Plants Nouveau announces partnership with Chicagoland Grows

Plants Nouveau, a woman-owned new plant introduction company, signed official documents to assume management of the royalty administration, supply chain and marketing of the Chicagoland Grows Plant Introduction Program on Nov. 14.

Chicagoland Grows was founded in 1986 as a corporate partnership between the Chicago Botanic Garden, The Morton Arboretum and the Ornamental Grower’s Association of Northern Illinois (OGA), a network of wholesale nurseries located in northeastern Illinois.

New plant introductions from plant breeding at both the Chicago Botanic Garden and The Morton Arboretum are fed into Chicagoland Grows for release into the market. Plants found or selected from any of the OGA members are also introduced through the program.

Plants Nouveau is honored that they were chosen to manage the program. Beginning with January 2023 royalty collections, all licensed growers will have their licenses transferred to a Plants Nouveau license and will report royalties from that day forward to Plants Nouveau.

Plants from Chicagoland Grows will now be marketed under the name Chicagoland Grows Plant Collection, highlighting the stories of each plant and the mission of each breeding program. Breeders from both the Chicago Botanic Garden and The Morton Arboretum will be working on selecting new plants for the collection that perform well in northern gardens. Adding this collection of plants to Plants Nouveau will initially bring 19 trees, 16 shrubs and 36 perennials to their growing portfolio.

“Having managed the Chicagoland Grows program from 2002 to late 2004, I am incredibly excited to be working with the partners, the plants and the licensed growers again," said Angela Treadwell-Palmer, founder and co-owner of Plants Nouveau. "There is so much untapped potential for this program. Adding 71 cold hardy plants to the nearly 400 plants we already represent will provide so many opportunities for both our existing licensees and the current Chicagoland Grows program licensees. It is a great opportunity to raise awareness for the partner institutions and these wonderful, cold hardy plants all in one. Linda and I can’t wait to get started. We have big plans for streamlining the supply chain, maximizing royalties and being able to tell the story through our many marketing channels.”

Fred Spicer, vice president and director of the Chicago Botanic Garden said, “Many of you are likely already aware of Plants Nouveau, and their two well-known and dynamic owners, Angela Palmer and Linda Guy. I bet more than a few of you remember when Angela was the Chicagoland Grows manager at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Regardless, Angela and Linda are both extraordinary plantswomen, skilled and savvy marketers, and very familiar with the CLG line. That’s the simple reason we’ve made this change, to let these trusted and respected experts create more demand across America and across the globe for CLG products, your products. We hope that’s a change that you’ll welcome.”

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