Sustainable Gardening with Native Plants

The Trend Is to Natives

Most gardening books and magazines focus solely on is aesthetics, with little to no consideration given to ecological processes. This industrialized viewpoint promotes the idea that vegetation is ornamental and biologically inert, like a lamppost. We can’t continue to create gardens and landscapes that don’t address the needs of the environment.

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Why Go Native in My Garden?

The use of native plants around our homes is an acknowledgement and celebration of the relationships we have with our biological neighbors, the other living entities with whom we share the earth. Abandon sterile lawns! Eschew everyday window box displays! Embrace nature’s rich array!

Sense of place: Adobe houses dot Santa Fe, jambalaya and crawfish mean New Orleans cooking and Hawaiian print shirts are…obvious. Why, then, do yards and window boxes across the country hold the same impatiens, begonias and mums?  Shockingly, most of America’s favorite garden plants hail from places like Europe and Asia. The New York metropolitan area has its own regional flavor and distinct assemblage of native plants. Cultivate a sense of home by rejecting floristic homogenization and sowing local pride.

“Wherever I go in America, I like it when the land speaks its own language in its own regional accent.”
- Lady Bird Johnson

Ease of care: When installed in the appropriate habitat, native plants usually require less maintenance than the exotic alternatives from the horticultural trade. They need less water. They require no fertilizer and no pest control, having evolved with the area’s insects and diseases.* Native plants will save you money (on supplies) and time (on garden care) and will also curtail the amount of toxins used to maintain artificial conditions.
*This does not mean that there will be no insects or diseases, because they will be present. But the plants should survive it. We humans just need to tweak our perspective.

Choose plants that attract wildlife, like the native shrub highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum).

Choose plants that attract wildlife, like the native shrub highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum).

Wildlife bonanza: Create habitat havens for birds, bees, butterflies and other critters. Native plants are sources of food and lodging for wildlife. For many locally rare animals, native plants are critical to their survival. See the DEC fact sheet on the Federally-endangered Karner blue butterfly and its sole food plant, the native wild blue lupine (which itself is rare in Pennsylvania) here.

Appeal to discerning taste: Zabar’s, Citarella, Gourmet Garage, Dean and Deluca, Vinegar Factory, Eli’s, Garden of Eden, Fairway – a litany of food stores cater to the discriminating palettes of New Yorkers. Clearly, we don’t like to settle for just anything. So why do this when buying plants? As sophisticated gardeners, we should seek out alternatives to Home Depot, the corner deli and other outlets that offer “one size fits all”.

Preserve natural history: While Americans travel the world to see exotic primates and orchids, local forest voles and turk’s-cap lilies are lost to development back home. Neighboring wild places and the fauna and flora they house are part of the history of a region, with as much value as a “Washington slept here” abode. We must learn to appreciate the riches in our own backyards.

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Attracting Birds with Native Plants

Native plants are so important, because they are the building blocks of our biological diversity. For example, most baby birds eat insects exclusively. And overwhelmingly, these bugs eat the tender leaves of native plants. While white oak supports scores of caterpillars (tasty treats for fledglings), the lilac supports less than ten. A native plant garden is thus an important ecological oasis.  If you like birds, you need native plants in your garden.

Hummingbirds love the showy wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis).

Hummingbirds love the showy wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis).

Studies have found a one-to-one correspondence between habitat destruction and species loss. Gardeners can help slow the rate of extinction by planting natives in their yards. For example, consider planting blueberry shrubs (Vaccinium spp.) which support 288 species of moths and butterflies.   In addition, the blueberries beautify your landscape with year-round appeal – early white flowers in spring, tasty fruits in summer, scarlet foliage in fall and green stems and architectural interest in winter.

Here is one example of native plants to attract birds to a sunny windowbox: Eastern columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipedula), Eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa), Smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve).
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Sustainable Gardening Resources

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. – Marcel Proust, novelist, essayist and critic (1871-1922)

CAVEAT: Look for labels that announce “nursery propagated”. Some nurseries dig plants out of their wild habitats and later sell them with the label “nursery grown”, which is both misleading and unethical.

