Perennials in Focus is a collaborative plant evaluation program designed to help gardeners across the Chicagoland area make smarter, more informed choices. By systematically trialing a carefully selected set of perennials each year, the program generates reliable, region-specific data that is shared openly with the public. Home gardeners, landscape professionals, and industry breeders all benefit from the findings, which highlight which plants truly perform under the unique growing conditions of the Chicago metropolitan region. The emphasis is on underused and lesser-known perennials that deserve wider attention in local gardens.

The program operates through a partnership between horticultural professionals and the College of DuPage, bringing together expertise from many corners of the green industry. Growers, educators, landscape designers, architects, contractors, retail garden centers, and public gardens all contribute their unique perspectives to the evaluation effort. This collaborative structure ensures that the trials reflect real-world growing scenarios rather than idealized conditions. The result is a practical, trustworthy resource that bridges the gap between what plant breeders promise and what actually succeeds in Chicago-area landscapes.

Each year, the evaluation committee selects ten perennials to put through a rigorous three-year trial. Growers start the process by nurturing the selected plants in containers before distributing them to trained evaluators, who then plant them in late summer. The formal evaluation begins the following spring, allowing the plants a full season to establish before data collection starts in earnest. This extended timeline is critical, because it lets each perennial demonstrate its performance across multiple growing seasons, revealing how it handles the region's cold winters, hot summers, and everything in between.

At the heart of the program is a dedicated team of horticultural professionals who serve as evaluators. These individuals record detailed observations about each plant, tracking flower color, bloom period, plant height, spread, and a range of other important characteristics. Their consistent, careful data collection ensures that the final results are both accurate and meaningful. By observing the same plants across multiple locations and seasons, the team builds a comprehensive picture of how each perennial behaves in different microclimates throughout the greater Chicago area.

The information gathered through these trials is designed to be genuinely useful for consumers and professionals alike. Rather than relying on marketing claims or generic national recommendations, gardeners can turn to locally generated data that speaks directly to the conditions in their own backyards. Public gardens, retail centers, and landscape firms use the results to guide their plant selections, while breeders gain valuable insight into which traits matter most to growers in this region. This feedback loop strengthens the entire industry and encourages the development of better-performing cultivars.

Community involvement is a cornerstone of the program's mission. Anyone with an interest in perennials, from weekend gardeners to seasoned professionals, can engage with the work being done and learn from the results. The program emphasizes education and outreach, making its findings accessible through public channels and garden events. By fostering a shared conversation about what grows well in the Chicago region, Perennials in Focus helps build a more resilient, vibrant, and knowledgeable local gardening community.