In April, drooping reddish blooms of prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) dot the prairie, blending with the lavender and white flowers that give shooting stars (Dodecatheon meadia) their common name. In the woodland, Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) hang amidst fringed foliage like little white trousers on a clothesline. Colonies of bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) emerge, displaying delicate white buds that will open as their scalloped leaves unfurl. The reflexed petals of white dog-tooth violet (Erythronium albidum) and yellow trout lily (E. americanum) peek above mottled leaves. Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans) add a touch of blue. May apples (Podophyllum peltatum) pop up rounded green foliage like open umbrellas.
These native plant species are thriving at Olympia Fields Country Club in nonplay areas dedicated to natural landscaping, where present ecosystems include prairie, woodland, and savanna, and moisture conditions range from wet to mesic (medium moist). The country club has been at the forefront of an emerging movement toward large-scale natural landscaping. Since 1992 they have participated in the New York Audubon Society Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, and, after meeting criteria for environmental planning, wildlife cover enhancement, water conservation and water quality management, they became fully certified in February 1996. Staff horticulturist Kit Reay stated that the club hosts approximately ninety-seven species of birds as a result of their ongoing restoration work.
In Natural Landscaping for Public Officials: A Source Book, the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) loosely defines native landscaping as "the use of plants...that flourished in northeastern Illinois prior to its occupation by settlers from eastern North America and Europe." Natural landscaping uses those same plants, but in a manner that "give[s] the‘look’ of the landscape that existed before the mid-1800s. In addition, there may also be an attempt to restore or reconstruct the landscape to look and function more as it did before settlers, other than Native Americans lived here." Excluded from the definition are wildflowers that are not indigenous — plants like Queen Anne’s lace, oxeye daisy and dame’s rocket that have spread throughout the Midwest in naturalized settings, but were originally imported — and cultivars — clones of native plants selected for certain desirable characteristics, but lacking in genetic diversity.
Providing food and shelter for wildlife is only one of the many benefits to be realized through planting native species in natural settings. Economic benefits may be a factor as corporations and government agencies rethink their land management strategies. According to Helen Tsiapas, Environmental Protection Specialist with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), natural landscaping reduces installation and maintenance costs. Figures cited by the NIPC in Natural Landscaping for Public Officials estimate that, "the combined costs of installation and maintenance for natural landscape over a ten-year period may be one fifth of the costs for conventional landscape maintenance."
After an initial establishment period, irrigation is unnecessary, and mowing is reduced to once or twice a year at the most. Sited correctly, native plant species are uniquely adapted to local growing conditions. Many woodland plants, for example, go dormant during the hot, dry summer months. Prairie plants develop root systems that far exceed the reach of their top growth. Cylindric blazing star (Liatris cylindracea), lead plant (Amorpha canescens), and compass plant (Silphium laciniatum) grow to heights of one foot, two feet, and eight feet, respectively, yet their root systems extend approximately fifteen feet into the earth. During a drought, their roots allow them to access moisture far below the surface. By comparison, the shallow roots of Kentucky blue grass (Poa pratensis) reach only a few inches deep. Nor are fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, or pesticides required for native plantings. In fact, prairie plants prefer lean soil. Use of fertilizers can cause leggy growth and weak stems. Native plants further reduce the use of pesticides by attracting beneficial insects and wildlife that consume undesirable insects such as mosquitoes.
The deep, dense roots of native plants also reduce soil erosion and storm-water runoff, while improving water quality. Tsiapas stated that "native vegetation in drainage ways prevents contaminated storm water from entering nearby waterways," and "the root systems improve soil permeability and help the uptake of pollutants." Less mowing means less air and noise pollution emitted from fossil fueled lawn maintenance equipment.
Olympia Fields Country Club is just one example of successful large-scale natural landscaping in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Transportation has begun a program to establish naturalized plantings in the right-of-ways along Illinois state highways. Prairie Crossing in Grayslake is a 667-acre residential development with nearly 175 acres of restored prairies and wetlands. Alternative storm-water management was a primary consideration in the creation of Prairie Crossing. The system utilizes vegetated swales, prairie plantings, wetlands, and a 27-acre created lake to improve water quality and prevent flooding. Water management was also a priority in the restoration of wetlands at Gompers Park, located at Foster and Pulaski in Chicago. By removing fill and reintroducing native plant species, the Chicago Park District planned to eliminate flooding of nearby recreational areas while enhancing the visual flow between the park and the Chicago River. Wheaton Warrenville South High School in Wheaton has established areas of upland mesic and wet prairie plantings along with restoration of a wetland system. The recently opened Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum represents several local ecosystems in its landscape, including wetlands, woodlands, and prairie settings.
