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white flowers of elderberry cluster in an umbel spent flower head is in the background
The wild and wonderful elderberry
Most of the time, I work hard to achieve a desirable outcome in my landscape but, from time to time, a plant comes along that is easy to establish...
Blooming yucca with tall flower stalks and shorter foliage.
Yucca's Exotic Appeal
In the last few weeks, a peculiar plant has begun to draw attention as it reaches full bloom across central Illinois. While its towering flower...
two ladies standing in the woods with five garbage bags full of garlic mustard
Spring Creek Preserve: A haven for spring ephemerals
By Mike McGraw, Extension Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties  Even as a teenager, I loved the...
Baptisia: Bold, beautiful, and underused native perennials. Purple baptisia flowers and green foliage
Baptisia: Bold, beautiful, and underused native perennials
As gardeners, we're often on the lookout for low-maintenance plants with colorful flower displays. One such plant that fits that description, and is...
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News Releases

Prairie plants
Illinois plant ecologists fight to restore Midwest biodiversity
URBANA, Ill. — Imagine a prairie. How many plant species do you see? Maybe you’re picturing yellow coneflowers, some little bluestem, perhaps a few asters. But plant ecologists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say these ecosystems are much more...
Local Gardeners Embrace Native Plants at Educational Workshop in Breese
Local Gardeners Embrace Native Plants at Educational Workshop in BreeseUniversity of Illinois Extension in Clinton County buzzed with excitement on June 7 as 21 local gardening enthusiasts gathered to deepen their knowledge of native plants and their role in supporting...
Yellow and green foliage shade plants at a garden center
Grow successful made in the shade gardens
URBANA, Ill. — Did you know that despite Illinois' reputation as a prairie state, its landscape was once nearly a third forest? This fact opens up a wonderful world of native plants perfectly suited for shade gardens. Choosing these local beauties not only bolsters regional biodiversity but...
a bee perched on a pink flower
Available prairie seed mixes may fall short for pollinators
URBANA, Ill. — As populations of bees and butterflies decline in the Midwest, native prairie restoration becomes crucial. A new Prairie Research Institute study found, however, that many commercial seed mixes used to conserve and restore prairies may not have enough diversity or spring flowering...
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Videos

Native grasses and pollinators

Native grasses are often overlooked when it comes to pollinators, but they can play a crucial role in supporting many different types of pollinators. Discover how native grasses provide nesting and overwintering habitats, serve as larval food sources, offer pollen, and much more!

Native Grasses in the Prairie and Your Yard

Explore native grasses and how to use them in our landscapes. Dive into how these grasses function in a prairie and how that translates to your yard, and get suggestions for what native grasses might work best to transform your landscape!

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