Native Plants Surge in Popularity as Chicago’s Kilbourn Park Sale Breaks Records

Renee Costanzo cranked on the rusty pulley with both hands, watching the greenhouse roof creak open in sections. A breeze of spring air swept over 12,000 seedlings lined up in plastic trays inside the Kilbourn Park greenhouse.

Costanzo, the Chicago Park District’s only full-time employee at the northside greenhouse, oversees a months-long effort to grow more than 15,000 plants, including vegetables, greens, and flowers, in preparation for the park’s annual plant sale. The event, held earlier this month, drew over 2,300 shoppers—more than double the usual 1,100 attendees.

Local gardeners lined up around the park, eager to purchase plants at $4 each. “We generally start these annuals at the end of February,” said Costanzo, pointing to rows of zinnias, marigolds, and geraniums. “So we’ve been coddling and loving these babies for months now, and we just want to get them into happy homes.”

From Weeds to Winners: The Rise of Native Plants

For decades, Chicago gardeners flocked to the Kilbourn Park sale for tomatoes, cucumbers, and annuals—the standard starter kit for backyard gardeners. This year, however, the park responded to a new demand: nearly 1 in 5 plants sold were native species.

Native plants, which have adapted to the local climate and wildlife, are generally low-maintenance. “Just in the last five years, people have asked for more natives, which is why we’ve been increasing our production,” said Costanzo, who experimented with 30 different native species ahead of this year’s sale.

Once dismissed as weeds, native plants have gained significant popularity in recent years. Other local plant sales across Chicago and the U.S. are also incorporating native species at a pace that has surprised even veteran horticulturalists.

“I’ve watched this for 44 years, from almost zero to now. It’s not a fad. This is a long, steady climb.”

Native Plants Drive Growth at Prairie Nursery

Prairie Nursery, a Wisconsin-based nursery dedicated to growing and shipping native plants, has seen a dramatic increase in demand. Last year, the nursery experienced a 7% increase in native plant sales. This year, they’re shipping out 500,000 plants and even more seeds.

In 1982, when Diboll first started selling plants, business was tougher: The company grossed just over $13,000. “These days,” he said, “you can add a few zeros on there.”

Why the Sudden Demand for Native Plants?

The surge in popularity is driven, in part, by concerns about declining insect populations and the impacts of climate change, including extreme heat, drought, and flooding. For example, the caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly depend on native milkweed as a food source. However, as land use patterns change, these plants become harder to find in the wild.