Education is a part of each of these ventures. Olympia Fields Country Club informs members of its environmental programs through a monthly newsletter and through informal conversations that highlight specific features. "We try to foster an awareness that they are acting as stewards of the environment," said Reay. "We want them to understand the reasons behind our landscaping choices." Prairie Crossing provides environmental information to home owners at the time of purchase and also offers ongoing educational programs. The Chicago Park District has worked with neighborhood and environmental groups as part of the restoration process at Gompers Park, while Wheaton Warrenville South High School includes students and staff in an effort to make their landscape part of a living laboratory for hands-on environmental education. At the Nature Museum, the landscape functions as another dimension of the museum itself.
Home owners can incorporate native plants into their landscapes in a variety of ways. Re-creating an actual natural habitat is only one option. Designing a space that minimizes the use of turf grass and maximizes the use of trees, shrubs, perennial plants, and groundcover is another alternative. Indigenous plants can also be incorporated into existing beds and borders. Native trees and shrubs offer the same benefits as other native plants and, when sited appropriately, can be used in nearly every setting. They are at their best, however, when left to their natural growth habits rather than being tortured into manicured shapes. Autumn brings an added bonus. "Native woody plants have phenomenal fall color," declared Connor Shaw, owner of Possibility Place Nursery in Monee, Illinois. "Everything else pales by comparison."
The key to successfully utilizing native plants is to correctly identify the light and moisture conditions that determine the ecosystem of the area to be planted and choose the appropriate plants for the situation. "People tend to assume that plants can grow anywhere," said Shaw. "Appropriately citing a plant can make the difference between that plant flourishing or failing. Those differences can exist even within the same yard." For the best results, Shaw recommended choosing plants of the right ecotype, those that have been genetically programmed to thrive in a specific climate. Plants grown locally from seed collected locally have adapted to our climate. Shaw grows native trees, shrubs, and prairie plants indigenous to northeast Illinois. Ninety percent of his seed is collected in northern Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
An initial consultation with a professional landscape designer, one well-versed in native plant species, is an investment that may pay for itself in the long run. "It’s important to fully understand what you are doing and what the end result is going to be," said Shaw. With an overall plan in hand, it is possible to divide the task into small, manageable sections. By beginning on a small scale it is easier to become familiar with the plants and to keep up with maintenance, which is most intensive at the outset. "Native plantings are low-maintenance, but not no-maintenance," cautioned Shaw.
Professional assistance from companies such as Applied Ecological Services, CRM Ecosystems in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin and Pizzo and Associates Limited in Leland, Illinois can be indispensable for site preparation, removing present, poorly-sited plants and eradicating invasive, non-native species. Controlled burns, water management and erosion control may also require a professional service. Applied Ecological Services and Pizzo and Associates provide services for areas ranging from an average yard to vast acreage. CRM Ecosystems specializes in large prairie restoration and maintenance, though they provide consultation for smaller areas.
An informal, diverse, and closely planted landscape offers cover for wildlife. A natural look can be attained by spacing plant groupings in unequal triangles and by spacing on an irregular basis. In the natural world, plants tend to grow in colonies, and the same plants occur throughout a given ecosystem. This repetition of elements brings a sense of peace and unity rather than chaos and discord. The same principle should be applied to the home landscape. "In order to have a cohesive landscape you need to have repetition," stated Shaw. "The larger the landscape, the more repetition you need."
Not only do indigenous plants have longevity on their side, they often multiply when left to their own devices. Additionally, the timeless appeal of naturalized areas won’t become dated, as often happens with other landscaping fads and fashions. The spiritual and energetic benefits of long-lived natural landscaping may, as yet, be unquantifiable, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. At a surface level, the beauty of a landscape that subtly shifts with the seasons brings a sense of serenity and connection to our daily lives. The interplay of plants, wind, light, wildlife, and insects creates a peaceful oasis that is also a living link to our past. On a deeper level, long-established, undisturbed plantings, free from chemical intrusions, achieve a balance that resonates with a profound healing energy. As we work to reestablish that balance in the landscape, we reclaim it for the rest of our lives as well.
Resources
Applied Ecological Services, 608-897-8641, 847-844-9385
CRM Ecosystems, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, 608-437-5245
Marcie Stewart-Pyziak, The Gardener’s Tutor, 815-478-5125
National Wildlife Federation, 703-790-4434,
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, 312-454-0400
Pizzo & Associates Limited, 10729 Pine Road, Leland, IL 60531; 815-495-2300
Possibility Place Nursery, Monee, IL; 708-534-3988;
Prairie Nursery
Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN; 507-452-1362
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Landscaping with Native Plants, 800-621-8431
Wild Ones