What Should I Plant?
Monarch caterpillar on Milkweed.
There are great native plant choices for every imaginable landscape need. Whether you are looking for shrubs, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, or long-blooming flowers, there are beautiful native selections for every garden condition. [Note: for native trees, see Plant Native, Not Invasive.]
Title: Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East -- Chapter 5
Author/Source: Carolyn Summers
Publisher: Rutgers University Press, 2010
Description: Comprehensive and beautifully illustrated book about native plants written by Westchester County resident, Carolyn Summers.There are plant suggestions for traditional landscapes using native plant choices
Title: Plants for shady areas
Author/Source: Carolyn Summers/The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY
Description: List of native plants, from groundcovers to taller perennials, suitable for planting in shade.
Title: Plants for Sun
Author/Source: The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY
Description: List of native plants suitable for sun.
Title: Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants
Author: Douglas W. Tallamy
Publisher: Timber Press, 2009
Description: Appendices detail hundreds of plants by region, growing conditions, and value as host plants for moths and butterflies
Title: The Native Plant Center Plant List
Author/Source: The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY
Description: Includes detailed "Native Plant of the Year" profiles as well as lists for specific planting conditions.
Title: Plant Lists
Author/Source: Pollinator Pathway Northeast
Description: Extensive library of native plant lists for pollinators.
Title: Plant Lists
Author/Source: Protect Our Pollinators
Description: Extensive library of native plant lists for pollinators.
Title: Native Plant Finder
Author/Source: National Wildlife Federation
Description: Create a customized list of native plants for your area by entering your zip code into the search tool.
Title: Mount Pleasant Conservation Advisory Council's Native Plant Resource Guide
Author/Source: Mount Pleasant Conservation Advisory Council
Description: Available on the Westchester County Town of Mount Pleasant's website at the top left of the page. This comprehensive list includes native plants recommendations for various site conditions and tolerances.
Title: Native Ferns, Moss & Grasses: From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave: Serene and Sensuous Plants for the Garden
Author: William Cullina, New England Wild Flower Society
Publisher: Echo Point Books, 2020
Description: Book with extensive information, including how to grow and propagate native ferns, moss & grasses
Municipal “street tree”
Title: Hellstrip Plantings: Creating Space for Wildlife between the Sidewalk and the Street
Author/Source: Wild Seed Project
Description: Practical advice for greening tough, urban sites (such as the space between the sidewalk and the curb) with native plants.
Virginia Bluebell
Title: Spread Plant Love, Not Mulch
Author/Source: Missy Fabel
Description: Article on native groundcovers as living mulch. Scroll to end for downloadable list of easy to grow groundcovers for all conditions.
Title: Deer-Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast
Author/Source: Ruth Rogers Clausen and Gregory D. Tepper
Publisher: Timber Press
Description: The authors of this book provide lists of deer-resistant plants and, for each suggested plant, includes a deer-resistance rating, growing advice, companion species, and the beneficial wildlife the plant does attract.
Title: Deer-Resistant Native Plants
Author/Source: The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY
Description: List of common deer-resistant native plants compiled by Michael Hagen, curator of the New York Botanical Garden native plant garden.
Title: Mount Pleasant Conservation Advisory Council's Native Plant Resource Guide
Author/Source: Mount Pleasant Conservation Advisory Council
Description: Available on the Westchester County Town of Mount Pleasant's website at the top left of the page. This list includes native plants recommendations for various site conditions and tolerances, with a deer resistant plant list.
Tufted titmouse and song sparrow shelter in native Rhododendron.
Title: Audubon NY Plants for Birds Database
Author/Source: New York Audubon Society
Description: Find bird-friendly native plants for your area by entering your zip code into the search tool.
Title: The Best Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines to Plant for Birds: A starter list
Author/Source: Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
Description: Basic list of yard-friendly trees and shrubs which will attract birds.
Title: Getting Started with Native Plants
Author/Source: New York Audubon Society
Description: Simple Steps for planting a native garden for birds.
Title: Berries for Birds Hedge
Author: Carolyn Summers
Description: How to plants a bird-friendly hedgerow.
Title: Mount Pleasant Conservation Advisory Council's Native Plant Resource Guide
Author/Source: Mount Pleasant Conservation Advisory Council
Description: Available on the Westchester County Town of Mount Pleasant's website at the top left of the page. This list includes native plants recommendations for various site conditions and tolerances, with a section on those that attract birds.
Black swallowtail caterpillar on parsley.
Title: Pollinator Pop Up Toolkit/ Folleto Tridimensional Sobre Polinizadores
Author/Source: Westchester Land Trust
Description: Simple ways to attract bees and butterflies to your yard or window box. Includes fun facts, bookmarks and ID guides for kids of all ages. Entire content available in English and Spanish language versions.
Title: Keystone Plants for Butterflies and Moths
Author: Carolyn Summers
Description: Keystone plants, a term coined by Dr. Douglas Tallamy, refers to those most productive native plants that serve as host plants for the caterpillars of Lepidoptera, and thus provide the foundation of our entire food web.
Title: Sample List of Trees and Shrubs for Bees Throughout the Seasons
Author/Source: Pollinator Pathway Northeast
Description: Simple chart showing native trees and shrubs which feed bees from spring through to fall.
Title: Native Shrubs for Pollinators
Author/Source: Tufts University, Tufts Pollinator Initiative
Description: Practical one-page guide to native shrubs and the types of pollinators they attract.
Title: Sample List of Wildflowers Throughout the Seasons
Author/Source: Pollinator Pathway Northeast
Description: Simple chart showing native perennials which provide pollen and nectar sources from spring through to fall.
Title: A Starter Guide to Creating a Butterflyway Through Your Neighborhood
Author/Source: David Suzuki Foundation
Description: Colorful guide to seven simple steps for creating a pollinator-friendly yard.
Title: Planting Pollinator Habitat
Author/Source: Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - Pollinator Network @ Cornell
Description: Detailed plant selection and habitat information, including how to plant for native bees.
Title: Planting Pollinator-Friendly Gardens
Author/Source: Penn State Extension
Description: Simple guide to installing and maintaining a pollinator garden.
Title: Mount Pleasant, NY Conservation Advisory Council's Native Plant Resource Guide
Author/Source: Mount Pleasant Conservation Advisory Council
Description: Available on the Westchester County Town of Mount Pleasant's website at the top left of the page. This list includes native plants recommendations for various site conditions and tolerances.
Title: Host Plants for Pollen Specialist bees of the Eastern United States
Author/Source: Sam Droege and Jarrod Fowler, reknown bee specialists
Description: plant list
Title: Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide
Author: Heather Holm
Publisher: Pollination Press LLC, 2017
Description: A comprehensive list of native bees and the plants that they need. Contains pictures and descriptions of plants to be included in a pollinator garden.