Illinois Native Plant Guide

Suggested Plant Species Mixes for Stormwater Applications

Stormwater Detention Basins, Upper Shoreline Zone (Saturated)
Stormwater Detention Basins, Lower Shoreline Zone (Emergent)
Streambank Stabilization
Upland Slope Buffers-Stormwater Ponds & Streambanks
Vegetated Swales

The suggested plant species mix lists which follow are intended to provide users with an idea of species that could be used together. These lists should NOT be used without consideration of the specific information provided within this Guide for each species. Each site will provide a different set of environmental conditions and an effort should be made to match the most suitable species to those conditions. In some cases, it may be best to overlap planting of different species mixes to hedge on the establishment of a hydrology regime in a given zone. Depending on the application, it may be appropriate to select a few species from a given mix, or for maximum diversity the entire mix could be used in a given zone. For prairie or wetland restorations, or for Section 404 (of the Clean Water Act) compensatory mitigation, planting mixes should go beyond the species listed here.

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NOTE: In severe erosion situations where the dormant willow post method is appropriate, sandbar willow (Salix interior) may be recommended due to its aggressive nature.

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