Are you looking for recommendations of native plants and trees to plant on your specific site? DEC and the New York Natural Heritage Program recently released a Species Selection Tool that provides a list of recommended native tree, shrub, and herbaceous plant species, including flowering species, ferns and herbs, to improve habitats, increase biodiversity, and benefit wildlife across New York State.
There are three steps to using this tool:
1 – Enter your planting site location: Enter the address or click on the map to automatically generate expected site conditions of the property including soil and geology.
2 – Review the site conditions: Review the site conditions generated by the tool. To change site conditions (such as the geology, elevation, soil drainage, or soil depth) click the drop-down arrows and choose the correct site feature.
3 – Choose the type of natural community you want to plant: Below the map, select the button of the type (category) of natural community you would like to plant (forest, forested wetland, shrubland, grassland, emergent wetland, dunes, or barrens).
Note that the option you can select based on your site conditions will be green buttons; the whited-out buttons are communities that are not suitable for planting at your site. On the new page, select the natural communities you are interested in including in the list.
The tool narrows down the species list, and provides information on each species, including height, lifespan, shade tolerance, and climate adaptability.
Check out the species selection tool.
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