Three Brothers, One Mission

We grew up in Prospect Heights, Illinois, on a property that had been surrounded by farmland for as long as we could remember. When the farming operation shut down, the open land did not stay open for long. Buckthorn moved in quickly, spreading across the open land and into the yard, crowding out native plants and turning once-clear ground into a dense, impenetrable thicket.

Our mother took it upon herself to fix it. Over the course of several months, she cleared and treated the buckthorn by hand, one plant at a time. It was backbreaking work, and she did most of it on her own. When it was done, she planted a garden on land that had been completely lost to the overgrowth. She reclaimed it.

Then in 2024, Daniel purchased a home in Lake County. The property was completely overgrown with buckthorn, so thick it blocked the view of the house from the street entirely. It took months of work to clear the space and make it his own. He has since planted several trees on the property, which will grow over time and help protect the natural vegetation of the area.

Those two experiences were the direct inspiration for Beyond Buckthorn. We realized firsthand how physically demanding, time-consuming, and technically involved this kind of work really is. And we know that most people do not have the time, the equipment, or the physical ability to take it on themselves.

We started this business to help. We want to help property owners reclaim land that has been lost to invasive growth, protect the native vegetation that makes Lake County and Northern Cook County special, and make their yards more beautiful and valuable in the process.