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Native Plants of New York City
Native plants are plant species that historically grew or currently grow in a particular place and are not the result of human introduction. There are over 1,300 plant species native to the five boroughs of New York City.
Benefits of Native Plants
Native plants are critical building blocks for our ecosystems, providing many benefits for wildlife, other plants, and humans alike! So much so that NYC Local Law 11 of 2013 requires that the use of native plantings be maximized in parks, gardens, green streets, sidewalks, and other areas where plantings occur. Native plants:
Provide Habitat for Wildlife
Our city's native plants have evolved to thrive in the local conditions of our area, including the weather, soils, and other plants and animals found here, including pollinators. Because our native plants have co-evolved with our local wildlife, they are specially adapted to provide the right sources of food and shelter when wildlife need it most. They are the primary resource needed to sustain our city’s resident and migratory wildlife.
Keep Our City's Ecosystems Resilient
The diversity of the native plants in NYC is significantly higher than the diversity of introduced species. An intact ecosystem, with its diverse array of native plants, is better able to recover from minor and major disturbances like weather or introduced species.
How We Grow and Care for Native Plants
We plant native species in the areas we manage, including natural areas, greenstreets, parks, and gardens within our parks. Our Greenbelt Native Plant Center provides native plants and seeds from local plant populations for use by our staff. The center also offers guidance and plant material to professional designers, restorationists, and local community park volunteers and support groups. Our staff along with volunteers monitor and care for native plant populations in our parks by removing overabundant introduced species and using a dynamic planting palette to grow and encourage the growth of native plant communities.
Explore Native Plants in Parks
Learn about native plants through the seasons, how they benefit the environment, and how we care for them.
Spring Ephemerals
During the springtime, these native plants pop up in our forests before the canopy fully leaf out then go underground until next spring!
Summer-Blooming Weeds
Not all native "weeds" are bad for our parks. Some are beneficial to pollinators and local wildlife especially when they flower in the summertime.
Fall-Blooming Plants
As the leaves change into their fall colors, these plants flower to add their own pops of color to our parks while providing food for pollinators.
Pollinator Places
We're growing more gardens with native plants within our parks to help support our pollinators and the overall health of our ecosystems.
Resources
Dig in! Learn more about native plants and how we grow, care for, and protect them in an urban environment.
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