natives.jonbosche.fortiddns.com

Native plants for the front yard and the riverbank

We're replacing two tough spots with plants that grow wild in northern Illinois. The shady front yard and parkway get woodland flowers and sedges this fall. The steep bank down to the river gets deep-rooted prairie and wetland plants next spring, to hold the soil in place. Both plantings are built to feed bees, butterflies and birds from May through October.

Front yard: 200 plants · Oct 2026
Riverbank: 850 plants · May–Jun 2027
Native species: 30
In bloom: May–October

The short version

Why native plants

Food for pollinators

Native bees and butterflies evolved alongside these plants, and many can only raise their young on them. Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed. Pearl Crescent butterflies need asters. Some bees collect pollen only from beardtongues or only from bee balm. Lawn grass and most garden imports feed almost none of them.

Roots that hold soil

Prairie grasses like Big Bluestem and Indian Grass send roots 6 to 15 ft or more into the ground, while lawn grass roots stay in the top few inches. On a riverbank, those deep roots work like rebar in concrete, holding the slope together.

Less work once they're in

Once established, these plants need no fertilizer, no pesticides and no regular watering. After the first two years, the main jobs are pulling the odd weed and cutting back old stems each spring.

Something in bloom from May to October

The 19 flowering plants in both plantings, by month. A steady supply of flowers matters more to pollinators than any single showy plant.

MayJunJulAugSepOct

Hairy BeardtongueYard

Blue Wild IndigoBank

Prairie AlumrootYard

Southern Blue FlagBank

Calico BeardtongueYard

Eastern BeebalmYard

Foxglove BeardtongueBoth

Purple ConeflowerBank

Elm-leaved GoldenrodBoth

Great Blue LobeliaBank

Tall BellflowerYard

Meadow Blazing StarBank

Swamp MilkweedBank

Big-leaved AsterYard

Brown-eyed SusanYard

New England AsterBank

Short's AsterYard

SneezeweedBank

White SnakerootBank*

Plant in October 2026 · south-facing · deep shade from a mature oak, a treated ash and a hedge

Front yard and parkway

There are two beds, both in shade most of the day.

The yard bed (Bed B) is a wedge of about 170 sq ft between the front walk and the tall hedge on the east side. It's about 20 ft wide at the house end and narrows to 8 ft at the sidewalk, with the front walk running along its angled west side. A mature oak stands on the east side, about halfway along, and the ground around its trunk is too rooty to dig. A stepping-stone path crosses the wide north end to the side gate. That leaves about 91 sq ft for 110 plants. The tallest plants form a back row across the wide north end, where they have room and frame the bed against the house. The narrow tip by the sidewalk gets only low plants, so it stays tidy and open. The east side, under the oak and against the hedge, is the darkest. The northwest corner, farthest from both trees, gets the most light.
The parkway (Bed A) is the 12.5 × 8 ft strip between the sidewalk and the curb, with a large ash tree in the middle. The ash is treated against emerald ash borer. The area just north of the trunk is the darkest, because the tree shades it all day. Everything in the parkway stays under 2 ft so drivers can see, and a row of Path Rush along the curb can be stepped on when people get out of cars. 90 plants.

Each dot is one plant, drawn to scale. Dashed circles show the tree canopies. Shaded rings around the trunks are root zones that get leaf mulch only, no digging. Bed shapes are drawn from approximate measurements.

