FRIENDS OF THE CHICAGO RIVER
FRIENDS OF THE CHICAGO RIVER
Plants of the Chicago River Watershed
Boxelder
R
Acer negundo
50-70 feet tall
Giant Ragweed
R
Ambrosia trif ida
The boxelder tree is a fast-grow ing, shortlived tree. Its three leaflets resemble those of poison ivy, but it’s a tree of the maple family with a woody trunk – not a v ine.
This plant has large three-pointed leaves that resemble a bird foot. It is a weedy plant that can tolerate poorer soils. H ay fev er is caused by Ragweed, not goldenrod.
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Eastern Cottonwood Populus de ltoids
R 75- 100 feet tall
Black Willo w Salix nig ra
R 30-40 feet tall
Cottonw oods are the trees that release the w hite fuzzy seeds that float all over in the late spring to early summer. The leaves are heart-shaped w ith course rounded teeth.
Aspirin w as developed from the bark of w illows. This tree often grow s multiple trunks. It requires consistently moist soil to reach maturity .
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Larry Allai n @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
American Elm Ulmus americana
R 80- 120 feet tall
American Basswood Tilia americana
R 60- 80 feet ta ll
American elms were almost completely obliterated in the U nited S tates after the appearance of Dutch elm disease, a fungus that attacks this tree.
The basswood is a very soft wood as it is a fast-grower. The tree is valued for shade and for the flavorful honey that is produced w hen bees pollinate their flowers.
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Green Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica
R 60- 80 feet tal l
Common Ragweed
X- N
Ambrosia artemisifo lia
This species is dioecious (male and female flow er parts on different trees) and is very tolerant to siltation. This tree has been used to replace elms in urban forests.
The pollen of this plant causes hay fever. It is ty pically categorized as a pioneer species and a plant that w ill quickly grow in disturbed areas w ith poor soils.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Downey Hawthorne Crataegus mollis
R 20- 40 feet t all
Oxeye Daisy Heliopsis helian thoides
X- NN Yell ow flow ers
It is very difficult to categorize 100 or so species of haw thorne native to N orth America, w ith some of them ev en forming hybrids together.
O xeye daisy is the w ell-know n yellow daisy . It is ty pically found on roadsides and old fields. It tolerates drought, but does better w hen w ater is available.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Honeylocust Gleditsia tricanthos
R 75- 80 feet tall
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
X- NN Yellow flowers
The large thorns of the honey locust were once used as pins. This tree produces seed pods, 6 to 8 inches long, w hich are flattened, redish-brow n, and leathery .
Dandelions produce seedy w ith "fuzz" on them w hich kids love to scatter. It is ty pically found in law ns, roadsides and old fields, and is very difficult to get rid of.
John M. Randall, The Nature Co nservancy
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Silver Maple
R
Acer saccharinum
60- 80 feet tall
Japanese Barberry Berberis thu nbergii
I- NN Yell ow flow ers
S ilver maple tw igs release an unpleasant odor w hen crushed. The trunk is usually short, w ith several subtrunks. Without competition, it can grow to be 100 feet tall.
This plant is widely used in landscaping because it retains red berries in the winter. It has escaped cultivation to become invasiv e in many different habitats.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
R.A. Howard @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Sugar Maple Acer saccharum
R 75-100 feet tal l
White Sweet Clover Melilotus alba
I- NN White flowers
The sap of sugar maple is w here we get maple sy rup once it is harvested and processed. It is a common shade tree in America and is the national tree of Canada.
White sw eet clover w as used as fodder for livestock by early settlers. It has become a nasty invader in prairies, sav annas, and w oodlands across the state.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
P = Prairie S = Sav anna R = Riparian/Floodplain Woodland F = Forest or Upland Woods W = Wetland I- NN = Inv asiv e Non-Nativ e Species I- N = Inv asiv e Nativ e Species X- NN = Non-Nativ e Weed X-N = Nativ e Weed
FRIENDS OF THE CHICAGO RIVER
Plants of the Chicago River Watershed
Joe Pye Weed
P/F
Eupatorium pu rpureum
Pink flowers
American Hazel Corylus americana
S/F 15- 25 feet tal l
The flower of Joe Pye weed has a very pleasant scent resembling vanilla that attracts many butterflies. They give way to seed heads which persist w ell into w inter.
