Native Plants

So you’re interested in native plants? Hopefully the information on this page will help answer any questions you may have regarding native plants and habitats, and persuade you to use native plants when making plant choices. This page is designed not only to locate native plant nurseries for you but also to find out if a certain plant you are interested in is actually native.

Native plants provide great habitat : food, shelter, and nesting sites for local and migratory wildlife. Most native plants require less water, pesticides, and man hours to manage them. What this means to the homeowner or gardener is that it will cost less money and time to create or manage a native plant garden verses a garden that has plants that need nutrients and micro nutrients that may not be available, or have water requirements that cannot be sustained by local climate conditions. New York has a wonderfully rich and diverse native plant palate that is worth exploring.

One of my favorite sites for accurate info on what plants are native to NY is:

NY Flora Association

The plant and habitat information on this site comes from Brooklyn Botanic Garden where they have done extensive research and field studies to assure accuracy. This is the site I use on a regular basis if I am unsure if a specific plant is actually native to the state of NY, not necessarily to the metropolitan area.

Listed below are some local nurseries that I find have good quality plants, good prices and most of the time use local genotypes are:

Greenbelt Native Plant Center

3808 Victory Boulevard

Staten Island, NY 10314-6720

718-370-9044

Local genotype for NY metropolitan area -YES

This nursery is part of the City of NY Parks and Recreation Department. Most plants need to be special ordered but at most times they have a few plants that can be purchased on a small scale. They can do both large and small orders, but if you are going to do larger orders it is wise to plan at least a year in advance.

Sylva Native Nursery & Seed Co.

3815 Roser Rd.

Glen Rock, PA 17327

717-227-0486

Local genotype for NY metropolitan area -NO

There is something to be said for a company that has great customer service. Sylva Native Nursery is one such company. They are extremely helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. The plant quality is great and they ship to NY via truck or overnight mail. If you are looking for a specific hard to find plant, they will try their hardest to find it for you.

Fort Pond Native Plants

26 South Embassy Street

PO Box 5061

Montauk, NY 11954

631-668-6452

Local genotype for NY metropolitan are – yes

This nursery has great quality plant material. They are a a regular vendor for NYC Parks Department, so they are able to accommodate large plant orders. Retail nursery only.