Proven Winners Trial Garden

When shopping for new plants, it is hard not to notice the white “Proven Winners” pots, which easily stand out in a sea of the traditional solid black nursery pots. More than a savvy marketing move, the Proven Winners brand stands for excellence in plant selection and cultivation, more than 30 years of improving and refining the plants coming up through the North American nursery industry.

In their quest for better plants, Proven Winners looks for indicators of exceptional genetics - better heat and humidity tolerance, resistance to disease and insect pests, and top-quality performance over the broadest geographic range. Before being accepted as a “Proven Winner”, a plant cultivar (cultivated variety) must prove itself to be superior in a variety of environments across the world. Primary trial sites are in Michigan, New Hampshire and Florida, as well as in Germany and Japan. Plants are also sent to hundreds of other smaller test sites to cover the widest possible range of growing conditions. University-based trials are usually in formal test plots or field rows, whereas public gardens incorporate the trial plants into display beds or container gardens.
 

The Proven Winners Trials at Boone County Arboretum

Boone County Arboretum is excited to partner with Proven Winners as a trial site, testing their recently released plants and upcoming candidates in our local climate. Our staff and volunteers will be monitoring the performance of these plants and providing feedback to Proven Winners.

Here are the plant cultivars we are currently testing:

TREES

 

SHRUBS