Cummings said she doesn't know what else to do.
"They're native plants. They don't require water like grass does or a lawn does. You don't need to use any poisons on them or fertilizer," she said. "I use composts that I make myself. It's all about sustainability, really."
The Problem Solver called city spokeswoman Kathleen Strand, who looked into Cummings' case.
"This is a tough one, but the administrative law officer at Administrative Hearings looked at all the evidence, heard the case and made a decision," Strand said in an email. "If she does not agree with the hearing decision and fine, she can go to circuit court for an administrative review of the case."
Strand said Cummings was given the minimum fine for her infraction.
"It doesn't surprise me, but it's very disappointing," Cummings said of the city's response.
She isn't sure whether she'll appeal the ruling to the circuit court, but she does plan to put a sign in her yard alerting people about what happened to her.
"I'd sure hate to have people uproot their native plants and/or not grow them because the regulation is so vague and making everyone so vulnerable," Cummings said. "The regulation is just way too subjective, and if someone can call a milkweed a weed like (the hearing officer) did, and then the city stands with that, where are we in Chicago? Where are we for helping Mother Nature?"
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