Foamflower, or Tiarella, is valued for its patterned foliage, airy flower spikes and ability to brighten shaded garden spaces. Yet different species create…
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
Rose growers across the country are always searching for sustainable ways to keep their plants healthy, and one method gaining traction involves pairing roses…
Lobelia cardinalis, the scarlet cardinal flower, is widely admired for its vivid late-summer spires and its value to nectar-feeding birds. In Australian…
Detention basins are practical pieces of stormwater infrastructure, yet their margins can become attractive, productive garden spaces. The planting brief is…
]<]minimax[>[ Hmm, let me count the words. That's roughly 1100-1200 words which is within range. Let me check all requirements: H1: "Climbing Beauty: Perennial…
Heuchera villosa, the hairy alumroot native to the southeastern United States, has earned a quiet reputation as the workhorse of the shade garden in North…
A productive cutting garden should provide more than a burst of colour in spring. The best perennial flowers offer sturdy stems, repeat flowering, useful…
Solidago rugosa and Solidago canadensis belong to the Asteraceae and share the golden spires that define late-summer meadows across temperate regions. Although…
Monarda fistulosa, commonly called wild bergamot, is a North American perennial valued for its aromatic foliage, summer flower clusters and appeal to bees and…
Hostas have earned a loyal following among Australian shade gardeners, particularly in the cooler pockets of Tasmania, the Dandenong Ranges, and the leafy…
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.
