Gardeners chasing the upright colour and perfume of garden phlox in steamy summer weather know the frustration of waking to a white veil across the foliage.…
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 fragrant walkway border turns an ordinary path into a garden experience. Brushing past foliage releases scent at shoulder and knee height, while repeated…
Selecting reliable perennials is rarely about how a plant performs during one perfect week. Gardens move between saturated soil, drying winds, heavy rain and…
Compacted subsoil is one of the most stubborn obstacles a gardener can face, turning what should be a thriving bed into a waterlogged, airless slab where roots…
Ruby-throated hummingbirds travel north through the United States and Canada each spring, then begin moving south from late summer into autumn. During that…
Heuchera americana, commonly known as American alumroot, is valued for its durable foliage, understated flowers and usefulness in shaded perennial plantings.…
Columbines bring an airy, woodland character to perennial borders, with nodding flowers held above divided foliage. Aquilegia canadensis, commonly called…
A parking lot island can be far more than a strip of decorative foliage. With the right perennial mix, it can provide nectar, pollen, shelter and visual relief…
Campanula rotundifolia, commonly called harebell, is a delicate perennial with narrow leaves and nodding blue, violet-blue or occasionally white flowers. Its…
A planting of evergreen ferns and reliable perennials can keep difficult garden spaces leafy through every season. Ferns contribute fine texture and dependable…
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.
