05/20/2026
As we get into the plant sharing season be kind to new gardeners and your neighbors and don’t share invasive species! Also if you have seen jumping worms in your soil, you absolutely should not be sharing plants.
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Illinois recently added 9 invasive plant species to expand the Exotic W**d Act, including the popular ornamental callery pear, to the state's regulated list. This month is Invasive Species Awareness Month; consider replacing invasive species with natives to support pollinators, birds, and a healthy ecosystem!
Invasive to Replace: Invasive Tawny Daylily
- Plant this Instead: Orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)-A long‑blooming native perennial with bright flowers that support pollinators and deliver consistent summer color.
Invasive to Replace: Callery Pear
- Plant this Instead: Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea or A. laevis)-A small native tree with showy white spring flowers, edible berries for birds, and excellent fall color, well-suited for yards, edges, and naturalized landscapes.
Invasive to Replace: Burning Bush
- Plant this Instead: Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)-A hardy native shrub with exfoliating bark, spring flowers for pollinators, and dependable red to burgundy fall color for foundation or mass plantings.
Learn more about these invasives and find native alternatives at https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/ilriverhort/2026-05-14-landscapes-support-life-replacing-invasives-natives
