Illinois Native Plant Guide

Plant Zone Schematic

The drawing below shows the natural arrangement of plant species as dictated by their tolerance to or requirements for varying water levels. The three zones shown below are lower shoreline or emergent (plants that prefer standing water or that require water and wet conditions for survival), upper shoreline (plants that survive well in partially or frequently wet conditions and are water tolerant), and upland slope buffer (plants that prefer dry conditions, are rarely inundated by water, and are the least tolerant of extended periods of submergence.) When planning a native planting and selecting appropriate species, consider where those species fall in this natural arrangement before finalizing your plan. Note: the slopes on this diagram are exaggerated in the vertical direction. Schematic provided by Ellen Starr of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The following document is available in 2 sizes (Letter and 11x17) both files require Adobe Acrobat Reader: 
plantzone.pdf (Letter size) [PDF]
NPGpp5-6-11x17.pdf (11x17 illustrations of Root Systems and Plant Zone Schematic) [PDF]

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