FRIENDS OF THE CHICAGO RIVER Plants of the Chicago River Watershed

Arrowhead W Blue Flag Iris W

Sagittaria latifolia White flowers Iris versicolo r Purple & yellow flowers A rrowhead is named for its arrow-shaped This distinctive wetland flower is very large leav es. It’s also known as duck potato, as and showy. More commonly found in wet its roots, when cooked, have a potato-like meadows and wood edges in the upper texture. It grows in open water. Midwest and New England states. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Jennifer Anderson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Buttonbush W Marsh Marigold W Cephalanthus o ccidenta lis Caltha palustris Yellow flowers Buttonbush will always be found growing in The marsh marigold is commonly found in water along streams or ponds or in areas areas where competition from other plants w ith moist soil. A ttracts butterflies and is low. Root tea was used to induce prov ides food and nesting sites for birds. sweating. Leaf tea was used as a laxative. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey R.A. Howard @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Knotweed (Smartweed) W Swamp Milkweed W

Persicaria pensylvanica Pink flowers Asclepias inca rnate Pink flowers Also known as pinkw eed, this plant is This plant is found along streams and in considered to be a weed in agriculture. It is wet prairies with abundant water. It gets an excellent food plant for wildlife, such as its name from its white sap, although this ducks, bobwhites, rails, mice, and muskrat. species is less sappy than other milkw eeds. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

Common Cattail W Pickeralweed W

Typha latifolia Pontederia co rdata Purple flowers Distinctive seedheads have thousands of Pickeralweed has glossy, erect, deep green seeds and look like a hot dog on a stick. leav es that are slightly heart shaped with Common cattail is usually found in distinctiv e swirling. It grows in shallow shallower water than narrowleav ed cattail. water and likes sun to partial shade. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Surve Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

Narrowleaved Cattail W Blunt Spike Rush W Typhus angustifo lia Eleocharis obtuse Native Americans made flour from cattail An annual wetland plant found in marshes pollen. Narrowleav ed cattail is actually an and wet meadows. It has high wildlife introduced species. It is harmless, though, value as food and shelter species. It and often hybridizes with common cattail. prefers regular to semi-permanent flooding. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

Marsh Primrose W Path Rush W Ludwigia peploides Yellow flowers Juncus tenuis Primrose grows directly in the water. Its This adaptable and tenacious plant can flowers are a delightful sunflower yellow. tolerate high levels of trampling. It likes They grow as a very sparse trailing wet areas, but can grow in just about any perennial with spots of yellow. habitat that has enough water. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Field Horse-tail Grass W Skunk Cabbage W Equisetum arvense Symplocarpus foetidus Horsetail grass has a high amount of silicon Skunk cabbage is quite often the v ery first in its stem and was used to scour pots, plant to come up in the spring, sometimes polish pewter (hense the name pewterwort) ev en when the snow is still on the ground. and even to strengthen fingernails. They smell very bad! Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

American Sweet Flag W Rice Cut Grass W Acorus americanus Leersia oryzoides The fertilized flowers of this species This grass has sharp edges and can give produce berries with a jelly inside. The some nasty scratches when walking through leav es hav e a citrus-like spicy aromatic it. The rough foliage can cling tenaciously quality, and can be used to flavor beer. to clothing, flesh, or ev en fur. Thomas G. Barnes @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

P = Prairie S = Savanna R = Riparian/Floodplain Woodland F = Forest or Upland Woods W = Wetland I-NN = Invasive Non-Native Species I-N = Invasive Native Species X-NN = Non-Native Weed X-N = Native Weed FRIENDS OF THE CHICAGO RIVER Plants of the Chicago River Watershed

Water Plantain W Virginia Creeper R/F Alisma plantago-aquatica Pale pink flowers Parthenocissus quinquefolia P urple berries This is an aquatic plant rooted in the mud A prolific climber, reaching heights of 100 of lakes or slow streams, but with the feet in the wild. Berries contain oxalic acid, leav es and flowers held above the water. w hich is poisonous to humans. It has The leav es are oval in shape. beautiful deep red to burgundy fall foliage. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

Lesser Duckweed W Poison Ivy R/F Lemna minor Rhus radicans White berries Duckweed is the smallest flowering plant in The oils of this plant can cause a nasty the world. A single lesser duckweed plant rash. It appears as a deciduous v ine to can reproduce itself about every 3 day s in short shrub and is generally found on tree ideal conditions in nutrient-rich waters. trunks. It has distinctive leaves of three. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

White Water Lily W Riverbank Grape R/F

Nymphaea tuberosa Whit e & yellow flowers Vitis riparia Pur ple berries Water lilies flower abov e the waterline and Riverbank grape vines produce grapes, but are a partially-submerged water plant. The they are VERY sour! It is long-lived vine seed can be ground into a powder and used and capable of reaching into the upper as a flour or fried and used like popcorn. canopy of the tallest trees Thomas G. Barnes @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

Sago Pondweed W Phragmites I-N Potamogeton pectinatus Phragmites australis Pondweed is a submergent plant, growing Though this species is native, it can choke underneath the water’s surface. There are wetlands of av ailable habitat. It spreads at about 80 species of pondweeds in the up to 15 feet or more per year by horizontal w orld. They are important as wildlife food. runners, w hich put down roots. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey John M Randall, The Natur e Conservancy

Common Water-milfoil W Purple Looestrife I-NN Myriophyllum sibiricum Lythrum salicaria Pink/ pur ple flowers Water-milfoil is a submergent water plant, Purple loosestrife is beautiful but it is a and also known as short-spike water-milfoil. terrible wetland invader. It forms dense Eurasian water-milfoil ( M. verticillatum ) is an stands that displace native and rare plant invasive non-native relative. species and eliminate open water habitat. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

Water-weed W Reed Canarygrass I-NN Elodea canadensis Phalaris arundinacea Water-w eed is a submergent water plant, This grass is an extremely aggressive as it grows underneath the water’s surface. invader in wetlands as it’s v ery hard to It’s what many people commonly think of as control. Its use along ditches, canals and "that aquarium plant." drains has created maintenance problems. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

Coontail W Mullein I-NN Ceratophyllum demersum Verbascum thapsus Yellow flowers Coontail is a submersed plant. It has no Mullein invades prairies and wetland edges. roots, and is free-floating. It is native to The leav es of mullein are velvety, often F lorida. Its name comes from the feathery being compared to a lamb's ear. The plant leav es resembling a raccoon's tail. has been used to make dyes and torches. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

Stinging Nettle R/F Canada Thistle I-NN Urtica dioica Cirsium arvense Purple flowers Stinging nettle has tiny hairs on its stem Thistles are usually dioecious, but this one w hich can cause a painful burning sensation sometimes bears hermaphrodite flowers. if touched. It is caused by formic acid The seeds are loved by finches. They can w hich covers the tiny hairs of the plant. invade prairies, savannas and woodlands. Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural H istory Survey

P = Prairie S = Savanna R = Riparian/Floodplain Woodland F = Forest or Upland Woods W = Wetland I-NN = Invasive Non-Native Species I-N = Invasive Native Species X-NN = Non-Native Weed X-N = Native Weed