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GET INVOLVED IN YOUR STATE

Illinois

Working Together to Expand Native Habitat

Native plants create habitat for native wildlife, reduce urban heat islands, and manage stormwater runoff. Learn more about native plants in Illinois and the organizations working to build native habitats that help local communities thrive.

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Featured Affiliate

Prairie Rivers Network

Prairie Rivers Network is nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect water, heal land, and inspire change. Using the creative power of science, law, and collective action, to protect and restore our rivers, return healthy soils and diverse wildlife to our lands, and transform how we care for the earth and for each other.

Visit the Prairie Rivers Network website

Illinois Native Plants

Illinois holds a great diversity native plants thanks to it array of natural habitats and communities, from cypress swamps in the south, beech-maple forests in the east, tallgrass prairies in the central region, steep bluffs and palisades along the western rivers, bogs and wetlands in the northern counties, and numerous other unique natural communities in between.  Illinois wildflowers are particularly noteworthy, providing a kaleidoscope of color and sustainability to home gardens.

Buy Illinois Native Plants
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The Ultimate Illinois Gardening Guide

In this Maryland gardening guide, we’ll explore how you can grow a gorgeous garden sanctuary, all while sustaining local flora and fauna and boosting conservation initiatives. If you’re ready to plant with purpose and create an oasis for local wildlife species, this Illinois gardening guide is for you.

View the Guide

Garden Donations in Illinois

For every plant sold on our website, we reserve one plant to be donated to a community garden or public space, doubling our collective impact on wildlife and the planet. In 2023, we donated 4 gardens in Illinois.

Learn about this program
Native Plants
5 Milkweeds to Plant in Your Butterfly Garden
It’s not a weed, and it doesn’t produce milk, but the humble milkweed is one of the most important plants you can have i...
Planting Tips
Fall is the Best Time to Plant Native Species
Edited by David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation Naturalist As the days shorten and the temperatures begin to dr...
Native Plants
Aphids on Your Milkweed? Call in the Ladybugs!
As passionate gardeners ourselves, we know the frustration of seeing pests like aphids munch on your beloved milkweed. B...

About the Affiliate Program

State affiliates of Garden for Wildlife by National Wildlife Federation have a long track record working in their states to increase habitat for backyard wildlife species. Many affiliates offer workshops, native plant sales, and community events that support creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat®, pollinator pathways, monarch gardens and more.

View all Affiliates
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Additional Resources

Explore statewide and local resources for creating habitat where you live. 

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EcoSchools U.S.

This program from the National Wildlife Federation offers a certification program for elementary through secondary schools that nurtures environmental learning and climate action. 

Visit the EcoSchools website
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Illinois Native Plant Society

The Illinois Native Plant Society's vision for Illinois is a thriving native flora, a public that values native habitats and advocates for native plants, and a robust array of scientific and popular publications that educate and inform about these issues.

Visit IllinoisPlants.org
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Illinois Department of Natural Resources

IDNP's mission is to manage, conserve and protect Illinois' natural, recreational and cultural resources, further the public's understanding and appreciation of those resources, and promote the education, science and public safety of natural resources for present and future generations.

Visit IDNR's Native Plant webpage