Plant trials

What are the Plant Trials?

The Plant Trials at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney are a yearly test of plants coming to market, designed to find out which ones thrive best in Sydney’s climate and growing conditions.

For 12 months, horticulturists at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney put a range of plants through their paces, investigating which are the picks of the crop – the hardiest, showiest, and even tastiest plants.

2025's best performing plants

The Botanic Gardens of Sydney’s horticultural team selected 16 outstanding plants for 2025 (PDF, 2.4 MB).

Highlights from 2025's Plant Trials

Groundswell - Hibbertia scandens

Groundswell is more compact and tidy than the common form of Hibbertia scandens. It forms a dense groundcover suitable to most soil types and climates and its compact form makes it an effective weed suppressant. This plant is very low–maintenance and consistently looks healthy and tidy. We give it a small prune to keep it compact and stop it trailing too far. Full sun or part shade.

Picotee - Dianthus barbatus

This Dianthus features vivid red blooms edged in crisp white for a classic picotee look. Compact and colourful, it adds cheerful charm to borders, pots, or dotted amongst the garden. Its long-lasting blooms make it a standout in any summer display.

Summer Rev - Daniella spp

Dianella ‘Summer Rev’ has stunning blue foliage. Reaching a height of about 50-60cm it’s perfect for borders, mass plantings or as a feature plant. Full sun to partial shade. It is not suitable in areas with high humidity, however it performed well in Sydney. Truly striking plant.

Candy Queen - Pelargonium spp

Candy Queen is a heat and drought-tolerant interspecific hybrid that produces bright candy-pink flowers against vibrant green foliage. Ideal for hanging baskets, pots, and garden beds, it offers repeat blooms, is low maintenance, and provides year-round flowering. Growing to about 30 × 40 cm, it thrives in full sun to part shade and requires little water once established.

Green Dome - Pittosporum

Bright, green and glossy this shrub grows about 1.8m high and wide. It’s excellent for hedging or bringing life to those tricky spots and it requires minimal maintenance. Pittosporum Green Dome is remarkedly tough, tolerating sun, heat, frost, drought, wind and a range of soil types.

The making of a Plant Trial winner

Plant Trial winners are plants that have proven themselves in real world growing conditions. They’re chosen because they don’t just look good for a moment – they perform beautifully over time.

These plants are tested across seasons and weather conditions to make sure they’re reliable, resilient, and easy to grow.

From a plant trial winner, you can expect:

attractive appearance from planting through to maturity
strong, healthy growth with minimal intervention
good performance in a variety of Sydney weather conditions
long-lasting visual appeal
fewer problems with pests and diseases
low ongoing maintenance, including reduced watering needs.

What types of plants are tested?

Our horticulturists test a range of plants – annuals and perennials, exotic and native, ornamental and functional. Previously we’ve even tested grass varieties to find the perfect Sydney lawn.

Tested for real life gardens

Plant trial winners aren’t chosen in perfect lab conditions – they are grown right here in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney’s Trial Garden beds. Just like home gardens, they are exposed to sun, rain, heat, and seasonal changes.

Choosing the right plants can make all the difference in a garden. Plant trial winners help give gardeners confidence by removing the guesswork. These plants have already been observed, tested, and compared, so you know they’re a dependable choice.