Native plants including rare species are coming back under power
lines in a research project in northern Illinois. The Chicago
Botanic Garden, ComEd and the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources are working together to convert overgrown utility
corridors into native landscapes. On research plots at Illinois
Beach State Park, nearly 300 different plant species were
recorded, including 40 newly identified species. Plants have
reappeared that once were common staples for early Midwestern
settlers such as the ground nut and the scouring rush. Ground
nut's meaty roots were boiled and eaten during winter. Stalks of
the scouring rush were used to scrub pots and pans. By 2016,
project organizers hope to use what they're learning to restore
native vegetation under thousands of miles of power lines
throughout northern Illinois.