Illinois Native Plant Society

Hike Horn's Prairie Grove with our Central Chapter this Saturday!

Find all the details at-- https://open.substack.com/pub/centralchapterinps/p/field-trip-horns-prairie-grove-land

What an amazing day! The 2026 INPS Central Chapter Native Plant Sale was an overwhelming success, and we are so grateful to everyone who came out with an interest in Illinois native plants and the habitats they sustain.

The response to this year’s sale exceeded our expectations — by the end of the event, we had nearly sold out of thousands of plants! It was wonderful to see so many longtime supporters alongside first-time shoppers eager to learn more about native gardening and ecological restoration.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who helped make the sale possible:

• 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬: 3 B Natives Plant Nursery, Forrest Keeling Nursery, Starhill Forest Arboretum, and our dedicated member volunteers. Your hard work and expertise made it possible to offer such an incredible diversity of native species.
• 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬: Thank you for once again providing a fantastic venue and helping facilitate the event setup process.
• Rudin Printing Company: We appreciate your excellent work on our signage, educational materials, and plant photo cards that help make the shopping experience so informative and enjoyable.
• 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬: Dozens of volunteers dedicated countless hours to planning, growing, digging, potting, labeling, organizing, advertising, transporting plants, answering questions, and much more. This event truly would not happen without you.

If you attended the sale, we would love to stay connected! Please take a moment to fill out our short form to: 🌿 Share your contact information for future chapter news and events 🌿 Learn more about the Illinois Native Plant Society 🌿 Provide feedback about your experience at the sale
🔗https://forms.gle/ZWuf4GtFuqhMrPQ19

Proceeds from the sale support our grant program that funds native plant projects throughout central Illinois. Thank you again to everyone who attended, volunteered, contributed, and helped spread the word. Your support makes a real difference for native plants and the ecosystems that depend on them.

Visit Illinoisplants.org to learn more!

Our volunteers have been busy! Hundreds of plants have been potted by INPS members in the last couple weeks, and nursery orders are in. We're getting ready to bring you another great sale with the most diverse species list around!

Glad to see progress being made! Illinois is taking another step forward in protecting native ecosystems by adding nine new species to the list of prohibited invasives. Now let’s keep the momentum going — there are still many species causing harm across the state, including many commonly sold for ornamental plantings. What plants would you like to see added next? 🌿🚫

9 new invasive plants can no longer be bought, sold, distributed, or planted in Illinois with the recent expansion of the Exotic Weeds Act by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:
- Callery pear
- Tree-of-heaven
- Garlic mustard
- Leafy spurge
- Sericea lespedeza
- Japanese stiltgrass
- Amur corktree
- Black and pale swallowwort

The new species were recommended after being reviewed by the Illinois Invasive Species Council, which includes stakeholders from state and local governments, the nursery and landscaping industry, research institutions, and non-profit organizations.

The regulations take effect immediately, except for callery pear, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2028, allowing a phase-out period for growers to reduce their stock of planted trees.

Read more at https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/nine-new-invasive-species-regulated-illinois-expansion-exotic-weeds-act

Explore more about invasive species identification and management at https://go.illinois.edu/Invasive

Some good news! Rachel Goad was also a previous INPS Secretary.

Kankakee mallow: How a rare Illinois flower was saved from extinction The Kankakee mallow is native to one small island in the Kankakee River.

🌿 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞? 🌿

From the prairies to the woodlands, our chapters bring native plant lovers together to learn, explore, and protect Illinois’ natural heritage. Joining a chapter is a great way to connect with people in your region, take part in field trips, attend programs, and support conservation efforts close to home. Each chapter has its own page or online presence where you can keep up with upcoming events, local projects, and native plant inspiration. Be sure to follow your local chapter (or more than one!) to stay connected:

✨ 𝐈𝐍𝐏𝐒 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

Central: https://centralchapterinps.substack.com/

Illinois Native Plant Society - Forest Glen Chapter

Grand Prairie

Illinois Native Plant Society - Kankakee Torrent Chapter

Illinois Native Plant Society Southern Chapter

Quad Cities Chapter of the Illinois Native Plant Society

Northeast Chapter of the Illinois Native Plant Society

You can also follow our statewide organization on Instagram and Substack!

💚 Ready to get involved? Become an INPS member and join a chapter today: https://www.illinoisplants.org/about-membership/

Together, we’re building a stronger network for Illinois’ native plants and the people who care for them.

Just two days left to register for the full benefits—including meals! Don’t miss this chance to connect with fellow native plant enthusiasts, attend amazing talks, and enjoy everything the event has to offer. 🌱🌼

🌿 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝟒 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫! 🌿

The Illinois Native Plant Society Southern Chapter is thrilled to host this year’s Statewide Annual Gathering at the beautiful Touch of Nature Environmental Center in southern Illinois. Set for an inspiring weekend, the event will feature expert-guided excursions through native habitats, a keynote presentation by renowned botanist John Schwegman, and engaging talks from recent INPS grant recipients. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow native plant lovers and enjoy a weekend immersed in nature and community.

Included food options will only be available with registration until June 5th, so don’t wait! Registration will continue to be open after that date, but field trip options are filling up quickly!

👉 Register now at https://www.illinoisplants.org/the-annual-gathering/

🌿 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝟒 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫! 🌿

The Illinois Native Plant Society Southern Chapter is thrilled to host this year’s Statewide Annual Gathering at the beautiful Touch of Nature Environmental Center in southern Illinois. Set for an inspiring weekend, the event will feature expert-guided excursions through native habitats, a keynote presentation by renowned botanist John Schwegman, and engaging talks from recent INPS grant recipients. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow native plant lovers and enjoy a weekend immersed in nature and community.

Included food options will only be available with registration until June 5th, so don’t wait! Registration will continue to be open after that date, but field trip options are filling up quickly!

👉 Register now at https://www.illinoisplants.org/the-annual-gathering/

Join us for the 2025 INPS statewide annual gathering the weekend of June 20-22, 2025. The rolling hills of Southern Illinois will take center stage during this year's gathering based at Southern Illinois University’s Touch of Nature Center in Carbondale. Come out for field trips throughout the weekend and engaging talks in the evenings. Visit https://www.illinoisplants.org/the-annual-gathering/ for more details and registration info.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please register by **Thursday, June 5th** to have the option for on-site meals. Registration for field trips, talks, etc., will be accessible up to the day of the event.

Hope to see you there!

THE ANNUAL GATHERING Registration is Open NowJune 20-22, 2025 Hosted by the Southern Chapter The biggest impacts happen when we come together The Annual Gathering is a weekend social event held in June each year where our grantees are announced and awards delivered, delicious meals are shared, and much fun is had durin...