Native Landscaping Chicago: Transform Your Property While Saving Money and Water

Q: What Exactly Makes a Plant "Native" to Chicago?

A: Native plants are those that existed in the Chicago region before European settlement, generally before around 1850. They form the foundational species of ecosystems such as tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, wetlands, and northern woodlands.

The distinction matters because of evolution. Many herbivorous insects specialize in feeding on just a few native plants. A native oak supports over 550 species of caterpillars, while a non-native ginkgo supports only one. That is a massively disproportionate ecological impact.

Chicago native plants developed three key advantages:

• Deep root systems that manage our clay soil. Big Bluestem roots reach up to 12 feet deep, while typical turf grass roots go only about 1 to 2 feet deep.
• Extreme cold hardiness that helps them survive the bitter winters without special protection.
• Synchronized timing with local wildlife, blooming as pollinators emerge and seeding when birds need food.

The MWRD uses native landscaping across its facilities because it works. Their green infrastructure projects retain large volumes of stormwater per event. Native plants are more than just ecological; they are engineering solutions disguised as flowers.

How Native Roots Transform Stormwater Management

Native plant roots create underground infrastructure that requires no maintenance. While Kentucky bluegrass roots reach just 1 to 2 feet, warm-season prairie grasses often extend roots much deeper, creating a sponge that handles water naturally.

The stormwater impact is measurable. Rain gardens and native landscapes typically reduce stormwater runoff by around 75 to 80 percent per event, making them an effective low-impact development solution.

Rain gardens enhance these benefits. Chicago’s ordinance requires capturing half an inch of runoff, something properly designed rain gardens with native plantings can meet while filtering pollutants with grace and visual appeal.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District has invested in native landscaping for precisely these reasons. What works on large-scale facilities scales down perfectly to residential landscapes.

The 70% Rule: Why Native Plant Density Matters

While no study defines 70 percent as a universal threshold, research shows that yards dominated by non-native plants produce up to 75 percent less caterpillar biomass and are 60 percent less likely to support breeding chickadees at all. Insect availability determines whether songbirds can raise their young in a landscape.

About 96 percent of terrestrial birds feed their young with insects, which in turn depend on native plants. Your landscape decisions directly influence whether songbirds thrive where you live.

Q: Which Native Plants Actually Thrive in Chicago?

A: Start with proven performers that handle Chicago’s extremes without complaint.

For sunny areas:

• Wild Lupine produces blue-purple spikes, fixes nitrogen naturally, and needs no irrigation once established.
• Prairie Dropseed forms fountain-like clumps, tolerates both drought and flood, and gives off a scent reminiscent of buttered popcorn when blooming.
• Nodding Onion attracts pollinators and repels deer.

For shade:

• Wild Columbine has red and yellow flowers suited to the beaks of ruby-throated hummingbirds.
• Virginia Bluebells bloom early and disappear by midsummer, allowing room for other plants.
• Jacob’s Ladder acts as slow-spreading groundcover and provides nectar for queen bumblebees emerging from hibernation.

For wet spots:

• Blue Flag Iris filters stormwater pollutants and tolerates standing water as well as dry periods.
• Swamp Milkweed supports monarchs and is less aggressive than common milkweed.
• Cardinal Flower produces scarlet blooms that hummingbirds prefer over feeders.

These species are field-tested in the Chicago area. They survive polar vortexes, summer droughts, and everything in between.

Professional Installation Without the Chemical Dependency

Native landscaping avoids heavy chemical use. Beds are prepared using sheet mulching with cardboard and wood chips to suppress weeds while improving soil. No herbicides are needed. Compost and fungal inoculants improve soil structure and plant health.

Timing matters:

• Spring is best for planting most perennials.
• Fall is ideal for trees and shrubs.
• Plants are installed at mature spacing to allow self-seeding and natural movement.

We water deeply but infrequently during establishment to train roots to grow downward.

Site assessments guide plant choices. We evaluate soil composition, drainage patterns, sun exposure, microclimates, and existing vegetation worth preserving. This level of preparation ensures plants thrive rather than simply survive.

The first two years require attention, including weeding, watering during drought, and light pruning. By year three, maintenance drops dramatically. A single late-winter cutback and occasional editing replaces weekly mowing and chemical applications.

Real ROI: Environmental and Economic Benefits Measured

Native landscaping produces compounding returns. From day one, it cuts water bills and adds long-term value to your property.

