Comparing the growth rate of Ceanothus americanus and Amorpha fruticosa means separating rapid establishment from dependable long-term performance. Both are…
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
Perennials in Focus trials selected plants across multiple Chicagoland gardens and seasons. Its collaborative approach records practical characteristics such…
A sunny border can carry a warm thread of yellow through the garden for much of the growing season. With careful plant selection, early bulbs and spring…
Fire risk around Australian homes is shaped by ember attack, wind, dry vegetation and the way gardens meet buildings. A planted strip can slow hot embers and…
Trialing the performance of Iris sibirica in borderline wetland conditions asks how a moisture-loving perennial copes with soil that alternates between…
Finding reliable perennials for dry shade beneath tree canopies begins with a site test, not a flower colour. Dry shade combines dense foliage, mature tree…
Foliage brings a garden to life before flowers open, yet two widely grown shade perennials create very different surfaces. Brunnera macrophylla, commonly…
Compact gardens make pest damage easy to see and difficult to ignore. A plant of Rudbeckia fulgida, commonly sold as black-eyed Susan, may develop silvery…
Perennials that provide late-season nectar for migrating monarch butterflies can keep a pollinator border productive when many summer flowers have faded. The…
Creating a succession of bloom using perennials for continuous colour starts with timing, not simply adding plants. A well-planned border moves from one…
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.
