Lincoln Park Zoo, Nature Boardwalk, People's Gas Education Pavilion. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) In a year of record rainfall and high prices, Illinois native plants are looking more and more attractive to local gardeners — and it's not too late to plant them. Why it matters: As the city gets hit with more frequent floods, Chicagoans can help mitigate the damage with plants whose deep root systems help pull water deep into the ground.