• Water savings: Native landscapes cut outdoor water use by 50 to 75 percent, as shown in multiple studies.
• Property value: Landscaping improvements can increase home value by 5 to 12 percent depending on design quality and condition.
• Maintenance costs: Studies estimate native landscapes cost roughly $3,000 per acre over 20 years compared to $20,000 for traditional landscapes, representing an 85 percent savings.

In addition, ecological services increase over time: stormwater absorption, pollinator habitat, carbon sequestration, and urban cooling all improve as the system matures.

Q: How Does Native Landscaping Handle Chicago's Specific Challenges?

A: Native plants evolved to handle Chicago’s unique stresses, from clay soils to rapid weather changes.

• Salt tolerance: Prairie Dropseed and Switchgrass tolerate road salt.
• Clay soil: Deep roots create natural drainage channels.
• Temperature swings: Dormancy protects plants from freeze-thaw damage.
• Pollution: Natives filter runoff and stabilize soil even in urban areas.
• Small spaces: Groundcovers like Violet Wood Sorrel and Penn Sedge work in tight urban lots or parkways.

Specialized Native Landscaping Applications

Pollinator gardens that function year-round

Supporting pollinators takes more than a handful of pretty flowers. It requires:

• Host plants for caterpillars such as milkweed and wild violets
• Overlapping bloom times from April through October to maintain consistent nectar sources
• Overwintering habitat including hollow stems and undisturbed leaf litter
• No pesticide use, even organic sprays can be lethal to beneficial insects

We layer native plants strategically. Tall grasses provide structure, mid-height perennials offer mass flowering, and groundcovers deliver early-season nectar.

Privacy screening without high-maintenance hedges

Native shrubs provide visual barriers and seasonal interest:

• American Arborvitae offers year-round screening without constant trimming
• Viburnums provide spring flowers, summer berries, fall color, and food for birds
• Mixed hedgerows combining Elderberry, Ninebark, and Gray Dogwood create living fences that evolve with the seasons

Edible native landscapes

Many native plants feed both wildlife and people:

• Serviceberries taste like blueberries but tolerate urban soils better
• Wild strawberries form edible groundcover with small, flavorful fruit
• American Hazelnuts form attractive shrubs while providing high-protein nuts
• Elderberries support birds and produce fruit for syrup, jelly, or wine

You don’t need to separate food and function. A serviceberry hedge can screen the street while producing berries. Wild ginger underplants beautifully while feeding early pollinators. Native grasses add movement and winter structure. One planting, many roles.

Converting Traditional Landscapes: The Three-Year Timeline

Year One: Establishment

• Remove existing lawn using sheet mulching rather than herbicides
• Install larger plants first to create instant structure and shade
• Aim for 30 percent ground coverage while leaving space for expansion
• Water deeply once per week and weed consistently
• Be prepared for skeptical neighbors

Year Two: Growth and Fill-in

• Add smaller perennials and self-sowing native annuals
• Reduce watering to every other week unless there's drought
• Weeding effort decreases as plant density increases
• Plants start to support each other both above and below ground
• Expect curious compliments from the same neighbors

Year Three: Maturation

• Plants achieve around 70 percent coverage, supporting complex food webs
• Supplemental watering is rarely needed except in extreme drought
• Maintenance drops to a single winter cut and light editing
• Root systems form a dense, self-sustaining web
• Breeding birds begin nesting in your yard
• Your neighbors ask for your landscaper’s contact

By year three, you have created a functional, thriving ecosystem that saves water, reduces maintenance, and supports life instead of fighting against nature.

Making the Native Landscaping Investment

R & G Almanza Landscape Inc has over 20 years of experience with native plantings in the Chicago area. We know which plants thrive in clay soils, which species survive subzero winters, and how to satisfy both homeowners and homeowners associations.

Here's why the investment pays off:

• Maintenance costs drop up to 85 percent over time due to fewer inputs and lower labor
• Water bills fall by 50 to 75 percent when irrigation is reduced or eliminated
• Property values increase, especially with professional designs that enhance curb appeal
• You eliminate fertilizer, pesticide, and irrigation system costs

Beyond economics, there’s a larger impact. Less than 0.01 percent of Illinois’ native prairie remains. Every home that includes native plants helps rebuild what was lost and provides safe harbor for pollinators, birds, and future generations.

Native landscaping is not a trend. It's a return to what works.