Plants
We tend to forget the importance of plants and often take them for granted. You may think there is nothing much to the plants and trees that are around us everyday but they are vital for life and our long-term survival. Plants are an essential resource; we rely on them for food, water, medicine, the air we breathe, habitat and our climate. In addition to all of these benefits they are also very important for our general well-being.
Click on a type of plant to jump to that section.
1. Forbs
2. Asters and Goldenrods
3. Vines, Ferns, Grasses and Shrubs
4. Trees
5. Sedges and Rushes
6. Non-native Plants
Plant Communities of the Chicago River Watershed
- Prairie
- Forest
- Wetland
- Riparian-Mixed
- Woodland Spring Flora of the Chicago Region
- Ravine and Bluff Flora of the Chicago Region
Forbs
Asters and Goldenrods
- Ecology of the Chicago Region: Asters and Goldenrods
- Common Asters of the Chicago Region
- Common Goldenrods of the Chicago Region
Vines, Ferns, Grasses and Shrubs
Trees
Sedges and Rushes
Non-native Plants
- Ecology of the Chicago Region: Non-native Plants
- Buckthorn Fact Sheet
- Garlic Mustard Fact Sheet
- Honeysuckle Fact Sheet
- Most Common Non-native Plants