James' Sedge Carex jamesii
Path Rush Juncus tenuis
Big-leaved Aster Eurybia macrophylla
Silky Wild Rye Elymus villosus
Elm-leaved Goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
Short's Aster Symphyotrichum shortii
Prairie Alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
Hairy Beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
Eastern Beebalm Monarda bradburiana
Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
Bottlebrush Grass Elymus patula
Calico Beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
Tall Bellflower Campanula americana
Brown-eyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba

Plant	Where it goes	Height	Blooms	Good for	Parkway	Yard
James' SedgeCarex jamesii	Edges: the yard bed's sidewalk tip and front-walk side, and the parkway's sidewalk side	1'	grass	Caterpillar host for several moths; winter shelter for insects	30	20
Path RushJuncus tenuis	Parkway, along the curb	1'	grass	Seeds for small birds	15	–
Big-leaved AsterEurybia macrophylla	Darkest spots: around the oak on the east side, and north of the ash	1'	August–October	Late-summer nectar for bees and butterflies	25	15
Silky Wild RyeElymus villosus	Yard bed, northeast corner by the hedge	3'	grass	Seeds for birds; shelter for insects	–	10
Elm-leaved GoldenrodSolidago ulmifolia	Yard bed, back row along the path	3'	July–October	Fall nectar; goldenrods feed more kinds of caterpillars than almost any other flower	–	10
Short's AsterSymphyotrichum shortii	Yard bed, back row along the path	3'	August–October	Fall nectar for bees and migrating monarchs; Pearl Crescent butterfly host	–	10
Prairie AlumrootHeuchera richardsonii	Parkway curb side; yard bed middle	2'	May–July	Small native bees	10	5
Hairy BeardtonguePenstemon hirsutus	Sunny corners: parkway ends and the yard bed's sidewalk tip	1.5'	May–June	Bumble bees, plus a mason bee that collects pollen only from beardtongues	5	5
Eastern BeebalmMonarda bradburiana	Parkway ends; yard bed middle	1.5'	June–July	Bumble bees and hummingbird moths	5	5
Foxglove BeardtonguePenstemon digitalis	Yard bed, west side by the walk, north half (the brightest part)	3'	June–July	Bumble bees, plus a mason bee that collects pollen only from beardtongues	–	10
Bottlebrush GrassElymus patula	Yard bed, southeast side by the hedge	3'	grass	Seeds for birds; shelter for insects	–	5
Calico BeardtonguePenstemon calycosus	Yard bed, along the front walk	4'	June–July	Bumble bees, plus a mason bee that collects pollen only from beardtongues	–	5
Tall BellflowerCampanula americana	Yard bed, back row toward the oak	5'	July–October	Bumble bees and small native bees	–	5
Brown-eyed SusanRudbeckia triloba	Yard bed, back row in the northwest corner	5'	August–October	Late-summer nectar for bees and butterflies; seeds for goldfinches	–	5
14 kinds of plants					90	110

Rules for working near the trees

Stay out of the root rings. Don't dig within about 4 ft of the oak trunk or 1 ft of the ash trunk. Put shredded leaves there instead.
Dig small holes only. Each hole is about the size of a coffee mug. If you hit a root thicker than your finger, move the hole over a few inches. Never cut it.
Don't change the soil level. No piles of new soil over the roots, and set the stepping stones on top of the ground instead of digging them in.
Keep the ash's base clear. An arborist treats the ash every 2–3 years by injecting it at the base of the trunk, and needs room to work.

For pollinators

Beardtongues and bee balm bloom in late spring and early summer, when bumble bee colonies are growing. The goldenrod and asters carry the bed through fall, when monarchs pass through on their way to Mexico. Leaving the oak leaves in place over winter gives shelter to the caterpillars, beetles and queen bumble bees that spend the winter in leaf litter.

Plant in May–June 2027 · east-facing · 25 ft wide × 35 ft down a steep slope · morning sun, afternoon shade

Riverbank

The bank between the yard and the river is steep, and parts of it are losing soil to rain and high water. This planting is an erosion-control project first. Pollinators and looks come second. It's also designed to take care of itself, so nobody has to climb the bank to keep it in shape. Deep-rooted prairie grasses that grow in clumps and stay where they're planted make up about three-quarters of the plants. They do the holding. Clumps of flowers make up the rest, chosen so something is blooming on the bank every month from May to October, with Swamp Milkweed for monarchs. Everything goes in about a foot apart through a coconut-fiber blanket. The ground that floods gets fewer plants, and only tough ones. White Snakeroot, a native wildflower already coming up where invasive knotweed was cleared, stays too. 850 plants in all.