H azel is a small shrub, usually found in clumps reaching 15 feet in height. The fruit, or hazelnut, is oval and enclosed in a leathery , leafy cluster called a husk.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
White Heath Aster Aster e rico ides
P/F W hite flow ers
Black Oak Quercus velu tina
S/F 50- 70 feet tal l
White heath aster is also know n by such names as farewell-to-summer or goodbyemeadow, because it is a late bloomer, ushering in the fall season.
Black oak tress can grow in v ery sandy soils. The inner bark, a deep yellow -orange color, and acorns of this tree both have a bitter taste not preferred by squirrels.
Clarence A. Rechenthin @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Common Boneset
Bur Oak
Eupatorium perfo liatum
P/F W hite flowe rs
Quercus macro carpa
S/F 70- 80 feet ta ll
A bitter, vile-tasting tea can be made from this plant, and was thought to be a cure for broken bones. It does lower fever, and w as used to combat ty phoid and yellow fev er.
Bur oaks have unusual acorns. They have a fuzzy top that looks like shredded w heat. The extremely thick corky bark of this tree allow s it to surv ive prairie fires.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Canada Goldenrod Solidago canadensis
P/F Yel low flow ers
White Oak Quercus a lba
S/F 80- 100 feet tall
Canada goldenrod is a v ery large showy perennial that is w rongly accused for causing hay fev er. P refers part shade to full sun and regular water.
The Ohio and central M ississippi River valley s have optimum conditions this tree. The w hite oak is the state tree of Illinois and has sw eeter acorns than other oaks.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Nodding Wild Onion Allium cernu um
P/F
W hite/Pale purple fl owers
Flowering Spurge Euphorbia co rollata
S/F W hite flowers
Chicago was reportedly named from this plant w hich has a mild onion fragrance. The blooming season is usually midsummer. There is no floral scent.
This plant can tolerate dry or moist soil, sandy or loamy soil, and will grow in open sun or shade. Flow ers are very small. In the sun, they cover the plant profusely .
Thomas G. Barnes @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Prairie Wild Rose
P/F
Rosa arkansana
Pink flowers
Bottlebrush Grass
S/F
Hystrix patu la
P rairie w ild rose often appears herbaceous, but is actually a small shrub. Look for it in prairies, sandy tame pastures, roadsides, and at the edges of w oods.
This w oodland grass produces seedheads that resemble the brushes used to clean bottles. It grow s in well-drained soils and is ideal for part-shade conditions under trees.
Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural History Survey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Daisy Fleabane Erigeron strigosus
P/F Whit e flowers
Foxtail Grass
I- NN
Setaria glau ca
F leabane grow s most anywhere and is found in many different habitats. It is popular w ith many flying insects and makes a decent garden flow er.
This grass is very common along roadsides and inv ades prairies, savannas and w oodlands. It is a hearty grass and is v ery resistant to many herbicides.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Stiff Goldenrod Solidago rigida
P/F Yell ow flow ers
Orchardgrass
I- NN
Dactylis g lomerata
This plant is also known as rigid goldenrod or prairie goldenrod. Deep roots allow this plant to w ithstand overgrazing and also help it take hold in newly disturbed land.
O rchardgrass was planted as hay but has escaped throughout much of America. Its flow er spike appears as a hand w ith the fingers together and the thumb sticking out.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
W.L. Wagner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
P = Prairie S = Sav anna R = Riparian/Floodplain Woodland F = Forest or Upland Woods W = Wetland I- NN = Inv asiv e Non-Nativ e Species I- N = Inv asiv e Nativ e Species X- NN = Non-Nativ e Weed X-N = Nativ e Weed
Plants of the Chicago River Watershed
Boxelder
R
Acer negundo
50-70 feet tall
Giant Ragweed
R
Ambrosia trif ida
The boxelder tree is a fast-grow ing, shortlived tree. Its three leaflets resemble those of poison ivy, but it’s a tree of the maple family with a woody trunk – not a v ine.
