Jessica’s research is focused on improving the availability of native shrubs in the nursery trade and broadening their use among landscapers and designers. She has developed methods for the propagation and container production of native shrubs so that they can be grown more easily in a nursery setting, and she works closely with growers to help them expand their production. Using controlled trials, she has demonstrated the potential of many native shrubs to be used as hardy landscape plants by documenting their durability. Jessica was a 2015 recipient of the New England Nursery Association Young Nursery Professional Award for the state of Connecticut.