How this stops erosion

Soil leaves a riverbank in three ways. Rain runs over bare ground and carries soil down the slope. High water and waves from passing boats cut into the bottom of the bank. And once the bottom is undercut, chunks of the slope slump into the river. The plan answers each one:

The coir blanket covers bare soil from day one. Rain soaks in through it instead of washing soil away. The blanket breaks down in 2–3 years, about when the plants take over the job.
The coir log at the water's edge takes the force of waves and current, so the bottom of the bank stops getting undercut.
Deep roots from Indian Grass, Big Bluestem and Prairie Cordgrass pin the slope together. Big Bluestem's roots can go 15 ft or more.
Root mats from Tussock Sedge, Dark-green Bulrush, Sweet Flag and Prairie Cordgrass weave the top few inches of soil together, where rain does its damage. Near the water, where soil stays too wet for deep roots, these mats do most of the holding.

What makes erosion worse: clearing the bank bare, mowing it, walking the same line down the slope, dumping grass clippings or brush over the edge (it smothers plants and adds weight), and pointing downspouts or sump lines at the top of the bank.

A side view of the bank (not to scale). Zones are measured down the slope from the top. The line between Mid-slope and Lower bank follows the high-water mark, where debris collects after floods.

The bank face as seen from the river, one dot per plant. Circles are grasses and flowers, diamonds are sedges, and triangles are rushes and water plants. Flowers go in clumps of five so the grasses don't swamp them. The White Snakeroot already on the bank isn't shown.

Legend

Indian Grass Sorghastrum nutans
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii
Prairie Cordgrass Spartina pectinata
Canada Wild Rye Elymus canadensis
Virginia Wild Rye Elymus virginicus
Common Tussock Sedge Carex stricta
Dark-green Bulrush Scirpus atrovirens
Sweet Flag Acorus americanus
Blue Wild Indigo Baptisia australis
Southern Blue Flag Iris virginica var. shrevei
Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
Elm-leaved Goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata
Meadow Blazing Star Liatris ligulistylis
Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale
New England Aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Root depth by zone

Zone	Deep 6 ft+	Medium 3–6 ft	Shallow mat
Top	60%	34%	6%
Mid-slope	59%	23%	18%
Lower bank	32%	12%	56%
Toe	0%	0%	100%

Depths are typical for these species in prairie root studies. Big Bluestem often reaches 15 ft or more. Roots can't grow deep into soil that stays waterlogged, so the wet zones near the river root shallower no matter what grows there. There, the coir log and thick root mats do the work instead.

For pollinators

Something flowers on the bank from May through October. Blue Wild Indigo and Blue Flag open the season in May. Foxglove Beardtongue and Purple Coneflower carry June and July. Late summer is the busiest stretch: Swamp Milkweed, Meadow Blazing Star, Elm-leaved Goldenrod, Sneezeweed, Great Blue Lobelia and New England Aster, plus the White Snakeroot already there.

For monarchs, Swamp Milkweed is the caterpillar food. Meadow Blazing Star, Purple Coneflower and New England Aster are nectar stops, both for summer monarchs and for the fall migration south. The prairie grasses host several skipper caterpillars, and their standing stems shelter insects over winter.

Top

7 ft band · ~175 sq ft · 175 plants · 60% deep-rooted

The top 7 ft of the slope. Dry and rarely flooded. Indian Grass and Big Bluestem anchor the edge of the yard, with clumps of Blue Wild Indigo, Foxglove Beardtongue, Purple Coneflower, Meadow Blazing Star and New England Aster for color from May into October.

