To pick the right plant you need to know your site and the factors that will contribute to your plantings’ success. For instance, does the plant thrive in sun or shade, dry soil or moist soil? You may want to consider the wild life value of the plant, the size of the plant, and when it will bloom. Plants along tidal wetlands, estuaries and the LI Sound should be limited to those that are adapted to salt water spray and to growing in soil with salt in it. Some online nurseries allow one to filter for plants adapted to salt spray. Some of the NYS programs listed in Section 3.1 offer trees, seedlings and/or planting assistance for free or at greatly reduced prices. Additionally look for the Sources [LINK] on the Planting Westchester homepage for a list of Nurseries. The plants mentioned in the below resources are native to this region. Go to the Native Plants [LINK] and Trees [LINK] sections of the Planting Westchester website to learn more about the importance of planting native plants and trees.
Title: New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual: Landscaping Guidance/Plant Lists
Sponsoring organization: New York State Department Environmental Conservation
Description: A comprehensive 16 page document includes a lengthy list of plants including hydrologic zone and wildlife benefit as well as describes planting methods by water
Title: Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College
Sponsoring Organization: Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College
Description: Thorough list and description with photos of plants native to the area, includes plants which thrive in wetlands.
Title: A Guide to Preserving Pound Ridge Wetlands
Sponsoring organization: Town of Pound Ridge
Description: A short brochure discussing what wetlands are, why they are important, how to improve them and specific plant recommendations.
Title: Go Native
Sponsoring organization: Westchester County Government
Description: A 2-page colorful brochure with detailed charts of planting recommendations, including plants for wet soil.
Title: Landscaping at the Water's Edge: An Ecological Approach
Sponsoring organization: University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension
Description: Appendix C has an extensive plant list which includes in which buffer zone the plant should be planted and under which conditions the plant will thrive.
Title: Stream Buffer Planting Guide (for Tompkins County)
Sponsoring organization: Tompkins County Planning Department
Description: A 23-page brochure with detailed plant descriptions including pictures and growing requirements, spacing guidelines and visual aids for layout planning. "This visually rich planting guide may be used by both landowners and conservation partners to help visualize how and what to plant to establish healthy stream buffer areas."
Title: Guide to Native Wetland Planning
Sponsoring organization: City of Norwalk Conservation Commission
Description: An excellent 32-page guide to native wetland plants, featuring color photographs and descriptions of recommended plant species.
Title: Native Species Planting Guide for New York City 3rd Edition
Sponsoring organization: NY City Parks Department
Description: A thorough 329-page native species planting guide by common plant communities, including tidal and fresh water wetlands. This guide includes detailed species descriptions of native plants and also suggestions how to substitute with native plants after the removal of invasive plant species. to Native Wetland Planning
Title: Connecticut Coastal Planting Guide
Sponsoring organization: Connecticut Sea Grant,
Description: Plants divided into 4 categories: tree, shrub, herbaceous perennial, or vine. For each species information is provided on general plant characteristics such as average height, growth conditions, and salinity tolerance in terms of soil salinity and salt spray tolerance.
Title: Coastal Landscaping Guide for Long Island Sound
Sponsoring organization: Connecticut Sea Grant, CLEAR, and The College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources
Description: Fact sheets regarding function of coastal riparian corridors, site preparation for planting, how to plant, and which plants exhibit tolerance to salt. Includes a Coastal Landscaping Tool for LI Sound.