Easy Plants To Grow Your Landscape

Are you a commercial property owner in Chicago looking to add some color and ecological value to your landscape? Consider incorporating some easy-to-grow native plants into your design. Not only are they adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, but they can also provide a range of benefits, including supporting local ecosystems, saving water, and reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides. Here are a few easy-to-grow native plants of Chicago that can add beauty to your landscape.

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Black-eyed Susan is a hardy perennial that is ideal for commercial properties as it is drought-tolerant and low-maintenance. This plant can grow up to 3 feet tall and produces bright yellow flowers with dark centers. It blooms from June to October and prefers full sun, making it an excellent choice for areas like parking lot islands and medians. Black-eyed Susan can also tolerate partial shade, making it a versatile addition to your landscape design.

Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)

Prairie dropseed is a warm-season grass that is native to the tallgrass prairies of the Midwest. It has a fine texture and can grow up to 3 feet tall. This grass is an excellent choice for commercial properties because it is drought-tolerant and low-maintenance, making it a sustainable option for areas like roadside plantings and slopes. Prairie dropseed prefers full sun, but it can also grow in partial shade, making it adaptable to a range of planting locations.

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Wild bergamot is a perennial herb that produces clusters of pinkish-purple flowers from July to September. It grows up to 4 feet tall and prefers full sun or partial shade. This plant is an excellent choice for commercial properties as it attracts pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, making it ideal for gardens, green roofs, and living walls. Wild bergamot can also be used in teas and as a culinary herb, adding a unique talking point to your landscape.

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Butterfly weed is a perennial plant that produces bright orange flowers from June to August. It grows up to 3 feet tall and is drought-tolerant, making it ideal for commercial properties in areas like parks, trails, and natural areas. This plant is also an important host plant for monarch butterflies, making it an excellent choice for butterfly gardens and pollinator habitats. Butterfly weed prefers full sun, making it an ideal choice for areas with no shade.

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Little bluestem is a popular ornamental grass in commercial landscapes, and it is often used for erosion control, as a ground cover, or in naturalistic plantings. Its upright form and fine texture make it a great accent plant in mixed borders, and its fall color provides a striking contrast to other late-season bloomers. It typically grows to be about 2-4 feet tall and has a clumping growth habit. The plant’s foliage is blue-green in color, and its leaves are narrow, upright, and up to 18 inches long. In the fall, the foliage turns a beautiful shade of coppery-red, providing excellent autumn interest in the landscape. The plant also produces fluffy, silvery seed heads that persist into winter.

Using native plants in your commercial landscape has many benefits, including supporting local ecosystems and wildlife, saving water, and reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides. Incorporating these easy-to-grow native plants into your landscape design can provide beauty, ecological value, and sustainability for years to come. So, consider adding some of these native plants to your commercial landscape and enjoy the benefits they provide.

Pezza Landscape, Inc. is a full-service landscaping company proudly serving the Chicagoland area and its surrounding suburbs. Give us a call at (630) 393-7373 or visit our website to get in touch.