Plant Native

Sustain our ecosystem

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

Jane Goodall

family house garden nature

Pollinators are in danger and that puts us in danger. Our native bees, butterflies, moths and birds have experienced significant population decline over the last thirty years. This will continue unless we change the way we landscape our homes and communities. It is not too late. We can all take part in solving this problem by planting more native plants around our homes and businesses.

Native plants are not only beneficial but they are also beautiful. The photos on this page display just a few of the many lovely varieties. Native plants are also easier to care for and require less watering. They were designed for our climate and soil.

We are not suggesting that everyone replace their entire landscape or remove every plant that is not native. We simply ask that when you do replace or add plants to your landscape choose native varieties. Our ecosystem will thank you.

oak tree
Oak trees benefit our local ecosystem more than any other. Consider one like this shingle oak (quercus imbricaria) for your parkway. A smaller option would be a dwarf chinkapin oak (quercus prinoides).
spicebush tree
Our native northern spicebush (lindera benzoin) can replace the yellow spring blooms of the common non native forsythia.
eastern redbud
Our native eastern redbud tree (cercis canadensis) is a beautiful spring blooming tree.
serviceberry tree
Consider planting a serviceberry (amelanchier arborea) or an american plum (prunus americana) instead of the invasive ornamental pear trees.

Above is a small sample of Illinois native plants. For more options see our reference page.

Are you ready to make a difference and support our ecosystem?  One easy way to start is by adding a few keystone species to your property. Keystone species are native plants that have the most significant impact on our ecosystem. See more here

If you would like more suggestions on how to get started please contact us. We’re here to help.

Scroll to Top