Also, ask for plants grown from seed, which guarantees genetic variety and a true native species. Cultivars are not technically native plants, since they are bred for horticultural splendor – an extra whorl of petals, a deeper shade of red, etc. They are cloned to insure aesthetic consistency, which sacrifices – and so play no role in – the genetic conservation of the species. A variety can be either naturally occurring or a greenhouse construct. Check the USDA plants website to determine which one you have.

1. Sources of Native Plants within the NYC-metropolitan area

Please be aware that we are not endorsing the nurseries listed below. We have not visited all of the below to vet their plant stock or philosophy.  Please be an educated buyer.

We suggest buying from within a 150-mile radius of your home.

The BEST places to buy native plants is from native plant societies. Many have plant sales at least once a year and may also offer seeds all year long. See the “Native Plant Societies” section above.

Native Plant Network
National Supplier’s Directory from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

~Connecticut~

Broken Arrow Nursery
Native plants and rare and unusual plants
Hamden, CT

Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery
Grasses, ferns, perennials, shrubs and trees that are native to New England
Woodbury, CT

Pan Acre’s Nursery
Native wildflowers, shrubs and trees
Canterbury, CT

~New York~

Catskill Native Nursery
Herbaceous (perennials), shrubs & trees
Kerhonkson, NY

Fort Pond Native Plant Nursery
Natives and non – a very large selection with excellent specimen trees and shrubs
Montauk, NY

Gowanus Nursery
A great resource within the five boroughs. The owner is very helpful and they have a surprising number indigenous wildflowers.
Brooklyn, NY

Greenbelt Native Plant Center
The Center is the only municipal native-plant nursery in the country. It is a 13-acre greenhouse, nursery and seed bank complex owned and operated by the City of New York Parks & Recreation on Staten Island. The center has spent two decades raising specimens of the city’s indigenous flora for use in local restoration and replanting projects. Wholesale only. Plugs and small woody species.

The Plantsmen Nursery
Trees, shrubs, vines, wildflowers, ferns – and a very nice website
Ithaca, NY

~New Jersey~

Lots of sources courtesy of NJ Native Plant Society

Fairweather Gardens
Trees, shrubs, perennials
Greenwich, NJ

A Wild Bird Oasis
Herbaceous & woody plants
Medford, NJ

Toadshade Wildflower Farm
Wildflowers common to the northeastern U.S.
Frenchtown, NJ

The Adventurous Gardener: Where to Buy the Best Plants in New York and New Jersey
This book features 120 growers (including natives), all visited and researched by the author.

~Pennsylvania~

Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
The premier destination for seeing and learning about the native plants of Pennsylvania. Have an extensive seed catalog plus plant sales in spring and fall. They also have a gorgeous, deer-proof preserve with lots and lots of wildflowers. Heavenly. We are big fans of Bowman’s Hill.
New Hope, PA

Edge of the Woods Nursery
Over 300 species of nursery propagated native trees, shrubs, grasses, ferns, perennials and wildflowers
Fogelsville, PA

North Creek Nursery
Perennials, grasses and ferns with an emphasis on new varieties and Eastern North American natives and their cultivars
Wholesale only
Laudenburg, PA

Redbud Native Plant Nursery
Glen Mills, PA

Yellow Springs Farm
Herbaceous, woody plants, ferns, & grasses
Chester Springs, PA

2. How to Garden with Native Plants

Cullina, William. 2000. The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. 384 pp.
Guide to North American wildflowers with detailed information on growing and propagating more than 1,000 species. Included is information on native habitat, cultural requirements, propagation, and design considerations. At the back of the book are lists for gardeners’ considerations – wildflowers with large leaves, that attract butterflies, prefer shade, rocky areas or bogs, and that are deer-resistant.

Cullina, William. 2002. Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines: A Guide to Using, Growing, and Propagating North American Woody Plants. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Guide to trees, shrubs, and vines native to temperate North America. The bulk of the book is set up as an encyclopedia. Each entry describes the species, and includes details such as culture, uses, attraction to wildlife, and propagation, USDA hardiness zones, soil type, natural range, size, and blooming season and color. With color photographs.

