If you are landscaping in the Midwest, you may want to consider plants from the following lists. These lists include some of the species that are commonly available in nurseries and are relatively easy to grow. They are directed towards individuals doing a modest first planting. For large projects, which can accommodate a wide variety of species, you may want to consider consulting a professional with expertise in natural landscaping.
The herbaceous plant lists are divided into plants
which thrive in full sun, partial sun and shade. A general rule is that
prairie species need full sun; savanna species will grow in partial shade
(and many will grow as well, or better, in full sun); and woodland species
will grow in shade. It is very important to check catalogs and nursery
information before you buy, because plants also vary in their need for
moisture.
| FULL SUN | |
| Grasses: | |
| Big Bluestem
Little Bluestem Sideoats Grama Switch Grass Indian Grass Prairie Dropseed Prairie Cord Grass Porcupine Grass |
Andropogon gerardii
Andropogon scoparius Bouteloua curtipendula Panicum virgatum Sorghastrum nutans Sporobolus heterolepis Spartina pectinata Stipa spartea |
| Forbs (flowers): | |
| Lead Plant
Pasque Flower Heath Aster Silky Aster Cream Wild Indigo Sand Coreopsis Prairie Coreopsis Pale Purple Coneflower Rattlesnake Master Prairie Smoke Western (or Naked) Sunflower False Boneset Round Headed Bush Clover Rough Blazing Star Cylindrical Blazing Star Pale Spiked Lobelia Wild Quinine Prairie Cinquefoil Gray Goldenrod Riddell's Goldenrod Golden Alexanders |
Amorpha canescens
Anemone patens Aster ericoides Aster sericeus Baptisia leucophaea Coreopsis lanceolata Coreopsis palmata Echinacea pallida Eryngium yuccifolium Geum triflorum Helianthus occidentalis Kuhnia eupatorioides Lespedeza capitata Liatris aspera Liatris cylindracea Lobelia spicata Parthenium integrifolium Potentilla arguta Solidago nemoralis Solidago reddellii Zizia aurea |
| FULL SUN-PART SHADE | |
| Forbs: | |
| Nodding
Wild Onion
Prairie Thimbleweed Butterfly Weed Smooth Blue Aster Sky Blue Aster New England Aster White Wild Indigo Showy Tick Trefoil Shooting Star Purple Coneflower Wild Bergamot (Beebalm) Foxglove Beard Tongue Obedient Plant Black-Eyed Susan Ohio Goldenrod Spiderwort Heart-Leaved Meadow Parsnip |
Allium cernuum
Anemone cylindrica Asclepias tuberosa Aster azureaus Aster laevis Aster novae-angliae Baptisia leucantha Desmodium canadense Dodecatheon meadia Echinacea purpurea Monarda fistulosa Penstamon digitalis Physostegia virginiana Rudbeckia hirta Solidago ohiensis Tradescantia ohioensis Zizia aptera |
| Grasses: | |
| Common
Wood Reed
Canada Wild Rye Virginia Wild Rye Fowl Meadow (Manna) Grass Bottlebrush Grass |
Cinna arundinacea
Elymus canadensis Elymus virginicus Glyceria striata Hystrix patula |
| SHADE | |
| Woodland: | |
| Wild Columbine
Jack-in-the-Pulpit Wild Ginger Dutchman's Breeches Yellow Trout Lily Wild Geranium Virginia Waterleaf Virginia Bluebells Mayapple Solomon's Seal Bloodroot Trillium |
Aquilegia canadensis
Arisaema triphyllum Asarum canadense Dicentra cucullaria Erythroniuim americanum Geranium maculatum Hydrophyllum virginianum Mertensia virginica Podophyllum peltatum Polygonatum canaliculatum Sanguinaria canadensis Trillium spp. |
| Oak Savanna: | |
| Big Bluestem
Grass
Little Bluestem Grass Shagbark Hickory New Jersey Tea American Hazelnut Purple Love Grass June Grass Rough Blazing Star White Oak Bur Oak Black Oak Indian Grass |
Andropogon gerardii
Andropogon scoparius Carya ovata Ceanothus americanus Corylus americana Eragrostis spectabilis Koehleria cristata Liatris aspera Quercus alba Quercus macrocarpa Quercus velutina Sorghastrum nutans |
| GENERALLY WET CONDITIONS | |
| Marsh: | |
| Swamp
Milkweed
Blue Joint Grass Sedges Spotted Joe-Pye Weed Common Boneset Rice Cut Grass Common Water Horehound Dark Green Rush Great Bulrush Prairie Cordgrass Common Cattail |
Asclepias incarnata
Calamagrostis canadensis Carex sp. Eupatorium maculatum Eupatorium perfoliatum Leersia oryzoides Lycopus americanus Scirpus atrovirens Scirpus validus Spartina pectinata Typha latifolia |
| Lake and Pond: | |
| Hornwort
Common Rush Rice Cut Grass Small Duckweed Pickerel Weed Common Arrowhead |
Ceratophyllum demersum
Juncus effusus Leersia oryzoides Lemna minor Pontederia cordata Sagittaria latifolia |
MORE
INFORMATION
State Resources Fact Sheet on native plants.
These documents are in Portable Document Format
(PDF) only. about
PDF files
 |
Illinois Resources (portable document size: 40KB) |
|
Indiana Resources (portable document size: 31KB) |
|
Wisconsin Resources (portable document size: 34KB) |
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Green Landscaping with Native Plants, www.epa.gov/greenacres/
or 800-621-8431 (for IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI).
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC)
Under a U.S. EPA grant, NIPC developed a natural
landscaping tool kit for local officials which includes Natural Landscaping
for Public Officials: A Source Book, 1997, a poster illustrating the benefits
of natural landscaping and an annotated slide show. Call NIPC at (312)
454-0400, or U.S. EPA at 800-621-8431 to receive a copy of the tool kit.
The Source Book is available on U.S. EPA's Internet site.
National Wildlife Federation
The Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program run by the
NWF is an excellent source of information at www.nwf.org/nwf/habitats/index.html
or
(703) 790-4434.
Wild Ones
A non-profit organization encouraging natural yards
in harmony with nature. Contact them at www.for-wild.org
or 500-FOR-WILD. (There is a charge for this call.)
Prairie Nursery
Helpful information on planting with native plants
is available at
www.prairienursery.com/Quickguide.htm.
|
Great Lakes Information Network |
This page created:
January 19, 2000
Revised: January 24, 2000 Maintained by: Cynthia Bowman, U.S. EPA - GLNPO Questions or comments: Danielle Green |
| URL: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/nativeplants/plants.html | |