Plant	Type	Roots	Height	Good for	Plants
Indian GrassSorghastrum nutans	grass	Deep · 6–15+ ft	6'	Caterpillar host for skippers; seeds and winter cover for birds	60
Big BluestemAndropogon gerardii	grass	Deep · 6–15+ ft	6'	Caterpillar host for several skippers	35
Canada Wild RyeElymus canadensis	grass	Medium · 3–6 ft	5'	Seeds for birds; fast cover while the slower plants grow	30
Blue Wild IndigoBaptisia australis	flower	Deep · 6–15+ ft	4'	Bumble bees; Wild Indigo Duskywing butterfly host	10
Foxglove BeardtonguePenstemon digitalis	flower	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	3'	Bumble bees, plus a mason bee that collects pollen only from beardtongues	10
Purple ConeflowerEchinacea purpurea	flower	Medium · 3–6 ft	4'	Bees and butterflies all summer; seeds for goldfinches	10
Meadow Blazing StarLiatris ligulistylis	flower	Medium · 3–6 ft	5'	A favorite nectar stop for monarchs; bumble bees	10
New England AsterSymphyotrichum novae-angliae	flower	Medium · 3–6 ft	5'	Fuel for migrating monarchs; Pearl Crescent butterfly host	10

Mid-slope

18 ft band · ~450 sq ft · 500 plants · 59% deep-rooted

The next 18 ft, and the steepest part. Clump-forming grasses with the deepest roots on the bank. Virginia Wild Rye and Elm-leaved Goldenrod fill the shadiest spots, alongside the White Snakeroot already growing there. Flower clumps run through it, and Swamp Milkweed sits at the bottom edge, where the soil stays moist.

Plant	Type	Roots	Height	Good for	Plants
Indian GrassSorghastrum nutans	grass	Deep · 6–15+ ft	6'	Caterpillar host for skippers; seeds and winter cover for birds	165
Big BluestemAndropogon gerardii	grass	Deep · 6–15+ ft	6'	Caterpillar host for several skippers	120
Virginia Wild RyeElymus virginicus	grass	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	4'	Seeds for birds	60
Canada Wild RyeElymus canadensis	grass	Medium · 3–6 ft	5'	Seeds for birds; fast cover while the slower plants grow	50
New England AsterSymphyotrichum novae-angliae	flower	Medium · 3–6 ft	5'	Fuel for migrating monarchs; Pearl Crescent butterfly host	25
Elm-leaved GoldenrodSolidago ulmifolia	flower	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	3'	Fall nectar; goldenrods feed more kinds of caterpillars than almost any other flower	20
Purple ConeflowerEchinacea purpurea	flower	Medium · 3–6 ft	4'	Bees and butterflies all summer; seeds for goldfinches	15
Meadow Blazing StarLiatris ligulistylis	flower	Medium · 3–6 ft	5'	A favorite nectar stop for monarchs; bumble bees	15
Swamp MilkweedAsclepias incarnata	flower	Medium · 3–6 ft	4'	Monarch caterpillar host plant	10
Blue Wild IndigoBaptisia australis	flower	Deep · 6–15+ ft	4'	Bumble bees; Wild Indigo Duskywing butterfly host	10
Foxglove BeardtonguePenstemon digitalis	flower	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	3'	Bumble bees, plus a mason bee that collects pollen only from beardtongues	10

Lower bank

7 ft band · ~175 sq ft · 125 plants · 32% deep-rooted

The next 7 ft, below the typical high-water line. Floods after big storms. Prairie Cordgrass is the one plant on the bank that's meant to spread: it knits this flood zone together, where little else holds. Swamp Milkweed, Blue Flag, Sneezeweed and Great Blue Lobelia handle wet feet and add flowers.

