Mt. Cuba Center has a trial garden that evaluates native species for garden readiness. Cultivars, straight species, hybrids, and wild collections are all considered when examining genera for three years. It can be difficult to decide what you should plant in your geographic area. Published reports can help, but a systems approach can really help yield meaningful data.

Are the hummingbirds, butterflies, and pollinators attracted to any particular plant? What amount of sugar is in the nectar? What kind of insects does a particular species attract? How are climatic conditions impacting the growth over time? In this session, participants will learn the value of a native plant trial garden.