Darke, Rick. 2002. The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the spirit of the deciduous forest. Portland, OR: Timber Press. 376 pp.
This book is unlike any other in that the author seeks out elements of nature to translate into the garden. Darke’s unique perspectives and vision of what a native plant garden can be are truly inspirational. The book examines plant communities in the forest, a study of the natural changes wrought on a wooded creek over seasons and decades, a how-to on designing and planting and a section on the plant palette. The gorgeous photography, also by the author, alone is worth the cover price.

Shenk, George. 1997. Moss Gardening: Including Lichens, Liverworts, and Other Miniatures. Portland, OR: Timber Press. 262 pp.
This book covers the identification, transplanting, and propagation of these cryptograms and their use as a landscaping tool. Wonderful way to revisit the notion of a garden pest; “if you can’t beat ‘em!”

Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Native Flora Garden
This garden was designed in 1931 to support 9 plant communities, all of which are found within 100-miles of NYC: serpentine rock (found in Staten Island), dry meadow (Floyd Bennett Field), kettle pond (Alley, Cunningham and Forest Parks in Queens), bog (gone in NYC), pine barrens (Long Island), wet meadow and stream (Blue Heron Park, SI), deciduous woodland (throughout NYC), and limestone ledge; each with a detailed description of environmental factors and typical plant species.

Green Landscaping with Native Plants
Lots of good native plant gardening tips for the Mid-Atlantic region from the friendly folks at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Landscaping for a Healthy Planet
Learn more about planting an ecologically-savvy landscape from the Pennsylvania chapter of the Audubon Society. Extensive links, especially on sources of native plants.

Local Ecotype Guidelines
An explanation of what is meant by “local plant genotypes” (which they call “ecotypes”) from Wild Ones, developed by scientific consensus. The Midwest is referenced here, but the ideas are applicable to the NYC-metropolitan area.

Mt. Cuba Center
The former home and gardens of Mr. and Mrs. Lammot du Pont Copeland, is a 630 acre non-profit organization set in the rolling hills of northern Delaware. Their mission is to foster an appreciation for plants of the Appalachian Piedmont and the conservation of their environment through garden display, education, and research.

Native Gardening and Invasive Plants Guide
The National Wildlife Federation and eNature recently introduced a new Internet field guide for gardeners on native and invasive plants. The guide includes plants often found at garden centers or in catalogs and includes a database searchable by state, native vs. invasive plants, and plant type.

Native Plants Network
 Provides technical and practical information on growing and planting native plants for restoration, conservation, reforestation, landscaping, etc. Offers a native plant journal, database of propagation protocols, and partnering organizations.

Pennsylvania – Landscaping with Native Plants
From the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, it reviews what makes a plant native, six things to do when using natives, and gives examples of various flowers, ferns, grasses, shrubs, and trees for home landscaping and gardening use.

3. Creating Habitat for Wild Animals

N.B. Creating habitat for native birds is wonderful idea, since many are on the decline, especially songbirds. But you cannot simultaneously have cats in the yard or encourage their presence by feeding feral cats. Domestic cats, which seem cute and harmless to the cat lover, are accountable for the death of millions of our native birds every year! Our wild animals need your help. Entire species are being wiped out. Cats are not wild, their gene pool has been domesticated over thousands of years. They are also only one species, Felix domesticus. Please be responsible, and at least fit your cat with a bell to give wildlife ample warning.

Backyard Wildlife Habitat
It doesn’t matter where you live or how much space you have. National Wildlife Federation will help you create a thriving habitat for wildlife and certify it as an official Backyard Wildlife Habitat site! These folks are very perky.

MonarchWatch Butterfly Gardening
A how-to, with the most salient point being DO NOT USE ANY PESTICIDES OR INSECTICIDES on or near your garden.

Wild Acres of MD
Create suitable habitat in your yard for wildlife with help from the friendly folks at Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. Be mindful that some of our plant species in the New York City region will be different.

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