Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden debuting new perennial section at 2026 Breeder Showcase

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has announced a new perennial section addition to its 2026 Breeder Showcase & Trials this summer at the Rockdale Urban Learning Garden.

The section is expected to include about 90 perennial varieties.

The 2026 Breeder Showcase & Trials, presented by EHR, is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 26. Thanks to sponsors and supporters, the event is free for attendees.

Registration information is available on the event website.

The event, which is expected to include more than 800 total varieties, will also include an industry tradeshow that “may include some animal visitors,” the zoo said. The zoo opened its new Bear Ridge area in 2025.

Visitors will gauge the performance of new and past varieties within the zoo’s gardens. Breeders, growers and retailers will also have the chance to connect with each other and zoo staff, with access to the new Bear Ridge attraction alongside the trial walk, where viewers might glimpse black bear cubs Hazel and Juniper.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is an Arbnet Level IV botanical garden spread over 75 acres. With more than 230 attendees, 40 partners, 700 varieties and 60,000 plants in 2025, this year’s event is expected to include an even wider variety of genetics in a real-world setting.

For more information and to register, visit wildforplants.com.