Native plants can be used for more than aesthetics in commercial development. They serve a practical purpose in retention basins, parking lot runoff, property buffers, and employee nature areas.

There are some distinct differences between native plants, nativars, and cultivars. Native plants evolved in a geographic region over thousands of years. Nativars are a cultivated variety of native plants that have been selected or bred by humans for specific, usually aesthetic characteristics. The term “cultivar” refers broadly to plants intentionally selected or bred by humans for desired traits.

Native plants are typically sold in plug, quart, and gallon sizes. While quarts and gallons may appear more established at the onset, native plant plugs are best to create a thick, luscious ground cover that mimics the way they would grow in nature.

As demand for native plants increases, landscapers need a reliable native plant supplier that they can trust. This means being able to educate landscapers and clients on all aspects of their usage.

A green roof profile can be thought of as a layered cross section of the green roof, showing how it’s constructed. Whether you choose an extensive, semi-intensive, or intensive green roof profile will depend on what best suits your specific needs.

Salt stress can damage plant roots, disrupt nutrient uptake, cause leaf burn, and ultimately lead to plant failure. When vegetation dies out, bioswales lose their ability to slow water, stabilize soils, and filter pollutants. Using salt tolerant native forbs, sedges, and grasses can help.

Native plants are essential for the local ecosystems to thrive. However, they face threats including invasive species, habitat destruction and fragmentation, the impact of climate change, pollution and soil degradation, overharvesting and human disturbance, fire suppression, and altered hydrology.

Yes, plant seeds can survive freezing weather, which is important in colder climates such as Northern Illinois and the lower Great Lakes region. One of the key mechanisms that allows survival is cold stratification, which allows seeds to stay dormant through snow, freezing temperatures, and other inclement weather.

Restoration ecology involves rehabilitating ecosystems that have been degraded. Native plants help by ensuring the restoration project takes hold and producing ecosystems native to the Northern Illinois and Lower Great Lakes Region.

Invasive plant species can spread quickly and outcompete the native plants that have grown in Illinois and the Lower Great Lakes Region for centuries. They often change the soil conditions and otherwise prohibit native plants from taking hold.

Native plants are an invaluable tool in slowing climate change. They can absorb more carbon than traditional lawns or their ornamental counterparts. They also provide more soil stability and can cool temperatures through added shade.

Many native plants and pollinators form a mutually beneficial relationship that allows us to enjoy nature by planting pollinator gardens. Native plants have become accustomed to local weather and wildlife over the millennia, allowing for the support of native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.

Native plants can be a key component of creating beautiful rooftop gardens, rain gardens, and other urban green spaces. Natives are often easier to maintain and a more budget-friendly choice than their ornamental counterparts.

Native plants work symbiotically with the soil. Plants gain access to key nutrients, while the soil thrives on the organic compounds released by roots. Native plants can rebuild the soil structure and fertility of the ground.

Native plants offer a variety of environmental benefits, and they are far less appetizing to deer. When you strategically plant these recommended species in your garden or landscaping, you can create a natural deterrent for deer.

Homeowners Associations (HOAs) can no longer prohibit native plants on their property or within the common areas of communities.

Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) offer modern day native plant enthusiast’s opportunities for a holistic, adaptive approach deeply rooted in cultural traditions, balance, and sustainability.

Medicinal native plants and edible native plants in the Illinois and Lower Great Lakes region have a rich history of use. Plants such as echinacea, wild ginger, yarrow, black cohash, goldenseal, purple milkweed, prickly pear and even cut flowers all have some medicinal purposes.

Native plants are species that evolved over thousands of years to thrive in a specific region. They offer numerous environmental, gardening, economic, and aesthetic benefits to the region.

Do you want to fill your garden with gorgeous native species? Here are ten recommended native species for home gardens, with a focus on a mix of flowering, ornamental, and functional plants.

Pizzo is proud to be a foundation donor for the Red Oak Rain Garden with the University of Illinois Extension and we strongly believe others should follow suite in helping to restore our planet to its natural beauty.

Clustered Mountainmint, or Pycnanthemum muticum, won the 2025 Perennial Plant of the Year. It attracts pollinators, stabilizes soils, and serves as a low-maintenance option. The plant grows 2-3 feet tall, with pale pink to lavender blooms, and silvery-white bracts.

Native grass, sedge, and rush enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and support wildlife. We’ll guide you through the plant species differences.

Is the goal of your native garden or natural area to suppress invasive species, control erosion, restore nature, or create a butterfly garden?