Illinois Native
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Plant Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirements
Bloom Color
Bloom Time
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Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirement
Flower Color
Bloom Time
Height
Uses
Resistance
Zizia aurea – Golden Alexander
2025 Native Plant of the Year - gorgeous, easy, and, most importantly, supports pollinators and wildlife.
Achillea millefolium – Yarrow
Ideal native plant for hot sunny spots.
Asclepias incarnata – Swamp Milkweed
Missouri and Illinois native with clouds of pink blossoms.
Asclepias syriaca – Common Milkweed
Essential host plant for Monarch caterpillars. Mo Bot Garden's Plant of Merit winner.
Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly Milkweed
#1 best selling Missouri native perennial.
Aster novae angliae – New England Aster
A butterfly favorite and Missouri and Illinois native perennial.
Callirhoe involucrata – Purple Poppy Mallow
2019 Native of the Year. Long-blooming native Illinois and Missouri ground cover.
Carex eburnea – Bristle Leaf Sedge
Looks like grass but no mowing required, shade lover.
Coreopsis lanceolata – Lance Leaf Coreopsis
Named 2021 Missouri Native Plant Of The Year for its outstanding qualities.
Echinacea paradoxa – Ozark Coneflower
A rare Missouri native perennial.
Echinacea purpurea – Purple Coneflower
Gorgeous Missouri native perennial for natural and formal settings.
Eryngium yuccifolium – Rattlesnake Master
Tough and unique Missouri and Illinois native for hot, dry areas.
Heliopsis helianthoides – Oxeye Sunflower
Popular Missouri native with people and pollinators.
Hydrangea – Haas’ Halo Smooth Hydrangea
Highly sought after, rare and limited.
Liatris aspera – Rough Blazing Star
An important food source for pollinators, Missouri and Illinois native perennial.
Lobelia cardinalis – Cardinal Flower
Choice Missouri and Illinois native perennial with brilliant cardinal red blossoms.
Monarda bradburiana – Bee Balm
Important Missouri native pollinator plant.
Monarda fistulosa – Wild Bergamot
An important Missouri and Illinois native pollinator food source.
Oenothera macrocarpa – Missouri Evening Primrose
Top Missouri native perennial highly recommended.
Packera obovata – Squaw Weed
Fantastic MO native evergreen ground cover for sun or shade.
Penstemon – Blackbeard Beardtongue
Ahoy matey! You'll be in on the treasure with this jewel.
Penstemon digitalis – Smooth White Beardtongue
An important food source for pollinators.
Polemonium reptans – Jacob’s Ladder
Top Missouri native ground cover for shady areas.
Pycnanthemum muticum – Blunt Mountain Mint
Top choice to attract butterflies and more, multiple award winner. Missouri Botanical Garden Plant of Merit, Perennial Plant Association 2025 Perennial of the Year.
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium – Slender Mountain Mint
2020 Native of the Year.
Sedum ternatum – Three-Leaved Stonecrop
Hard working Missouri and Illinois native ground cover for hot areas.
Senecio aureus – Golden Groundsel
Dream plant for tough dry shade spots.
Spigelia marilandica – Apple Slices Indian Pink
Wildly popular among plant enthusiasts and highly sought after.
Spigelia marilandica – Little Red Head Indian Pink
Superior selection of our Missouri native Indian Pink with vibrant crimson trumpets.
Amelanchier arborea Downy Serviceberry
Colorful year round with flowers, berries, foliage and bark.
Amsonia tabermontana – Willowleaf Blue Star
Top award-winning native with starry blue flowers.
Antennaria plantaginifolia – Pussytoes
Missouri and Illinois native with fun flowers shaped like a cat's paw.
Apios americana – Groundnut Vine
Missouri native vine for shade.
Aquilegia canadensis – Columbine
Charming, dangling blossoms of red and yellow.
Aristolochia tomentosa – Dutchman’s Pipe
Pipe shaped blossoms on rapidly growing native vine.
Asclepias perennis – Aquatic Millkweed
An important food source for Monarch butterflies and other flying gems.
Asclepias sullivantii – Prairie Milkweed
Important food source for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
Asclepias verticillata – Whorled Milkweed
Important food source for Monarch butterflies.
Asclepias viridis – Green Milkweed
A Missouri and Illinois fascinating native perennial.
Aster cordifolius – Blue Wood Aster
Shade loving Missouri native with clouds of rich blue flowers.
Aster laevis – Smooth Aster
Billowing panicles of soft blue flowers in autumn.
Baptisia australis – Blue Indigo
A Missouri native adored for its indigo blossoms.
Baptisia bracteata – Cream Wild Indigo
Easy to grow Missouri native perennial.
Bignonia capreolata – Cross Vine
2" trumpet shaped blossoms, Missouri and Illinois native vine.
Carex muskingumensis – Palm Sedge
Popular Missouri and Illinois native sedge.
Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania Sedge or Oak Sedge
Native Sedge ideal for shade to deep shade where nothing else will grow.
Carya illinonensis, Pecan Tree
Large Missouri and Illinois native tree that produces delicious edible nuts.
Ceanothus americanus – New Jersey Tea
Fragrant flowers on small native shrub, butterflies and more adore it.
Chelone glabra -Turtle Head
Illinois and Missouri native moisture-loving perennial.
Chelone obliqua – Turtle Head
Popular native Missouri perennial with turtle head shaped flowers.
Coreopsis pubescens – Star Tickseed
Missouri and Illinois native perennial. Easy!
Coreopsis tripteris – Star Tickseed
Choice Missouri native for butterflies.
Dalea purpurea – Purple Prairie Clover
Native perennial with fascinating foliage and flowers.
