A garden with flowers from the first mild days of spring through autumn’s final frost depends on succession, not a single spectacular plant. The most reliable…
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
Public gardens need plants that can handle public scrutiny as well as unpredictable weather. A specimen may be admired by thousands of visitors, assessed by…
Daylilies have earned their place in Midwestern gardens through dependable growth, colorful flowers, and relatively simple care. Yet a familiar cultivar that…
In Chicagoland gardens, sedums earn their place through several seasons. Their flowers support pollinators in late summer, seedheads add autumn texture, and…
Gardens in the Chicagoland region must handle a demanding combination of conditions. Winters can bring deep freezes, while summer beds face intense sun, heavy…
Echinacea, commonly called coneflower, is a reliable summer perennial across the Chicago region, yet cultivars can differ substantially in when they begin…
Shade can be one of the most rewarding conditions in an Illinois landscape. Beneath mature trees, beside north-facing foundations, or along wooded property…
Choosing perennials for heavy clay soil in the Chicago area starts with understanding how the ground behaves through the seasons. Chicagoland soils often…
Chicagoland gardens experience cold, fluctuating temperatures, snow cover, spring thaws, heavy clay soils, and occasional winter drought. A perennial that…
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.
