Native plants · Illinois
Native plants of Ford County
335 plant species are recorded as native to Illinois in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Ford County by USDA PLANTS. 172 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Ford County, Illinois
- Native species
- 335 Typical Illinois county: 641 (median of 102 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 172 Typical Illinois county: 272
- Share by type (all 335 native species)
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Percent of the 335 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (60%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (17%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 172
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny blackberry Rubus allegheniensis | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| American basswood Tilia americana | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| American bellflower Campanulastrum americanum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 12b |
| American black currant Ribes americanum | Shrub | 3 ft | — | — | Zone 2b |
| American elm Ulmus americana | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| American hazelnut Corylus americana | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| American red raspberry Rubus idaeus | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 1a |
| American sycamore Platanus occidentalis | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| American water horehound Lycopus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| American water plantain Alisma subcordatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| Bicknell's sedge Carex bicknellii | Grass or grass-like | 3.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| big bluestem Andropogon gerardii | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 2b |
| bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2b |
| black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black oak Quercus velutina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black raspberry Rubus occidentalis | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| black walnut Juglans nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| black willow Salix nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1b |
| blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium | Tree | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| Canada germander Teucrium canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12b |
| Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Carolina rose Rosa carolina | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| common blue violet Viola sororia | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| common evening primrose Oenothera biennis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common selfheal Prunella vulgaris | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| common spikerush Eleocharis palustris | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| cup plant Silphium perfoliatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | — | Zone 2b |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| downy yellow violet Viola pubescens | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| field horsetail Equisetum arvense | Fern | 11 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11b |
| Frank's sedge Carex frankii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| frost grape Vitis vulpina | Vine | 83 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| greater straw sedge Carex normalis | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens | Grass or grass-like | 5.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2a |
| hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| inland rush Juncus interior | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus | Wildflower (forb) | 9.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| lanceleaf loosestrife Lysimachia lanceolata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| leadplant Amorpha canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| little barley Hordeum pusillum | Grass or grass-like | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris | Wildflower (forb) | 2 in | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| meadow evening primrose Oenothera pilosella | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| Missouri ironweed Vernonia missurica | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus | Shrub | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| nodding beggartick Bidens cernua | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| nodding waternymph Najas flexilis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum | Fern | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| northern red oak Quercus rubra | Tree | 81 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida | Wildflower (forb) | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| pawpaw Asimina triloba | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| pecan Carya illinoinensis | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| poverty rush Juncus tenuis | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata | Grass or grass-like | 8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| prairie crab apple Malus ioensis | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| prairie willow Salix humilis | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis | Grass or grass-like | 11 in | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| purplestem beggarticks Bidens connata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| purpletop tridens Tridens flavus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| pussy willow Salix discolor | Tree | 40 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum | Fern | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| red mulberry Morus rubra | Tree | 70 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11a |
| reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| riverbank grape Vitis riparia | Vine | 45 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| rough avens Geum laciniatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| rufous bulrush Scirpus pendulus | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| sandbar willow Salix interior | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus | Shrub | 8.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| shagbark hickory Carya ovata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| shingle oak Quercus imbricaria | Tree | 45 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| silver maple Acer saccharinum | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 2b |
| slippery elm Ulmus rubra | Tree | 85 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| smooth phlox Phlox glaberrima | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| stalkless yellowcress Rorippa sessiliflora | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12b |
| stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| sugar maple Acer saccharum | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| swamp rose Rosa palustris | Shrub | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| swamp white oak Quercus bicolor | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| tall hairy agrimony Agrimonia gryposepala | Wildflower (forb) | 5.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides | Grass or grass-like | 4 in | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| trumpet creeper Campsis radicans | Vine | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| valley redstem Ammannia coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Vine | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| Virginia iris Iris virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 8b |
| Virginia threeseed mercury Acalypha virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| water knotweed Polygonum amphibium | Wildflower (forb) | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| white ash Fraxinus americana | Tree | 90 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| white avens Geum canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| white oak Quercus alba | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| white prairie clover Dalea candida | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| whitegrass Leersia virginica | Grass or grass-like | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 163
PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- balsam groundsel Packera paupercula
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- biennial beeblossom Oenothera gaura
- big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
- blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- bloody butcher Trillium recurvatum
- bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
- button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
- Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
- Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
- carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
- clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
- common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
- common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
- common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- compassplant Silphium laciniatum
- Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- downy carrionflower Smilax pulverulenta
- downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
- dwarf horseweed Conyza ramosissima
- early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
- early goldenrod Solidago juncea
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
- Equisetum ×ferrissii Equisetum ×ferrissii
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fescue sedge Carex festucacea
- feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
- field thistle Cirsium discolor
- flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- foxtail sedge Carex alopecoidea
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
- golden zizia Zizia aurea
- grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
- hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- hairyjoint meadowparsnip Thaspium barbinode
- heartleaf skullcap Scutellaria ovata
- heavy sedge Carex gravida
- hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
- Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
- hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
- hoary verbena Verbena stricta
- hortulan plum Prunus hortulana
- Illinois ticktrefoil Desmodium illinoense
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
- lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
- Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- longsepal beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
- longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
- low false bindweed Calystegia spithamaea
- lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
- manyfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia polycarpa
- marsh blue violet Viola cucullata
- mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- meadow garlic Allium canadense
- Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
- narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
- narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
- narrowleaf vervain Verbena simplex
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
- Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
- obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
- orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
- palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
- prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
- prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
- prairie milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
- prairie rosinweed Silphium terebinthinaceum
- prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
- prairie violet Viola pedatifida
- puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
- purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
- ramp Allium tricoccum
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- rough rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes aspera
- roundseed St. Johnswort Hypericum sphaerocarpum
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
- shortbeak arrowhead Sagittaria brevirostra
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
- showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
- slender waternymph Najas gracillima
- slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
- slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
- slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
- small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
- small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
- smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- soft fox sedge Carex conjuncta
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
- stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
- stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
- swamp verbena Verbena hastata
- sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
- tall blazing star Liatris aspera
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
- tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
- toadshade Trillium sessile
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- upright carrionflower Smilax ecirrhata
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- white blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium albidum
- white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- wholeleaf rosinweed Silphium integrifolium
- whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild quinine Parthenium integrifolium
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
- woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
- yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
- yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
- yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
Also listed as native and introduced here 4
PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.
- annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
- climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
- common reedPhragmites australis
- Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
Compared with Illinois
The typical county is the median of the 102 Illinois counties with PLANTS county records; the statewide figure counts every species native anywhere in the state. More species is not better or worse: counties differ in size, habitat and how thoroughly they have been surveyed.
| Measure | Ford County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 335 | 641 | 1,909 |
| Garden-ready natives | 172 | 272 | 652 |
| Tree | 42 | — | 187 |
| Shrub | 14 | — | 96 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 202 | — | 1,015 |
| Grass or grass-like | 57 | — | 444 |
| Vine | 14 | — | 79 |
| Fern | 6 | — | 88 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Ford County.
- Champaign County, IL 321 garden-ready
- Iroquois County, IL 249 garden-ready
- Kankakee County, IL 352 garden-ready
- Livingston County, IL 186 garden-ready
- McLean County, IL 222 garden-ready
- Vermilion County, IL 301 garden-ready
Source & data date
- Source
- USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).
- Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.
- USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
- Citation
- USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.
- Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
- Data date
- Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
- Zones
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
- Scope
- Ford County (county FIPS 17053), Illinois. 335 native species from PLANTS county distribution records; garden-ready = species with a PLANTS characteristics record.
- Method
- A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources