Illinois Native Plant Society

08/20/2026

We are excited to share that our INPS Annual Gathering - hosted by our Forest Glen Chapter - will take place on September 25-27 at the University of Illinois Research Park in Urbana-Champaign. To find out more information and to register, please see our website here: https://www.illinoisplants.org/ We hope to see you there!

The 2026 Annual Gathering Save the Date Mark your calendars for September 25 – 27. The 2026 Annual Gathering will be hosted by the Forest Glen Chapter. We will gather at the University of Illinois Research Park, Forbes Building at 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820.  Check back soon for pro...

05/26/2026

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

05/26/2026

05/10/2026

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!

03/26/2026

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!

10/28/2025

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