Elgin Native Roots Program

Elgin Native Roots Program - Bringing native plants to your home's garden, one plant kit at a timThe Elgin Native Roots program is designed to educate residents about native plants and their benefits, and get more native plants into our community! Plants will be given out for free in groupings of five. These groupings are designed to give residents a jump start on their native gardens. 

The Sustainability Commission will be tabling at the Elgin Farmers Market for five consecutive Fridays, from 3pm-7pm: Friday, September 3rd - Friday, October 1st. Each week of the Farmers Market will be associated with a different native garden type, meaning the Commission will be giving out five types of gardens.

Elgin Native Roots: Gardens by the Week

September 3rd: Butterfly Garden

  • Butterfly-weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
  • Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)
  • Rough blazing-star (Liatris aspera)
  • Smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)
  • Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)

September 10th: Hummingbird Garden

  • Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
  • Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
  • Foxglove beardstongue (Penstemon digitalis)
  • New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus)
  • Butterfly-weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

September 17th: Rain Garden

  • Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
  • Marsh blazing-star (Liatris spicata)
  • Culver’s-root (Veronicastrum virginicum)
  • Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
  • Lake sedge (Carex lacustris)

September 24th: Micro-Prairie Garden

  • Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
  • Rough blazing-star (Liatris aspera)
  • Nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum)
  • Smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)
  • Side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)

October 1st: Woodland Edge Garden

  • Bottlebrush grass (Eymus hystrix)
  • Culver’s-root (Veronicastrum virginicum)
  • White wild indigo (Baptisia alba)
  • Calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)
  • Purple Joe-pye-weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

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