University of Illinois Extension

Events (4)

Wondrous Wildflowers for the Shade: Gardening in the Air Webinar

10 AM

Sat, 10/10/2020 - 12:00

Online

Native Trees and Shrubs for Wildlife: Gardening in the Air Webinar

11 AM - Noon

Sat, 10/10/2020 - 12:00

Online

Prairie Plants and Wildflowers: Gardening in the Air Webinar

9 AM

Sat, 10/10/2020 - 12:00

Online

Fall Master Gardener Class: Living with Wildlife/Invasives & Natives

5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Tue, 12/08/2020 - 12:00

Anywhere with Internet Access

Blog Posts (35)

Burning Bush

Master Naturalists at Meadowbrook

Sunflowers

Buttonbush

Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid

Native Plants and Biodiversity

Climate Change and USDA Plant Hardiness Zones Part Three

Bird Migration and Native Shrubs

Fall Color in Native Grasses and Their Ornamental Uses

American Ginseng

The Headwaters Invasive Plants Partnership

Gardening with Natives

Goldenrods for Landscaping

Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ is a cultivar of our native wrinkle-leaved goldenrod that provides a spectacular display of fireworks-like flowers for up to 2 months in late summer and fall.

How Native is Native?

Bald cypress is an Illinois native plant only know to occur in extreme southern Illinois. While it does wonderfully when planted here is central Illinois, should it be considered native?

Take your butterfly garden to the next level

Advanced butterfly gardening

silvery checkerspot by kathy dumler

Favorite Perennials For the Sun

plox from pixabay

Early History of Pollinators and Plants

This two-spotted bumble bee forages pollen on the flower of a spirea shrub

Landscaping with Native Grasses

These young prairie dropseed plants will mature into a nice sidewalk border of thin, feathery vegetation.

Poison Ivy

Poison ivy can be tricky to identify in the field, but the “mitten-like” appearance of leaflets that develop a rounded tooth, as pictured here, is a distinguishing feature.

Sycamores and Anthracnose

Sycamores across central Illinois are late to leaf out this year due to a commonly occurring fungal infection.

Get Out on the Trails

Hedge Apple Woods, Bloomington, by Rick Tindall

Recommended Replacements for Problem Trees

Native hawthorn trees are in full bloom this week with a canopy filled with tiny white flowers.

Invasive Species

Garlic mustard is in full bloom right now with clusters of tiny white flowers and distinctive leaves that have a garlic-like aroma when crushed.

Virginia Bluebells

Bluebells are a beautiful native wildflower that adds a splash of blueish-purple to both woodlands and landscape gardens in spring.

Tree Identification

Ash trees have a distinctive, opposite branch arrangement observable by twigs that occur directly across from each other on each stem.

Harbinger of Spring

Photo Credit: Teresa Dewitt

Illinois has an Abundance of Milkweeds

Butterfly milkweed is the only Illinois milkweed with orange flowers, which provide a showy display each summer, often blooming a second time around early

Witch Hazel

Chinese witch hazel blooms during the late winter to early spring with a flowering display that often lasts over a month.

Mysterious Orchids

The yellow lady’s slipper orchid is an Illinois native that can be grown in cultivation. Photo credit: Chris Benda.

Walks of Discovery

dirt path through trees

Native vs. "Nativar"

This non-native, kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa ‘Klipka’) was bred for variegated leaves which may greatly affect insect leaf feeding.

Cranberries

picture of cranberry plants and ripe cranberry fruit

Spooky and Scary Plants

Spooky and Scary plants with doll's eyes plant berries

Purslane - Weed It Or Eat It?

News Releases (13)

Taking a deep dive into aquatic plant identification

Learn how to tell which grass is which

Conservation virtual workshop provides best practices for landowners and managers

Plant native perennials in the fall for healthy spring growth

Discover summer plants of Illinois during Walk and Talk Webinar

Create a caterpillar cafe out of your butterfly garden

Use native prairie plants in the home landscape

Communities Join in Master Gardeners' Annual Seed Swap

‘Think Spring!’ Learning Series Underway with Kane County Master Gardeners

Winter Seed Sowing

Extension to Host Seed Collecting Workshop

Extension Shares Information on Native Plants

Extension to Host Native Plant Workshop

Staff (3)

Doug Gucker staff photo

Douglas B. Gucker

Extension Educator, Local Food Systems and Small Farms

Andrew Holsinger

Andrew Holsinger

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Beth Miglin

Beth Miglin

Program Coordinator, Horticulture