Delphinium exaltatum – Larkspur
Missouri native perennial Larkspur.
Echinacea angustifolia – Narrow-Leaf Coneflower
A charming Missouri native perennial.
Echinacea pallida – Pale Purple Coneflower
Missouri Botanical Gardens Plant of Merit Winner.
Echinacea simulata – Glade Coneflower
Tough Missouri native perennial.
Eryngium – Blue Glitter Sea Holly
Fascinating intense blue flowers.
Frangula (Rhamnus) caroliniana – Carolina Buckthorn
Showy foliage and airy flowers on small Mo native tree.
Gentiana andrewsii – Bottle Gentian
Gillenea trifolata – Bowman’s Root
Lacy star-shaped flowers on delightful Missouri and Illinois native perennial.
Helenium autumnale – Sneezeweed
Missouri native perennial for sunny spots.
Helianthus pauciflorus – Prairie Sunflower
Large vigorous Illinois and Missouri native for the sun garden.
Heuchera richardsonii – Alum Root
Missouri native perennial.
Hibiscus laevis – Halberd Leaved Rose Mallow
Its interesting leaves resemble the 15th-16th century weapon the halberd spear.
Hibiscus moscheutos – Swamp Rose Mallow
Among the largest flowers produced by a native perennial.
Hydrangea – Pinky Pollen Ring Smooth Hydrangea
Pink flowers create a flutter of activity in the garden!
Hydrangea arborescens – Smooth Hydrangea
2024 Native Plant Of The Year
Iodanthus pinnatifidus – Purple Rocket
A Missouri and Illinois native that brings color to shady spots.
Iris cristata – Crested Iris
A delightful Missouri native Iris for shade.
Iris virginica shrevei – Southern Blue Flag
Missouri and Illinois native Iris for wet spots.
Itea virginica, Virginia Sweetspire
This small Missouri and Illinois native shrubs grows anywhere, sun, shade, wet, dry.
Liatris pycnostachya – Prairie Blazing Star
A favorite of humans and other critters.
Liatris scariosa – Blazing Star
Has the largest flowers of all Missouri native Blazing Stars.
Liatris spicata Blazing Star
Showy Missouri native loved by butterflies.
Melanthium virginicum – Bunchflower
One of the showiest Missouri and Illinois native plants.
Oligoneuron ridellii – Riddell’s Goldenrod
An important pollinator food source.
Opuntia humifusa – Prickly Pear Cactus
Missouri and Illinois native perennial cactus.
Packera aurea – Golden Groundsel
Dream plant for tough dry shade spots.
Phlox divaricata – Wild Sweet William
Delightful MO and IL native perennial with a sweet perfume.
Phlox pilosa – Prairie Phlox
Native perennial, makes a fantastic ground cover in sunny areas.
Podophyllum peltatum – Mayapple
Early blooming Missouri native perennial.
Polygonatum biflorum var commutatum – Solomon’s Seal
Dangling flowers appear in spring on this Illinois and Missouri native.
Quercus bicolor – Swamp White Oak Tree
Bring the gift of nature home with this beauty, MO and IL native.
Quercus coccinea – Scarlet Oak
Vibrant red leaves in fall.
Quercus macrocarpa – Bur Oak
Showy acorns and leaves on a statuesque tree.
Quercus rubra – Red Oak Tree
Statuesque MO and IL native tree.
Ratibida pinnata – Gray Head Mexican Hat
Fun Missouri native perennial.
Rhus aromatica – Fragrant Sumac
Rugged native Missouri and Illinois ground cover shrub for tough spots.
Rudbeckia fulgida – Shining Black-Eyed Susan
Birds love this Illinois and Missouri native's seeds.
Ruellia hymilis – Wild Petunia
Pretty lilac-blue flowers attract beautiful flying guests, native perennial.
Salvia azurea – Blue Sage
Azure blue flowers midsummer through fall. MO and IL native.
Scutellaria incana – Downy Skullcap
Fun Missouri and Illinois native.
Senecio obovata – Squaw Weed
Fantastic MO and IL native evergreen ground cover for sun or shade.
Silphium laciniatum – Compass Plant
Silphium terebinthinaceum – Prairie Dock
A Missouri native perennial that looks like a tropical.
Spigelia marilandica – Ragin Cajun Indian Pink
A superior selection of our Missouri native Indian Pink with multitudes of brilliant orange-red blossoms.
Tradescantia ohiensis – Ohio Spiderwort
Easy to grow Missouri native perennial.
Vernonia arkansana – Curlytop Ironweed
Featured plant of the Missouri Prairie Foundation Grow Native Pollinator Buffet program.
Vernonia fasciculata – Prairie Ironweed
Feeds countless butterflies and other important pollinators.
Vernonia missurica – Missouri Ironweed
Feeds countless butterflies and other important pollinators.
Veronicastrum virginicum – Culver’s Root
Majestic Missouri native perennial.
Viburnum dentatum – Arrowwood Viburnum
Excellent Missouri native shrub. Showy blue berries follow large white flowers.
Viburnum lentago – Nanberry Viburnum
Fluffy white flowers. Hostplant for the Spring Azure butterfly.
Viburnum nudum – Possumhaw Viburnum – Smooth Witherod
Birds love this Missouri and Illinois native shrub for its multi-colored berries.
Zizia aptera – Heart Shaped Golden Alexander
A top choice for pollinators.
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FILTER THE ITEMS ON THIS PAGE BY:
Plant Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirements
Bloom Color
Bloom Time
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Uses
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Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirement
Flower Color
Bloom Time
Height
Uses
Resistance
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