Plant	Type	Roots	Height	Good for	Plants
Prairie CordgrassSpartina pectinata	grass	Deep · 6–15+ ft	7'	Dense cover for nesting birds	40
Common Tussock SedgeCarex stricta	sedge	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	3'	Eyed Brown butterfly host	30
Dark-green BulrushScirpus atrovirens	rush	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	5'	Seeds for ducks and songbirds	15
Swamp MilkweedAsclepias incarnata	flower	Medium · 3–6 ft	4'	Monarch caterpillar host plant	15
Southern Blue FlagIris virginica var. shrevei	flower	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	3'	Bumble bees	10
SneezeweedHelenium autumnale	flower	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	4'	Late-season nectar for bees and butterflies	10
Great Blue LobeliaLobelia siphilitica	flower	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	3'	Bumble bees	5

Toe

3 ft band · ~75 sq ft · 50 plants · 0% deep-rooted

The bottom 3 ft at the water's edge, behind the coir log. Tough, flood-proof plants set sparsely, with Blue Flag for May and June color.

Plant	Type	Roots	Height	Good for	Plants
Sweet FlagAcorus americanus	forb	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	2'	Shelter at the water's edge	20
Common Tussock SedgeCarex stricta	sedge	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	3'	Eyed Brown butterfly host	20
Southern Blue FlagIris virginica var. shrevei	flower	Shallow mat · under 3 ft	3'	Bumble bees	10

Before ordering: mark the high-water line

The zones above assume typical high water reaches about 10 ft up the 35 ft slope. Check this in early spring, before the order goes in. Look for the line of washed-up sticks and trash, mud stains on tree trunks, or the point where the grass changes. Mark it with flags. The Lower bank zone starts there. If the real line is higher or lower, move the zone boundaries and keep the same mix in each zone.

Built to look after itself

Plants that stay put. The grasses and flowers on the slope grow in clumps and spread slowly, so none should take over and need thinning. Switch Grass, Blue Joint, River Oats and Mountain Mint were left out for that reason: each one spreads hard enough to need regular trips down the bank to keep it in check.
Swamp Milkweed, not Common Milkweed. Both feed monarchs, but Common Milkweed spreads by underground runners and would wander across the slope. Swamp Milkweed stays in neat clumps.
One deliberate spreader. Prairie Cordgrass spreads by underground runners, and that's exactly what the flood zone needs. It's planted only in the Lower bank, where flooding keeps most other plants out anyway.
Canada Wild Rye fades on its own. It grows fast to cover the ground in year one, then thins out by year 3 or 4 as the slower grasses fill in. No need to remove it.
Big Bluestem leans over late in the season at full height. Leave it; the roots keep working.
Leave the slope alone. No mowing, cutting back, raking or clearing. Standing grass and fallen stems protect the soil all winter.
Look from the top. Once each spring, look over the bank from the yard for bare patches or slumping. Most years there will be nothing to do.

White Snakeroot is welcome

White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) is a native woodland wildflower, 2–4 ft tall. It came up on its own where the knotweed was removed. That's a good sign: native plants are reclaiming the ground. It does well in shade, so it will hold the shadier parts of the slope while the grasses take the sunnier spots.

Leave it where it is. Plant the plugs around existing patches and skip spots where it's already thick. Use any leftover plugs to fill bare ground instead. The blanket's open weave lets it grow up through.
It dies back to the ground each winter, so it doesn't protect soil year-round the way grasses do. That's why the grasses are still planted all around it.
It's poisonous if eaten. It's harmless to touch, but keep pets and kids from chewing on it, and wash your hands after handling it.
It's a moist-ground plant, not a wetland plant. It belongs on the slope, not down in the water or on a wet shelf at the river's edge.

Watch for knotweed coming back

Invasive knotweed regrows from roots left deep in the ground, sometimes for several years after it's cut. It's the one thing on this bank worth checking for. Two or three times each summer for the first few years, look along the bank for its bamboo-like stems and broad, heart-shaped leaves. Cut any new shoots at the base. Each cut weakens the roots, and the snakeroot and grasses will close in behind.

For whoever does the planting

How to plant

The plants arrive as plugs: small plants with a root ball about the size of a thumb, packed 50 to a tray called a flat. They're easy to plant, but they dry out quickly. Plan to get them all in the ground within two days of delivery.

