Illinois has beautiful native flora that can enhance your garden’s beauty with plants such as columbine, river birch, and creeping juniper. In this article, we bring you 14 Illinois native plants for your home landscape.
Let’s discuss which plants would make the perfect fit for your garden’s sun exposure and landscaping design:
Native Illinois flowers
1. Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Add a pop of red to your spring landscape with wild columbine, a native found throughout Illinois. Growing from thick roots, its upright stems bloom in the spring with orange-red flowers. A great Illinois wildflower for your garden, columbine attracts beneficial pollinators.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
Sun: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Clay, silt, or sandy soil that’s well-drained, moist, dry-ish
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: N/A
Bloom Time: Mid-April to July
Water Needs: Weekly or whenever the soil is completely dry
Mature Height: 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
Potential Hazards: Moderately flammable/risk of fire
Maintenance Needs: Low; deadhead blooms as needed, cut back in late summer
2. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Swamp milkweed has dainty flowers that bloom in clusters in a delicate dark pink color. A native Illinois pollinator plant, swamp milkweed attracts various beneficial insects, but the milkweed is especially important to the monarch butterfly. This endangered species has milkweed as its host plant, and the monarch larvae are among the few that can eat milkweed leaves.
Why not use swamp milkweed and other wildflowers to create a butterfly garden?
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Organically rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soil
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Sweet-smelling
Bloom time: June through August
Water needs: High
Mature height: 2 to 6 feet tall
Potential hazards: Poisonous to humans and animals in large quantities
Maintenance: Low
3. Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)
A native Illinois prairie plant, purple prairie clover is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it also adds nitrogen to your garden soil. The pink, red, or purple flowers bloom from June to September. Purple prairie clover will also attract bees and butterflies, pollinators that are important to your garden.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Dry to mesic soil
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: No noticeable scent
Bloom time: June through September
Water needs: Low
Mature height: 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
Potential hazards: N/A
Maintenance: Tolerates drought, and has low maintenance needs.
4. Common mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)
Occurring more frequently in the northern half of Illinois, common mountain mint is found in fens, prairies, and marshes. The white flowers bloom in late summer, adding a touch of white to the bright green foliage.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 7
Sun: Full to part sun
Soil: Moist to mesic soil
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Spearmint scent when leaves are crushed
Bloom time: July through September
Water needs: Moderate
Mature height: 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
Potential hazards: N/A
Maintenance: Low. It survives drought, but leaves may droop and turn yellow.
5. Smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)
The smooth blue aster is a native plant in northern Illinois and some counties in the central part of the state. Its stems and leaves are green-blueish, while the daisy-like flowers are violet or blue. Its late-season flowering adds interest to your garden until the fall.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Dry soils
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: No fragrance
Bloom time: July – October
Water needs: Medium
Mature height: 2 to 4 feet tall
Potential hazards: No hazards
Maintenance: Medium
Native trees for Illinois
1. River birch (Betula nigra)
The river birch can enrich your home landscape when used as an ornamental. This tree is known for its shedding and curling bark, revealing a pink-brown color. In the fall, the foliage turns into a beautiful yellow. In natural habitats, the river birch is common to bottomland forests in the southernmost part of Illinois and along the Mississippi River.
Hardiness zones: 4 – 9
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: It survives best in moist and acidic conditions, but tolerates drier soils.
Foliage: Deciduous
Bloom time: April to May
Water needs: Moderate to high
Mature height: Grows up to 40 to 70 feet tall and 40 to 60 feet wide
Potential hazards: N/A
Maintenance: Moderate
2. Box elder (Acer negundo)
Box elder is found throughout Illinois and is a perfect native tree for central Illinois homes. The light-brown bark becomes more and more creased as the tree matures. Opt for a male tree, as they are less messy than female ones. With toothed, bright green leaves, box elder is frequently mistaken for poison ivy.
Hardiness zones: 3 to 9
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist clay soil
Foliage: Deciduous
Bloom time: April and May
Water needs: Moderate
Mature height: 60 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Potential hazards: N/A
Maintenance: Low
Native vines for Illinois
1. Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
The Virginia creeper is a perennial woody vine from the same family as the grape. Its red and purple shades add a beautiful hue to the fall landscape. You can use this vine on a vertical screen or a trellis, or let it grow freely on slopes.
Hardiness zones: 3-10
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained, moderately moist soil
Foliage: Deciduous
Bloom time: Spring and summer
Water needs: Moderate
Mature height: 30 to 60 feet long and 5 feet to 10 feet wide
Potential hazards: It is highly poisonous to humans, and eating its fruit can even be fatal. It also is highly flammable and should not be planted near your home.
Maintenance: Average. It needs no support to climb but if left unchecked, it can ruin painted walls and damage gutters, wires, and other structures around the home.
2. Moonseed (Menispermum canadense)
Named after its crescent moon-shaped seeds, the moonseed is an Illinois native shade plant. This woody vine grows in woodlands all over Illinois. It climbs by twining its way up in nearby vegetation, but if left with no support, it spreads horizontally, forming a ground cover.
Hardiness zones: 5-8
Sun: Partial shade
Soil: Moist, loam soil
Foliage: Deciduous
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
Water needs: High
Mature height: 8 to 20 inches long
Potential hazards: Highly poisonous; if eaten, can cause fatalities
Maintenance: Moderate
3. American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens)
This Illinois native climbing plant has fragrant purple flowers. A host plant for butterflies, its nectar attracts various beneficial pollinators, making it a great addition to a pollinator garden. What about adding it to a rock wall for a vertical element in your landscape?
