavily influenced by construction fill. Many native and adapted perennials…
Testing the drought tolerance of penstemon in side-elevation beds can reveal differences that remain hidden in an open garden. A planting beside a building,…
Chicago-area gardens often contain difficult planting zones: sunny strips beside pavement, dry slopes, reflected heat near masonry, and borders where…
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.
