The 12.5”x18” flag is made of durable vinyl resistant to fading in the sun and features original watercolors of native plants by Forest Preserves staff. The accompanying metal stand is three feet tall, made of powder-coated iron and comes in one piece—no assembly required! Two rubber stoppers and one anti-wind clip are also included.

To qualify for a flag set, you must upload two to six photos of your property demonstrating that it is free of invasive buckthorn. One flag set per property. Qualified landowners may pick up their flag set at our General Offices, 1899 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville, IL 60048.

I understand the ecological impacts of buckthorn, but it offers privacy screening. What can I do to preserve privacy?

This is a common perspective. For many people, their yards are a reflection of who they are and an important part of what makes their property feel like home. The good news is buckthorn removal can be completed over time; it doesn’t have to be an overnight project. Additionally, native shrubs and trees can provide privacy screening once they are established in your yard. You can remove invasive species like buckthorn and still preserve the aesthetics of your home.

I heard buckthorn is actually good for animals. Is that true?

Unfortunately, this is inaccurate. Buckthorn can be quite harmful to many animals that live on or near your property. For example, its fruits offer little nutritional value for wildlife and have a diuretic effect on birds, which often spread buckthorn seeds across property lines.

Isn’t it bad to remove trees, even if they are buckthorn?

While removing trees can feel counterintuitive, buckthorn is uniquely suited to outcompete many species that are native to our region, which severely degrades the overall health of local ecosystems. Entire woodlands, habitats and even yards can become infested with buckthorn overgrowth. This can choke out the next generations of native plants, particularly oaks. Removing buckthorn and replacing it with native plants is beneficial to the local landscape.

What are some of the alternative plants available?

There are great alternative, low-maintenance, native plants you can plant in your yard. Consider native plants such as wild plum (Prunus americana), any native species of hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), American hazelnut (Corylus americana), wild black currant (Ribes americanum), witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). See more recommendations on our Native Plants and Healthy Hedges webpage.

What is the Lake County Forest Preserves’ role in buckthorn removal?

As principal guardian of Lake County’s open space and natural areas since 1958, we are focused on preservation, restoration, education and recreation. The reality is that buckthorn does not observe property boundaries. To most effectively tackle the issue, we want to encourage private landowners to remove buckthorn from their properties and communities as we remove it from the preserves.