Hardiness zones: 5-9
Sun: Prefers full sun but can survive in partial shade
Soil: Well-drained, moist, and acidic soil
Foliage: Deciduous
Bloom time: April to May
Water needs: Moderate
Mature height: 15 to 40 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide
Potential hazards: Contains saponin, which is toxic to humans, cats, dogs, and horses.
Maintenance: Moderate
Native ground cover plants for Illinois
1. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Bearberry “bears” its name for being a favorite among bears. This plant is in fact a shrub, but it has a prostrate growing habit that makes it perfect for ground cover. In the summer, its fruits add a nice visual element to its green foliage. And although these berries are also suitable for consumption, they are not very tasty for humans. Let’s leave it to the bears.
USDA hardiness zone: 2 to 6
Sun: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Sandy, acidic; can be dry or moist but no standing water
Duration: Perennial
Foliage: Evergreen
Fragrance: Autumn leaves/pine
Bloom time: Early spring to early summer
Water needs: Low
Mature height: 2 to 8 inches tall
Potential hazards: Arbutin in foliage hinders melanin production/can lighten skin
Maintenance: Low; tolerant of drought, salt, and pollution.
2. Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)
Creeping juniper’s native range is restricted to sandy habitats around Lake Michigan, in northeastern Illinois. Although naturally occurring in sandy soil, this low-growing shrub is known for its versatility, adapting to various soil types.
Drought- and deer-resistant, creeping juniper is perfect for rock gardens. It has interesting foliage that resembles scales and gets a purple hue during winter.
USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained, sandy or rocky, and acidic to neutral soil
Duration: Perennial
Foliage: Evergreen
Fragrance: Sweet and tangy fragrance
Bloom time: Creeping juniper has no flowers, only cones that bloom in late spring and summer.
Water needs: Low
Mature height: 6 inches to 1.5 feet tall and 4 to 20 feet wide
Potential hazards: N/A
Maintenance: Low
Native bushes for Illinois
1. Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
A native plant of southern Illinois, the red buckeye is actually difficult to find in wild landscapes. A member of the maple family, its tubular flowers add a beautiful pop of red to your spring landscape. They also attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. In the fall, the leaves turn red, adding fall interest.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9
Sun: Full to partial sun
Soil: Well-drained, tolerates a wide variety of soil types
Duration: Perennial
Foliage: Deciduous
Fragrance: None
Bloom Time: Mid-spring to summer
Water Needs: Low to moderate
Mature Height: 6 to 24 feet tall
Potential Hazards: Seeds, leaves, and sprouts are toxic to both humans and animals when ingested
Maintenance Needs: Low
2. Downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
Occasionally found in river banks, swamp edges, and woodlands in Illinois, the downy serviceberry adapts well to different soil conditions. In the spring, white flowers bloom with long petals and exude a faint fragrance. It provides great fall color to your garden.
And why not use this shrub in your landscape as an ornamental, understory tree, or border? See our article on how to landscape with shrubs for more ideas.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-9
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Can be cultivated in clay, sandy, or loamy soil. Prefers moist, well-drained soil
Duration: Perennial
Foliage: Deciduous
Fragrance: A faint fragrance that some can find unpleasant
Bloom Time: Spring
Water Needs: Low to average
Mature Height: 10 to 30 feet tall
Potential Hazards: N/A
Maintenance Needs: Low
Native plants for northern Illinois
Most of northern Illinois is in hardiness zone 5a or 5b, with some areas, like Chicago, in 6a. Generally speaking, it is the coldest region of the state. Some plants that work well in the area are:
- Staghorn sumac (Rhus hirta)
- Northern red oak (Quercus rubra)
- Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
- Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Native plants for central Illinois
Central Illinois comprises hardiness zones 6a and 6b, with minimum winter averages of -10 to -5 F and -5 to 0 F. Some native plants for central Illinois are:
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Butterweed (Packera glabella)
- Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
- Doll’s eyes (Actaea pachypoda)
Native plants for southern Illinois
Southern Illinois is the warmest part of the state, comprising mostly zones 6b and 7a (and a small area in Pulaski County in zone 7b). Some native plants for southern Illinois are:
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
- Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- Purple-headed sneezeweed (Helenium flexuosum)
- Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)
Other Illinois resources
If you’d like to learn more about lawn care in Illinois, we have other pieces that will help you achieve the best lawn in the neighborhood:
- The Best Grass Seed for Illinois Lawns
- The Best Time to Plant Grass Seed in Illinois
- Month-to-Month Illinois Lawn Care Schedule
- Common Weeds in Illinois and How to Get Rid of Them
FAQ about Illinois native plants
Why choose native plants?
Native plants require less fertilizing, pesticides, and herbicides than non-native species. Additionally, native plants have great environmental value: They have an intricate beneficial relationship with the local wildlife, providing it with food and shelter.
Where to buy Illinois native plants?
You can buy native plants in trusted nurseries. The Illinois Native Plant Society has a native plant nurseries list where you can find the best seeds for your garden.
What is Illinois’ USDA hardiness zone?
Illinois comprises the USDA hardiness zones 5a to 7b. Knowing your hardiness zone is crucial to choosing plants that will adapt and thrive in your area.
Find a pro near you
If you’d like a helping hand on your routine lawn care tasks, contact an Illinois lawn care pro. That way, you won’t have to worry about your lawn: Just leave it to a competent pro so you can focus your time and effort on your landscaping project.
Main Image Credit: David J. Stang | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0
