Southern Illinois

Southern Till Plain

The Southern Till Plain was missed by the most recent glaciation. As a result, this area is similar to the mosaic of prairies, savannas, and forests of the Western Forest-Prairie Division.

In some areas the soils are quite sandy, supporting sand-loving prairie plants like Butterfly Milkweed, and Wild Quinine, which can be seen growing along the roadsides. This division is home to more unusual species of wildflowers like the Green Dragon and Gensing as well as the more common American.

Wabash Border

The Wabash River flows along the east and southeast border of Illinois, and along the tributaries of this river are some of the characteristic deciduous forests of the East. Common floodplain trees in this area include Cottonwood, Ash, Sycamore, and Silver Maple.

This natural division also contains the drier upland forests on the bluffs along the major rivers. Growing under Tulip Poplar, Beech, and Sugar Maple, a gorgeous carpet of wildflowers blankets the hillsides with Mayapple, Wild Ginger, and Dutchman's Breeches.

Shawnee Hills

This is an area that was not overtaken by the glaciers and is characterized by tall rocky hills, steep slopes, and deep ravines. Because the steep rocky slopes in this region were not suitable for farming, this area has the largest percentage of land in a natural condition compared to the rest of the state.

Wildflowers even occur on rocky slopes and cliffs. Look for Bottle Gentian, Rock Pink and Blue Curls. Back down to earth, Indian Physic's graceful foliage turns a brilliant orange in the fall.

Costal Plain

At the very southern part of Illinois, where the Mississippi River meets with the Ohio River, you will find swamps reminiscent of the Deep South, containing plants and animals that would be typically found in a Louisiana Cypress swamp: thousand-year-old Bald Cypress and Tupelo trees, Cottonmouth snakes, and huge Snapping Turtles.

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