INPS Resources
Resources for Native Plant Enthusiasts
Explore resources for identifying Illinois native plants, finding native plant nurseries, learning about native ecosystems, and connecting with others who share an interest in native flora.
FIND NATIVE PLANTS near you
Check out this list of nurseries that supply native plants throughout Illinois and the surrounding region.
Addresses provided are often not public retail locations. Some nurseries only sell in bulk or wholesale quantities. Be sure to check each business before visiting in person.
Native Plant nurseries
Know of a native plant nursery that isn't listed? Help us expand this resource by sharing your recommendation.
Please limit submissions to suppliers of native plants in Illinois and the surrounding states of Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
Plant Identification Resources
Explore recommended books, field guides, databases, and digital tools for identifying plants in Illinois and the surrounding regions.
LEARN TO IDENTIFY NATIVE PLANTS
General & Regional Resources
- Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary
By James G. Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris. 2001. Spring Lake Pub. - Newcomb's Wildflower Guide
By Lawrence Newcomb. 1977. Little, Brown and Company.
A great resource for beginners. - iNaturalist.org
Available as a website and mobile app. - Flora of North America
Flora of North America project. - Sedges of North America
From Louisiana State University. - Carex books
Books about sedges by Linda W. Curtis. - *Carex of Illinois and Surrounding States: The Oval Sedges
By Michael Murphy, Greg Spyreas, and Paul Marcum.
Illinois
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Flora of the Chicago Region
By Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha. 2017. Indiana Academy of Sciences. -
Vascular Flora of Illinois
By Robert H. Mohlenbrock. 2013, Fourth Edition. Southern Illinois Press. -
Illustrated Flora of Illinois series
By Robert Mohlenbrock. Southern Illinois Press. -
Field Guides
Numerous authors. Hosted by The Field Museum. -
Illinois Plants Database
By the Illinois Natural History Survey: Wild Plants of the Prairie State. -
IllinoisWildflowers.info
By John Hilty. -
Illinois Wildflowers app
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Forest Trees of Illinois
By Robert Mohlenbrock. 2006. Illinois Department of Natural Resources. -
Trees of Illinois
By Linda Kershaw. 2007. Lone Pine. -
Plant Communities of Southern Illinois
By John Voigt and Robert Mohlenbrock. 1964. Southern Illinois Press. -
Flora of Southern Illinois
By Robert Mohlenbrock and John Voigt. 1959. Southern Illinois Press. -
Rapid Color Field Guide: Spring Flora of Southern Illinois and Guide to Spring Wildflower Hikes
A resource for spring flora and wildflower hikes in Southern Illinois.
View the guide and other INPS publications
Indiana
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Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest: Identification, Wildlife Values, and Landscaping Use
By Salley S. Weeks and Harmon P. Weeks, Jr. 2012. Purdue University Press. -
Sedges of Indiana and the Adjacent States: The Non-Carex Species
By Paul E. Rothrock. 2012. Indiana University Press. -
Indiana Wildflowers
By Kay Yatskievych. 2000. Indiana University Press.
Michigan
Field Manual of Michigan Flora
By Edward G. Voss and Anton A. Reznicek. 2012. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor.
An online database is also available through MichiganFlora.net, which includes online dichotomous keys.
Missouri
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The Flora of Missouri series
By George Yatskievych. 1999–2014. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. -
Trees of Missouri
By Don Kurz. 2003. Missouri Department of Conservation. -
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Missouri
By Don Kurz. 1997. Missouri Department of Conservation. -
A Key to Missouri Trees in Winter
By Jerry Cliburn and Ginny Wallace. 1990. Missouri Department of Conservation. -
Missouri Wildflowers
By Edgar Denison. Sixth edition, 2008. Missouri Department of Conservation. -
MissouriPlants.com
By Dan Tenaglia.
Wisconsin
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Wildflowers of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region: A Comprehensive Field Guide
By Merel R. Black and Emmet J. Judziewicz. 2009. University of Wisconsin Press. -
Field Guide to Wisconsin Sedges: An Introduction to the Genus Carex (Cyperaceae)
By Andrew L. Hipp. 2008. University of Wisconsin Press. -
Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin
Provided by the Wisconsin State Herbarium, UW–Madison. -
Spring Flora of Wisconsin: A Manual of Plants Growing without Cultivation and Flowering Before June 15
By Norman Fassett. 1976. University of Wisconsin Press.
Minnesota
MinnesotaWildflowers.info
By Katy Chayka and Peter M. Dziuk.
Kentucky
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Plant Life of Kentucky
By Ronald Jones. 2005. The University Press of Kentucky. -
Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky
By Thomas Barnes and S. Wilson Francis. 2004. The University Press of Kentucky.
Other Regions
- Canadensys Data Explorer
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GoBotany
A website by the Native Plant Trust in New England.
Visit GoBotany -
Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians
By Dennis Horn and Tavia Cathcart. 2005. Lone Pine Publishing. -
Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States
By Alan Weakley.
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CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY
Illinois Plants Listserv
The illinoisplants listserv provides a venue for discussing Illinois' native plants. Send and receive information about news, events, jobs, or thoughts about our native flora.
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Additional Native Plant Resources
Explore these additional resources to learn about plant identification, native plant cultivation, ecosystem management, and the history of plant distribution.
