Plants

Native-Plant Nursery

The Forest Preserve District’s native-plant nursery is located within Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville. There, District crews and volunteers grow over 70 native species including forbs, sedges and grasses, which are used as a seed source and as plant stock for various habitat-restoration projects. These are used as a seed source and as plant stock for various habitat-restoration projects. The nursery houses only local genotypes — plants from and adapted to the Chicago region’s climate. The District also grows approximately 40 woody species from local genotypes and purchases other trees, shrubs, grasses and forbs from local nurseries to supplement its stock.

Seed Collection

The Forest Preserve District collects over 1,000 pounds of seeds from over 220 native species from DuPage County forest preserves each year. It distributes these seeds in dozens of natural areas across the county or propagates plants to install in the native-plant nursery for later use in habitat-restoration projects. Through these efforts, the District has converted hundreds of acres of cropland into native prairie over the past decade.

Monitoring Plants of Concern

District staff and volunteers monitor dozens of plants that are rare or are designated as threatened or endangered on state or federal lists. These efforts are part of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s “Chicago Region’s Plants of Concern” program. Monitoring helps to identify and address immediate threats, such as deer browsing or excessive mowing.