Tools

Hand trowel or soil knife (a hori-hori works best around roots)
Garden gloves and a kneeling pad
Tape measure and wire marker flags in a few colors
Watering can or a hose with a gentle shower nozzle
Bucket to carry plugs, and a tarp or old sheet to keep trays shaded
Shredded leaves for mulch (the oak supplies plenty)
This page on a phone, to check the planting map

Extra for the riverbank

Boots with good grip, and a rope tied off at the top to hold on the steep part
Coir blanket, wooden stakes and a rubber mallet
Utility knife to cut X-shaped slits in the blanket (an adult should handle this)
Flat spade to dig the trench at the top of the blanket
Life jacket for anyone working at the water's edge
For clearing debris: heavy leather gloves, safety glasses, buckets, contractor bags, a pry bar, and a tarp for sorting
Bolt cutters or an angle grinder to cut off rebar sticking out of the ground (adults only)

Planting one plug

Water the tray first. Moist plugs slide out easily and handle the move better.
Dig a hole a little deeper and wider than the plug, about 3 inches across and 4 inches deep.
Pop the plug out from the bottom. Push up on the bottom of the cell with a finger or a pencil. Never pull it out by the leaves.
Set it in the hole so the top of the root ball sits level with the ground. Too deep and it rots; too high and it dries out.
Fill and firm. Push soil back around it and press down gently with your fingers to close any air pockets.
Water it in right away, even if the ground is damp.

A good pace is about 50 plugs an hour once you get going. The front yard is about a four-hour job for one person.

Planting day, step by step

Call 811 at least three business days before digging. It's free, and they mark buried gas, electric and water lines. This matters most in the parkway, where utilities often run.
Mark the layout. Use the map on this page and push in a colored flag for each group of plants. Start with the edges (sedges and Path Rush), then the shady east side, then the back row, then fill in.
Plant one kind at a time. Finish all the flags for one plant before opening the next tray, so nothing gets mixed up.
Space them about a foot apart, roughly the length of a ruler. Sedges and Path Rush can go a little closer, about 10 inches.
Mulch lightly with an inch of shredded leaves between the plants. Don't bury the plants' crowns.
Water everything deeply when you finish.

After planting

Watering: every 2–3 days for the first two weeks, then once a week until the ground freezes. Next summer, water once a week whenever it goes 10 days without rain.
Weeding: pull weeds while they're small, during the first two summers. If you're not sure whether something is a weed, leave it and check the plant photos on Pizzo's site.
Frost heave: in late fall, check for plugs that the freezing and thawing have pushed out of the ground. Press them back in.
Winter: leave the stems and leaves standing. Native bees nest in hollow stems, and many insects spend the winter in the leaf litter.
Spring cleanup: wait until mid-April or later, when daytime temperatures stay above 50°F. Then cut old stems down to 12–18 inches, which leaves nesting spots for next year's bees.
Patience: natives spend their first year growing roots, not leaves. Gardeners say "the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap."

Riverbank planting, step by step

Safety first. Never work on the bank alone. An adult should be at the top whenever someone is on the slope. Wear a life jacket below the high-water line. Stay off the bank for a few days after heavy rain, when the river is high or the soil is slick.
Clear construction debris before anything else, following the debris guide below, so nobody kneels on hidden glass or metal later.
Clear invasive plants (buckthorn, honeysuckle, reed canary grass, any knotweed shoots) by cutting them at the base. Leave the native plants, including the White Snakeroot, and leave the roots of anything you cut in the ground, because they still hold soil.
Set the coir log along the water's edge, staked every 2–3 ft.
Lay the blanket from the top down. Dig a trench 6 inches deep along the top of the bank and bury the top edge of the blanket in it. Then unroll it down the slope, overlapping the edges by 4–6 inches. Stake it every 2–3 ft.
Plant through the blanket. Cut an X about 4 inches across, fold the flaps back, plant the plug, then fold the flaps back around it. Work from the top of the slope down so you're never kneeling on fresh plantings.
Plant the water's edge last, once the river has dropped back to its normal summer level. The Lower bank and Toe zones are planted sparser on purpose, about 15 inches apart instead of 12.

