Quick answer: 14 native Illinois plants have a recorded bloom range that includes November.
14 species
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum · 32 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Fewleaf sunflower Helianthus occidentalis · 16 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya · 19 states
- Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis · 26 states
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius · 21 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- White heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides · 26 states
- Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana · 33 states
November in an Illinois native garden
November is a quieter month in Illinois: 14 of the state's 289 native plants flower in November, compared with 174 at the May peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
10 finish in November, including Big bluestem, Blue mistflower and Fewleaf sunflower, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
11 of them grow in full or partial sun and 3 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Buffalograss and Sensitive fern to trees such as Maypop passionflower and Witch-hazel. For wildlife, 12 support pollinators, 10 provide food or cover for birds and 7 are caterpillar host plants.
13 of the 14 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Shrubby cinquefoil, Switchgrass: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Aug-Nov
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Nov