Illinois Plants
Illinois Plants: Wild Plants of the Prairie State
A resource from the Illinois Natural History Survey.
USDA PLANTS Database
The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the United States and its territories.
It includes names, plant symbols, checklists, distributional data, species abstracts, characteristics, images, crop information, automated tools, onward web links, and references.
This information primarily promotes land conservation in the United States and its territories, but academic, educational, and general use is encouraged.
NatureServe Explorer
NatureServe Explorer is an authoritative source for information on more than 70,000 plants, animals, and ecosystems of the United States and Canada.
Explorer includes particularly in-depth coverage for rare and endangered species. It is also a useful resource for learning about animals.
Illinois Natural History Survey: Kenneth R. Robertson
Illinois Natural History Survey webpages by Dr. Kenneth R. Robertson
Original URL provided: http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/home.html
Link verification needed: The original document's embedded link points to a different website. Confirm the correct destination before adding the link.
Phytoimages
Phytoimages contains cladograms, phylogenies, diagnostic keys, nomenclature, and more than 90,000 images of plants and animals.
vPlants
vPlants contains data for more than 80,000 plant specimens from three institutions with rich Chicago Region collections: the Field Museum of Natural History, The Morton Arboretum, and the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Species descriptions and other content are added continually. Pictures of select herbarium sheets can be downloaded and enlarged to examine details.
Regional Native Plant Nurseries
Regional Native Plant Nurseries
INPS has assembled a list of nurseries that supply native plants throughout Illinois and the surrounding region.
Link verification needed: The original document links this resource title to the Flora of North America website, which does not appear to match the resource description. The email address above is provided as a temporary contact option, not a verified replacement for the original nursery-list URL.
Regional Native Plant Sales
Regional Native Plant Sales
A list of native plant sales in Illinois and the surrounding region.
Link verification needed: The original document links this title to the Sedges of North America website. Confirm the intended destination before publishing.
Grow Native!
Grow Native! is a native plant marketing and education program of the Missouri Prairie Foundation.
Grow Native! helps protect and restore biodiversity by increasing conservation awareness of native plants and their effective use in urban, suburban, and rural developed landscapes.
Link verification needed: The URL in the original document appears to lead to a Carex resource rather than Grow Native! Confirm the correct website before publishing.
Landscaping for Wildlife
Landscaping for Wildlife
An Illinois Department of Natural Resources booklet on backyard landscaping for native wildlife.
Link verification needed: The original document does not provide a separate URL for this booklet.
These sites provide information to help manage fire-dependent native ecosystems and their plants in the Prairie State.
Learn how to conduct prescribed burns safely and minimize legal liability by following appropriate practices.
Illinois Prescribed Fire Council
Illinois Prescribed Fire Council
The mission of the Illinois Prescribed Fire Council is to promote the safe and continued use of prescribed fire on the Illinois landscape.
The website provides the text of the Illinois Prescribed Burning Act and the Illinois Smoke Management Plan. It also hosts conferences and training events.
The original resource URL provided is:
http://www.fsi.illinois.edu/content/outreach/fire%20council
Link verification needed: The original embedded link points to the Southern Illinois University Press Flora of Illinois website. Verify the intended destination before publishing.
Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI)
Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI)
As the statutory fire academy for Illinois, the Illinois Fire Service Institute serves firefighters throughout Illinois and the world.
It provides support and training for wildland and structural firefighters. The Institute also hosts the Illinois Prescribed Fire Council website and offers resources for prescribed fire personnel.
The original resource URL provided is:
http://www.fsi.illinois.edu
Link verification needed: The original embedded link points to the Field Museum's field guides page. Verify the correct URL before publishing.
Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Fire Science Consortium
Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Fire Science Consortium
The consortium is composed of fire practitioners, scientists, outreach and extension specialists, volunteers, educators, and enthusiasts from the Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Region, including the northern tallgrass prairie and central and northern Illinois.
The consortium holds conferences and distributes practical, cutting-edge information about fire effects and invasive or superabundant species and their impact.
The original resource URL provided is:
http://www.tposfirescience.org
Link verification needed: The original embedded link points to the Illinois Natural History Survey's Illinois Plants database. Verify the intended destination before publishing.
Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium
Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium
The consortium's mission is to provide fire science information to resource managers, landowners, and the public about the use, application, and effects of fire.
Its resources cover a broad range of fire-related topics, with a focus on southern Illinois.
The original resource URL provided is:
http://www.oakfirescience.com
Link verification needed: The original embedded link points to IllinoisWildflowers.info. Verify the correct destination before publishing.
Biogeography is the study of plant migrations and climate changes.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is responsible for preserving, monitoring, assessing, and providing public access to the nation's climate and historical weather data and information.
The original document recommends exploring the pollen data available through the following resource:
Pollen data and the Pollen Viewer for Quaternary North America
At the bottom of the page's list of authors, locate the text titled Williams et al. 2004 Pollen Viewer for Quaternary North America and click the pollen viewer link.
The original instructions note that you must download some software to use the viewer.
Link verification needed: The original embedded link points to the Illinois Wildflowers iPhone app rather than the NOAA pollen page. Verify the correct destination before publishing.