Illinois Native Plant Guide

The preparation of this Guide could not have been accomplished without the contributions of a number of individuals and organizations. Jeffrey Mengler of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wrote most of the text, conducted the interviews, and edited the plant species information. Sean O’Sullivan, formerly with the Natural Resources Conservation Service contributed literature information and entered plant species data. Dr. Joy Marburger, formerly with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (then the Soil Conservation Service), contributed literature information for the initial work on this Guide. Kent Sims of the Natural Resources Conservation Service provided leadership and overall project coordination during the development of this Guide. Sue Elston of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided guidance and oversight for the project. Paige Mitchell-Buck of the Natural Resources Conservation Service assisted with conception for the framework of the Guide and with its design and printing.

The following people provided input and information on the species in this Guide through interviews: Ken Klick and James Anderson (Lake County Forest Preserve District), Drew Ullberg (Kane County Forest Preserve District), and Dr. Wayne Schennum and Yolanda Benson (McHenry County Conservation District). Their input, based upon local experience, is an invaluable and fundamental part of the information provided in this Guide.

The following are acknowledged for their input through review of draft versions of this Guide: Michael Johnson, John Rogner (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Kent Sims (Natural Resources Conservation Service), Sue Elston (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), Jean Sellar (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), Steve Apfelbaum (Applied Ecological Services, Inc.), Drew Ullberg (Kane County Forest Preserve District), Ken Klick (Lake County Forest Preserve District), Dennis Lubbs (Genesis Nursery, Inc.), and Dennis Dreher and Tom Price (Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission). We also wish to thank Tom Davenport (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), Nancy Phillips (formerly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), Jim Martin, Gene Barickman (Natural Resources Conservation Service), Gary Parker and Raymond Herman (formerly with the Natural Resources Conservation Service) for their efforts to initiate work on the earliest versions of this Guide. Dr. Gerould Wilhelm and Wayne Lampa of the Conservation Research Institute provided insightful comments on this Guide.

Illustrations in this Guide are used with permission from The Illustrated Flora of Illinois: Flowering Plants Series: Rush to Rushes by Mohlenbrock, R.H. (C) 1970 by Southern Illinois University Press; The Illustrated Flora of Illinois: Flowering Plant Series: Smartweeds to Hazelnuts by Mohlenbrock, R.H. and Thomson, P. (C) 1987 by the Board of Trustees, Southern Illinois University; The Illustrated Flora of Illinois: Flowering Plants Series: Grass: Panicum to Danthoia by Mohlenbrock R.H. (C) 1973 by Southern Illinois University Press; The Illustrated Flora of Illinois: Flowering Plants Series: Lilies to Orchids by Mohlenbrock, R.H. (C) 1970 by Southern Illinois University Press, the Midwestern Wetland Flora, Field Office Guide to Plant Species, USDA Soil Conservation Service; and Prairie Plants of Illinois by John Voigt and R.H. Mohlenbrock, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Illustrations of the following: Aster lanceolatus, Coreopsis tripteris, Eupatorium maculatum, Vernonia fasciculata, and the Plant Zone Schematic were provided by Ellen Starr. Heidi Natura (Conservation Research Institute) graciously contributed the prairie plant roots illustration. The Goose Protection Structure drawings were contributed by Dan Lasky. Photographs were contributed by Jeanette Gallihugh and Jeffrey Mengler (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Illustration credits for specific species are included as Appendix F in this Guide.