Lake Shoreline Erosion Control and Habitat Enhancement
Main
Shoreline Erosion Control
Native Plants for Shorelines
Resources
Species
Click
here
for a cross-reference alphabetical listing of the plants' common names.
Acorus calamus
Alisma subcordatum
Amorpha canescens
Amorpha fruticosa
Anemone canadensis
Angelica atropurpurea
Aquilegia canadensis
Asclepias incarnata
Asclepias tuberosa
Aster (Symphyotrichum) azureus
Aster (Symphyotrichum) novae-angliae
Baptisia leucantha
Baptisia leucophaea
Boltonia asteroides var. latisquama
Bulboschoenus fluviatilis
Calamagrostis canadensis
Caltha palustris
Carex aquatilis
Carex bicknellii
Carex comosa
Carex cristatella
Carex hystericina
Carex lacustris
Carex lupulina
Carex molesta
Carex pellita
Carex stricta
Carex tribuloides
Carex trichocarpa
Carex vulpinoidea
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Coreopsis palmata
Cornus obliqua
Cornus stolonifera
Decodon verticillatus
Dodecatheon meadia
Echinacea pallida
Eleocharis acicularis
Eryngium yuccafolium
Eupatorium maculatum
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Filipendula rubra
Gentiana andrewsii
Geranium maculatum
Geum triflorum
Helenium autumnale
Heuchera richardsonii
Hibiscus palustris
Hypericum pyramidatum
Illiamna remota
Iris virginica var. shrevei
Juncus dudleyi
Juncus effusus
Juncus torreyi
Justicia americana
Lespedeza capitata
Liatris pychnostachya
Liatris spicata
Lobelia cardinalis
Lobelia siphilitica
Lythrum alatum
Mimulus ringens
Nuphar variegata
Nymphaea odorata
Panicum virgatum
Parthenium integrifolium
Peltandra virginica
Penstemon digitalis
Petalostemum purpureum (Dalea gattingeri)
Phlox pilosa var. fulgida
Physostegia virginiana var. speciosa
Polygonum amphibium
Pontedaria cordata
Pycanthemum virginianum
Ratibida pinnata
Rudbeckia subtomentosa
Rumex verticillatus
Sagittaria latifolia
Salix discolor
Saururus cernuus
Sambucus canadensis
Schizachyrium scoparium
Schoenoplectus acutus
Schoenoplectus pungens
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani
Scirpus atrovirens
Scirpus cyperinus
Scirpus pendulus
Silphium integrifolium
Silphium laciniatum
Silphium perfoliatum
Silphium terebinthinaceum
Solidago graminifolia
Solidago juncea
Solidago speciosa
Sparganium eurycarpum
Spartina pectinata
Spiraea alba
Sporobolus heterolepis
Thalictrum dasycarpum
Tradescantia ohiensis
Verbena hastata
Vernonia fasciculata
Veronicastrum virginicum
Zizia aurea
Heuchera richardsonii - Prairie Alum Root
Family:
The taxonomic plant family to which this plant belongs.
Saxifragaceae
Growth Form:
Tree/shrub
Forb -
non-woody flowering plant that is not a grass
Herb -
a plant whose stem does not produce woody, persistent tissue and generally dies back at the end of each growing season
Graminoid -
grasses and grass-like plants, such as sedges
Forb/Herb
Hydro Zone:
The plant's preferred soil moisture zone relative to the lake's "NWL" (normal water level). For example: if a plant's hydro zone is shown as "NWL to +12," that plant can be planted in the zone beginning at the lake's normal water level and extending up to 12 inches (vertically) above the normal water level. Another example: "-3" to +6" would mean that plant prefers to be in water no more than three inches deep, and no higher than 6 inches (vertically) above the normal water level.
+12 and up
NWC:
The plant's classification as reported in
Plants of the Chicago Region
according to the National Wetland Category classification system.
OBL (Obligate Wetland):
Occurs almost always in wetlands under natural conditions
FACW (Faculative Wetland):
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally found in non-wetlands
FAC (Faculative Wetland):
Equally likely to be occur in wetlands or non-wetlands
FACU (Faculative Upland):
Occasionally occurs in wetlands, but usually occurs in non-wetlands
UPL (Upland):
Occurs almost never in wetlands under natural conditions
FAC-
C-value:
The plant's "Coefficient of Conservatism" as determined by Floyd Swink and Gerould Wilhelm in
Plants of the Chicago Region
. The number, on a scale from 0 to 10, represents an estimated probability that a plant species is likely to occur in a landscape relatively unaltered from what is believed to be a pre-settlement condition. A C value of 0 indicates the probability is almost 0, while a C value of 10 indicates the plant is almost certain to be found only in an undegraded natural community.
8
Max Height:
The approximate maximum height of the plant growing in the Chicago region.
2
Hardiness Zones:
Established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the United States and Canada comprise 11 plant Hardiness Zones, based on average to low temperatures in winter. A plant's hardiness is the range of zones in which it will grow most successfully. Northeastern Illinois falls into Zones 5a and 5b.
3 9
Light:
The plant's light preference (e.g., full sun, light shade, part shade, shade, etc.)
Morning sun shade
Bloom:
The approximate bloom period for this plant in the Chicago region, derived primarily from Swink and Wilhelm's
Plants of the Chicago Region
.
16 May 21 Sept.
Collect Seed:
The timeframe when the plant's seeds are usually ready for harvest in the Chicago region.
Fall
Similar Species:
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Basal clump of heart-shaped, shallow-lobed, long-petioled leaves with white or purple-blue mottling when young. Flower stems and leaf undersides distinctively hairy.
Early Growth
Mid Growth
Full Growth
Flower
Seed
Distinguishing Characteristic