Project Design Assistance

Project Analysis/Site Analysis/Custom Habitat Species Lists

New York City has long recognized the value of urban ecosystems. For over a quarter century, our civic leaders have funded major projects to maintain and improve these valuable resources and to restore degraded urban habitats. There are currently many restoration projects underway and even more being developed. Each project requires the cooperation of restoration and design professionals, project administrators, and native plant specialists.

The Greenbelt Native Plant Center would like to be of assistance in the design phase of project development by offering our expertise in local flora and the habitats in which they are found. By consulting in the early stages of design, we can help ensure a good fit of species selection to restoration sites and can aid in the development of species lists of appropriate native plants for these restoration projects.

Project Analysis– Our staff is available to consult with restoration professionals who wish to review their current habitat species lists for a given project.

Site Analysis– If helpful, we can provide a site visit to aid in the identification of habitat types and associated species.

Custom Habitat Species Lists– We can provide specialized lists of appropriate species for each habitat in a proposed project, along with the relative abundance (commonality) of each species in that habitat.

These three services are provided free of charge to restoration professionals working to restore New York City's degraded or depaupered landscapes.

Contract Growing– We encourage project planners and designers to contact us early in the scoping and design phases of projects, so that we have sufficient lead–time to collect seed and grow the necessary species for projects.

Bulk Seed Mixes– We are in the early stages of developing seed mixes from local ecotypic material. Although we can not currently offer any seed mixes, we welcome inquiries about future projects and can provide a great deal of information on species selection and their agronomic requirements for establishment. (See: Founder Seed Program)

Common Habitat Species List

With the cooperation of many of our project partners and Parks Department ecologists, the Greenbelt Native Plant Center staff has researched species lists for the habitat types found within New York City.

For those interested in using native plants to restore habitats in their neighborhood parks, these lists can be used to guide their plant choices. Most of these species are available through the nursery.

Please use the following indices to help you with your native plant choices for your restoration projects:

• Coastal Maritime
• Forested Wetlands
• Open Upland
• Open Wetlands
• Upland Forest
• Urban Disturbed Sites
• Suggested Resources

Specialty Garden Species Lists

For the home and community gardener, we have created lists of native plant species for several types of specialty gardens.

Please use the following to guide you in creating your own unique gardens using native plants:

• Drought-Tolerant Species
• Full Shade Tolerant Species
• Green Roof Species
• Partial Shade Tolerant Species
• Salt-Tolerant Species
• Sun-Loving Species
• Wildlife Gardens (Lists for Birds, Hummingbirds, Bees, and Moths & Butterflies)
• Suggested Resources