Perennial Plant Conference

It looks like this event has already occurred.

Perennial Plant Conference

Date & Price

Friday, October 20, 2023
9:00 am–3:45 pm

Optional Reception (in-person only)
4:00–5:00 pm

Location: Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College or Online


Conference Fee: $119 before September 22; $149 after September 22

Optional Reception Fee: $20

Registration Closed

The Perennial Plant Conference was started in 1983 to bring together locally, nationally, and internationally recognized experts on perennials for a day-long conference with an educational focus. This year, delve into such topics as the ecology of perennial garden flowers, the effects that lawns and meadows have on the environment, and the best way to see your garden and its design with fresh eyes … among much more.

The 2023 conference schedule includes:

  • Plant Paradise: Turning a Former Nursery into a Botanical Oasis—Summer Rayne Oakes
  • The Ecology of Perennial Garden Flowers—Emily Erickson
  • Turning Lawns into Meadows—Owen Wormser
  • One Foot in the Past, One Foot in the Future: Management of 100+ Year Old Garden—Carol Long
  • Cultivating Communities: Ecological Stewardship and Ethical Labor Management—Rashid Poulson
  • The Perennially Globetrotting Gardener: In Search of the Best Plants and Design Inspiration—Karl Gercens

The 2023 conference is co-sponsored by Chanticleer, Longwood Gardens, The Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Group, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College.


The 2023 Perennial Plant Conference has been approved for 5 ASLA LA CES CEUs, 4.75 APLD CEUs, as well as 5 PCH and 4 SLC CEUs through PLNA. CEUs are available for in-person Conference attendees only.

For more information about this year’s conference speakers and the schedule of events, visit the Perennial Plant Conference website.