Riverbank prep · November to March

Clearing construction debris from the bank

The slope has old construction debris on it. Some pieces sit loose on the surface, and others are half-buried in the soil. Clear it before the blanket goes down. Late fall through early spring is best, when plants have died back and you can see what's there. Pick a dry spell, because wet soil is slippery and tears loose easily.

Gear: heavy leather work gloves, boots with thick soles, safety glasses, long sleeves and long pants. Make sure everyone's tetanus shot is up to date, and keep a first-aid kit at the top of the bank.

Loose on the surface

Work from the top down in strips about 5 ft wide, so it's easy to see what's been cleared.
Pick up by hand into buckets or contractor bags. Fill bags only halfway so they're light enough to carry up the slope safely.
Carry everything up to the top. Never roll or throw debris down the bank or toward the water.
Use two people for heavy pieces, or tie a rope around the piece and haul it up from the top. Nobody stands below anything being moved.
Lift, don't drag. Dragging things across the slope scrapes the soil loose.
Sort at the top onto a tarp: metal, concrete and brick, wood, and general trash.

Embedded in the soil

Not everything buried needs to come out. For each piece, ask: is it a hazard, and will pulling it leave a hole?

Take it out if it's small and comes free with a little wiggling: bottles, cans, wire, small metal, bits of brick or tile. Fill the hole right away with soil carried down from the top, and press it firm.
Cut it off at ground level if it's metal sticking up out of something that won't budge, like rebar or pipe. An adult cuts it flush with bolt cutters or an angle grinder, so nothing is left to trip on or tear the blanket.
Leave it if it's a large, solidly set chunk of concrete, stone or brick. Big stable pieces help hold the soil, like a small retaining wall. Pulling them out leaves a crater that can start the slope slumping. Plant around them, and cut the blanket to fit.
Leave anything at or below the water line. Pieces right at the edge may be shielding the bank from the current, and work in the water may need a permit.
Flag what stays. Mark every buried piece you leave so the blanket crew and planters know where it is.

Stop and get an adult if you find

Drums, buckets or cans that might hold paint, oil, fuel or chemicals, especially if they're leaking or rusted through.
Old pipe wrap, gray cement-like siding or shingles, crumbly floor tile or insulation. Some older building materials contain asbestos. Don't break, cut or sweep them.
A strong chemical smell, stained or oily soil, or a rainbow sheen on the water nearby.
Needles or syringes.
Anything too heavy for two people to lift easily.

Leave it where it is, flag it and take a photo. Old paint and pressure-treated wood can contain lead or arsenic, so wash up after handling painted or treated wood scraps.

Getting rid of it

Concrete, brick, stone and asphalt: concrete recycling yards crush it into gravel and often take clean pieces free or for a small fee.
Metal: a scrap yard will take rebar, pipe and sheet metal, sometimes for a little cash.
Everything else: household trash carts usually can't take construction debris. Use a rented dumpster or a bag-style dumpster, or check your town's bulk-pickup rules.
Knotweed roots that come up with debris go in a sealed trash bag, never in the compost or a brush pile. Even small root pieces can sprout into new plants.

Fall 2026 through 2029

Schedule

Early Oct 2026
Order the front yard plants (4 flats). Call 811 to mark utilities.
Mid-Oct 2026
Plant the front yard and parkway within two days of delivery. Water until the ground freezes.
Nov 2026 – Mar 2027
Prepare the riverbank. Clear the construction debris, then cut buckthorn and honeysuckle. Winter is the easiest time to spot and reach both. If any part of the bank is actively washing out, lay the coir blanket there before spring.
Mar – Apr 2027
Mark the high-water line, then install the coir log and the blanket. Order the riverbank plants (17 flats) from Pizzo's spring list.
May – Jun 2027
Plant the riverbank, working from the top down, with the water's edge last.
Summers 2027–28
Water new plantings during dry spells, especially the upper riverbank in its first summer. Cut any knotweed shoots that come back.
2028–2029
Fill-in. The front beds close their gaps, and the bank holds on its own roots.

