Iowa Arboretum Releases Its 2025 Trial Program Report
February 25, 2026 
Drone-level shot of the trial gardens at Iowa Arboretum. | Iowa Arboretum
The Iowa Arboretum & Gardens in Madrid, IA, recently released its 2025 Trial Program Report.
Background on the Iowa Arboretum and Gardens Trial Program
In the spring of 2023, the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens established an ornamental trial garden for herbaceous perennials and shrubs, with the purpose of aiding regionally specific research regarding ornamental plants in Central Iowa. Since then, this public-facing trial garden allows year-round visibility and observation of these plants. The
The purpose of the ornamental trial garden is to “evaluate the long-term performance of perennial and shrub varieties in the unique climate of the Central Midwest,” including “growing conditions characterized by extreme winds, periods of heavy rainfall, and bitter blizzards.” Therefore, all plants within the trial program are “evaluated for vigor, uniformity, resilience, and tolerance to environmental and biotic stresses.” Data is collected every two weeks during the growing season and is then reviewed by the Trial Garden Committee to designate certain varieties as “Iowa Arboretum Top Performers.”
Contributors to the Iowa Arboretum trial program over the years include:
- Bailey Nurseries
- Bloomin’ Easy
- Danziger
- Darwin Perennials
- Dümmen Orange
- Future Plants
- Intrinsic Perennial Gardens
- Jelitto Perennial Seed
- Kelly D. Norris, LLC
- Must Have Perennials
- PanAmerican Seed
- Plants Nouveau
- Proven Winners
- Spring Meadow Nurseries
- Suntory Flowers
- Terra Nova Nurseries
- Walters Gardens
An Introduction to the 2025 Trial Program Results
The Iowa Arboretum & Gardens 2025 Trial Program Report includes covers:
- Cultural data
- Data collection methods
- Plants that failed to overwinter
- Top performers
- And more.
You can view Greenhouse Grower‘s 2025 field trials coverage at the Iowa Arboretum here. Additionally, learn more about Iowa Arboretum’s trial program here, and read the full report on its 2025 plant trial program here.
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