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Garden Scoop logo with Beautyberry
Beautyberry: A flashy fall performer with purple pop
Each year in late summer and fall, beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) catches my eye and reminds me of its fantastic fruit display. ...
Big bluestem seed heads against a clear sky with sun hazy in the background
The big three: dominant grasses of the tallgrass prairie
Illinois, nicknamed the Prairie State by early settlers, was once dominated by a tallgrass prairie ecosystem.  Prairies are characterized by...
Digging into the plains pocket gopher, Illinois’ hidden soil builder
In the underground world of any prairie, root systems crisscross and extend downward to create an underground maze. As the roots of grasses and...
Green PawPaw fruit on tree
Pawpaw fruit ripening
North America’s largest native tree fruit is ripening in forest understories and home landscapes across central Illinois this week. Pawpaws (...
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News Releases

A woodland with blue flowering plants
A century of data reveals declining forest diversity
URBANA, Ill. — Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have analyzed 96 years of forest census data to better understand ecological changes and inform management practices. Their study...
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...
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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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