This plant has large three-pointed leaves that resemble a bird foot. It is a weedy plant that can tolerate poorer soils. H ay fev er is caused by Ragweed, not goldenrod.
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Eastern Cottonwood Populus de ltoids
R 75- 100 feet tall
Black Willo w Salix nig ra
R 30-40 feet tall
Cottonw oods are the trees that release the w hite fuzzy seeds that float all over in the late spring to early summer. The leaves are heart-shaped w ith course rounded teeth.
Aspirin w as developed from the bark of w illows. This tree often grow s multiple trunks. It requires consistently moist soil to reach maturity .
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Larry Allai n @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
American Elm Ulmus americana
R 80- 120 feet tall
American Basswood Tilia americana
R 60- 80 feet ta ll
American elms were almost completely obliterated in the U nited S tates after the appearance of Dutch elm disease, a fungus that attacks this tree.
The basswood is a very soft wood as it is a fast-grower. The tree is valued for shade and for the flavorful honey that is produced w hen bees pollinate their flowers.
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Green Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica
R 60- 80 feet tal l
Common Ragweed
X- N
Ambrosia artemisifo lia
This species is dioecious (male and female flow er parts on different trees) and is very tolerant to siltation. This tree has been used to replace elms in urban forests.
The pollen of this plant causes hay fever. It is ty pically categorized as a pioneer species and a plant that w ill quickly grow in disturbed areas w ith poor soils.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Downey Hawthorne Crataegus mollis
R 20- 40 feet t all
Oxeye Daisy Heliopsis helian thoides
X- NN Yell ow flow ers
It is very difficult to categorize 100 or so species of haw thorne native to N orth America, w ith some of them ev en forming hybrids together.
O xeye daisy is the w ell-know n yellow daisy . It is ty pically found on roadsides and old fields. It tolerates drought, but does better w hen w ater is available.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Honeylocust Gleditsia tricanthos
R 75- 80 feet tall
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
X- NN Yellow flowers
The large thorns of the honey locust were once used as pins. This tree produces seed pods, 6 to 8 inches long, w hich are flattened, redish-brow n, and leathery .
Dandelions produce seedy w ith "fuzz" on them w hich kids love to scatter. It is ty pically found in law ns, roadsides and old fields, and is very difficult to get rid of.
John M. Randall, The Nature Co nservancy
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Silver Maple
R
Acer saccharinum
60- 80 feet tall
Japanese Barberry Berberis thu nbergii
I- NN Yell ow flow ers
S ilver maple tw igs release an unpleasant odor w hen crushed. The trunk is usually short, w ith several subtrunks. Without competition, it can grow to be 100 feet tall.
This plant is widely used in landscaping because it retains red berries in the winter. It has escaped cultivation to become invasiv e in many different habitats.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
R.A. Howard @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Sugar Maple Acer saccharum
R 75-100 feet tal l
White Sweet Clover Melilotus alba
I- NN White flowers
The sap of sugar maple is w here we get maple sy rup once it is harvested and processed. It is a common shade tree in America and is the national tree of Canada.
White sw eet clover w as used as fodder for livestock by early settlers. It has become a nasty invader in prairies, sav annas, and w oodlands across the state.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
P = Prairie S = Sav anna R = Riparian/Floodplain Woodland F = Forest or Upland Woods W = Wetland I- NN = Inv asiv e Non-Nativ e Species I- N = Inv asiv e Nativ e Species X- NN = Non-Nativ e Weed X-N = Nativ e Weed
FRIENDS OF THE CHICAGO RIVER
Plants of the Chicago River Watershed
Joe Pye Weed
P/F
Eupatorium pu rpureum
Pink flowers
American Hazel Corylus americana
S/F 15- 25 feet tal l
The flower of Joe Pye weed has a very pleasant scent resembling vanilla that attracts many butterflies. They give way to seed heads which persist w ell into w inter.