From Pizzo Native Plant Nursery, Leland, Illinois

Plant lists

How ordering works

Pizzo sells plugs in flats of 50. A flat can mix different plants, with at least 5 of each kind.
After the order goes in, Pizzo emails an invoice with shipping added. It has to be paid within 24 hours. Orders ship 7–10 days after payment.
Prices and stock below come from Pizzo's availability list of September 30, 2026. The riverbank order will be placed from their spring 2027 list, so expect some changes.

Front yard: order now for October 2026

Item #	Plant	Plants	Each	Cost
CAMAME50	Tall Bellflower Campanula americana	5	$1.75	$8.75
CXJAME50	James' Sedge Carex jamesii	50	$2.10	$105.00
ELYPAT50	Bottlebrush Grass Elymus patula	5	$1.75	$8.75
ELYVIL50	Silky Wild Rye Elymus villosus	10	$1.75	$17.50
EURMAC50	Big-leaved Aster Eurybia macrophylla	40	$1.75	$70.00
HEURIC50	Prairie Alumroot Heuchera richardsonii	15	$1.75	$26.25
JUNTEN50	Path Rush Juncus tenuis	15	$1.75	$26.25
MONBRA50	Eastern Beebalm Monarda bradburiana	10	$2.10	$21.00
PENCAL50	Calico Beardtongue Penstemon calycosus	5	$1.75	$8.75
PENDIG50	Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis	10	$1.75	$17.50
PENHIR50	Hairy Beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus	10	$1.75	$17.50
RUDTRI50	Brown-eyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba	5	$1.75	$8.75
SOLULM50	Elm-leaved Goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia	10	$1.75	$17.50
SYMSHO50	Short's Aster Symphyotrichum shortii	10	$1.75	$17.50
	14 kinds · 4 flats of 50	200		$371.00

Riverbank: order in early spring 2027

Item #	Plant	Plants	Each	Cost
ACOAME50	Sweet Flag Acorus americanus	20	$1.75	$35.00
ANDGER50	Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii	155	$1.75	$271.25
ASCINC50	Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata	25	$1.75	$43.75
BAPAUS50	Blue Wild Indigo Baptisia australis	20	$1.75	$35.00
CXSTRI50	Common Tussock Sedge Carex stricta	50	$1.75	$87.50
ECHPUR50	Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea	25	$1.75	$43.75
ELYCAN50	Canada Wild Rye Elymus canadensis	80	$1.75	$140.00
ELYVIR50	Virginia Wild Rye Elymus virginicus	60	$1.75	$105.00
HELAUT50	Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale	10	$1.75	$17.50
IRIVIS50	Southern Blue Flag Iris virginica var. shrevei	20	$1.75	$35.00
LIALIG50	Meadow Blazing Star Liatris ligulistylis	25	$1.75	$43.75
LOBSIP50	Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica	5	$1.75	$8.75
PENDIG50	Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis	20	$1.75	$35.00
SCIATR50	Dark-green Bulrush Scirpus atrovirens	15	$1.75	$26.25
SOLULM50	Elm-leaved Goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia	20	$1.75	$35.00
SORNUT50	Indian Grass Sorghastrum nutans	225	$1.75	$393.75
SPAPEC50	Prairie Cordgrass Spartina pectinata	40	$1.75	$70.00
SYMNOV50	New England Aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae	35	$1.75	$61.25
	18 kinds · 17 flats of 50	850		$1,487.50

Not from Pizzo: about 900 sq ft of coir erosion blanket (choose one with no plastic netting, which can trap snakes and other wildlife), 25 ft of 12-inch coir log, and wooden stakes. Work right at the river's edge may need a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Illinois DNR or MWRD. Check before installing the coir log.