How to Identify Native Illinois Plants
- 1). Read as much as you can about native Illinois plant species before you attempt to identify them. The more you know about plants, the easier it will be to tell the difference between native species and foreign invaders. There are books, such as Robert Mohlenbrock's "Illustrated Flora of Illinois: Flowering Plants," that can help. Local government offices or websites may also have brochures about native species.
- 2). Draw pictures or take photographs of the plants that you would like to identify. Take notes about their physical appearances, such as whether the plant has flowers and what colors its leaves are, so that you will remember the details later. Good places to look for native plant species are parks, museum grounds, landscaping outside government offices and buildings, and along rural highways. Businesses that make an effort to preserve native species and weed out foreign ones may also have used native plants in their landscaping.
- 3). Compare your drawings, notes and photos with a plant species guide, such as the one provided on the United States Department of Agriculture's website to determine which are native. Such guides have written descriptions, drawings and photos of native plants that will help you in your identification process.
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