H azel is a small shrub, usually found in clumps reaching 15 feet in height. The fruit, or hazelnut, is oval and enclosed in a leathery , leafy cluster called a husk.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
White Heath Aster Aster e rico ides
P/F W hite flow ers
Black Oak Quercus velu tina
S/F 50- 70 feet tal l
White heath aster is also know n by such names as farewell-to-summer or goodbyemeadow, because it is a late bloomer, ushering in the fall season.
Black oak tress can grow in v ery sandy soils. The inner bark, a deep yellow -orange color, and acorns of this tree both have a bitter taste not preferred by squirrels.
Clarence A. Rechenthin @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Common Boneset
Bur Oak
Eupatorium perfo liatum
P/F W hite flowe rs
Quercus macro carpa
S/F 70- 80 feet ta ll
A bitter, vile-tasting tea can be made from this plant, and was thought to be a cure for broken bones. It does lower fever, and w as used to combat ty phoid and yellow fev er.
Bur oaks have unusual acorns. They have a fuzzy top that looks like shredded w heat. The extremely thick corky bark of this tree allow s it to surv ive prairie fires.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Canada Goldenrod Solidago canadensis
P/F Yel low flow ers
White Oak Quercus a lba
S/F 80- 100 feet tall
Canada goldenrod is a v ery large showy perennial that is w rongly accused for causing hay fev er. P refers part shade to full sun and regular water.
The Ohio and central M ississippi River valley s have optimum conditions this tree. The w hite oak is the state tree of Illinois and has sw eeter acorns than other oaks.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Nodding Wild Onion Allium cernu um
P/F
W hite/Pale purple fl owers
Flowering Spurge Euphorbia co rollata
S/F W hite flowers
Chicago was reportedly named from this plant w hich has a mild onion fragrance. The blooming season is usually midsummer. There is no floral scent.
This plant can tolerate dry or moist soil, sandy or loamy soil, and will grow in open sun or shade. Flow ers are very small. In the sun, they cover the plant profusely .
Thomas G. Barnes @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Prairie Wild Rose
P/F
Rosa arkansana
Pink flowers
Bottlebrush Grass
S/F
Hystrix patu la
P rairie w ild rose often appears herbaceous, but is actually a small shrub. Look for it in prairies, sandy tame pastures, roadsides, and at the edges of w oods.
This w oodland grass produces seedheads that resemble the brushes used to clean bottles. It grow s in well-drained soils and is ideal for part-shade conditions under trees.
Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural History Survey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Daisy Fleabane Erigeron strigosus
P/F Whit e flowers
Foxtail Grass
I- NN
Setaria glau ca
F leabane grow s most anywhere and is found in many different habitats. It is popular w ith many flying insects and makes a decent garden flow er.
This grass is very common along roadsides and inv ades prairies, savannas and w oodlands. It is a hearty grass and is v ery resistant to many herbicides.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
Stiff Goldenrod Solidago rigida
P/F Yell ow flow ers
Orchardgrass
I- NN
Dactylis g lomerata
This plant is also known as rigid goldenrod or prairie goldenrod. Deep roots allow this plant to w ithstand overgrazing and also help it take hold in newly disturbed land.
O rchardgrass was planted as hay but has escaped throughout much of America. Its flow er spike appears as a hand w ith the fingers together and the thumb sticking out.
Dan Busemeyer, Ill ino is Natural H istory Su rvey
W.L. Wagner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
P = Prairie S = Sav anna R = Riparian/Floodplain Woodland F = Forest or Upland Woods W = Wetland I- NN = Inv asiv e Non-Nativ e Species I- N = Inv asiv e Nativ e Species X- NN = Non-Nativ e Weed X-N = Nativ e Weed
