Best Trees and Plants for Illinois

If you’re an Illinois resident who’s looking for fast-growing shade trees, colorful shrubs, evergreens or vibrant fruit trees to enhance the natural beauty of your residential landscape, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Fast Growing Trees, we can help you select the right trees and shrubs for your climate, soil type, and light levels.

The Prairie State enjoys a relatively temperate climate. Summers are hot and wet, while winters are cold and snowy. The sharply-defined seasons mean a big difference in temperature between the seasons. If you want the best from your trees and plants, we suggest that you keep in mind the temperatures, rainfall and light and soil conditions of your region when choosing them.

The Best Trees for Planting in Illinois

Shade Trees are a must for the Illinois Summer whether you live in the central Plains, the Shawnee Hills or the Gulf Coastal Region. We recommend the Hybrid Poplar, which is one of the most attractive and fast-growing trees around or the American Beech which provides dense shade.

If you’re looking for Fruit Trees to enhance your summer garden, you will love our Nules Clementine. Despite its small size, this tree soon becomes loaded with fruit each summer. It makes a colorful addition to your patio. We also have a great range of apples, including Gala and Granny Smith.

If you’d like extra privacy for your home without having to look at a drab wall or fence, check out our living fences. Thuja Green Giant is the most popular evergreen in the United States and grows at an incredible rate of up to 5 feet per year. Other hardy alternatives are our Willow Hybrid and American Holly.

Selecting and Planting Trees for Illinois

Wherever your location, from Freeport to Marion or Quincy to Marshall, our Illinois tree options provide something for every taste and climate zone throughout the state. Trees that adapt to the soil type in your specific region of the Prairie State are always the best choice for a pleasant and easy to care for the landscape.

Illinois’s state tree is the White Oak. This large, rugged tree has bright green, lobed leaves and produces small green acorns. It has a wide-spread, irregular crown and grows up to 60 to 100 feet.

Illinois’s state soil is the Drummer series, which was established in 1929. It was named after Drummer Creek in the Prairie State’s Drummer Township. It is comprised of deep soil that does not drain well. If you have this type of soil in your garden, you will need to add organic matter and fertilizer to ensure your trees grow to their full potential.