Southwestern Illinois

Lower Mississippi River Bottomlands

Below its confluence with the Missouri River, the Mississippi River is laden with silt and sediments. The floodplain forests in this area are dominated by trees tolerant to annual flooding and silt deposits including Silver Maple, Pumpkin Ash, American Basswood, Cottonwood, and a wide variety of other trees.

Floodplain forests near East St. Louis were gradually replaced with prairie vegetation in association with the ancient Cahokia civilization, where thousands of Native Americans collected wood and occasionally started fires. American Lotus and Pickerel Weed can be found blooming in wet areas with standing water. Blue Lobelia and bright red Cardinal Flower sparkle at the moist woodland's edge.

Illinois Ozarks

The southwest corner of our state is a small hilly area that is ecologically very similar to the Ozark Hills of Southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Also, the composition of plants and animals within this natural division is very similar to what is found in the Ozarks.

This is the only part of the state where you can find typical Ozark plants like the Short Leaf Pine, Black Spleenwort, and Large-flowered Rock-pink. Also, the woodlands come alive during the spring with a variety of wildflowers such as the Phlox, Spring Beauty, Celandine Poppy and Squirrel Corn.

Wildflowers such as the spectacular Rose Mallow and Blue Flag Iris dress up marshes and moist woodlands.

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