Native Plant Species

A publication of the University of Tennessee about native grasses in the Southern United States.

Turf grass isn't the only option for filling our yards. This article offers alternatives to conventional lawns, such as meadow and low-growing groundcovers, and lists native species that grow well in Pennsylvania.

Biodiversity encompasses the diversity of life – the varying and different species, genes, and ecosystems of the Earth. The ongoing loss of biodiversity threatens human well-being and makes the need for conservation ever more pressing.

This document provides guidance to planners and the solar industry on how they can support biodiversity on solar farms.

In simple terms, this book connects the dots and makes it clear that increasing native insect biomass with native plants is the glue that holds together the web of life in the homemade habitat. Available at most book retail sources.

This presentation focuses on DCNR's iConservePA program, specifically on native plants and stewardship

Two-page fact sheet that includes a description of invasive vines; how they are introduced to an area; why they are a threat to forests, birds, and other wildlife; invasive vines in Pennsylvania; their impact on the ecology of natural areas; how landowners can control and eliminate them; and native alternatives.

Example of comprehensive state database of plants; where to turn to learn whether a species is native or introduced and where in the state it has been found. Also used for plant identification.

This publication details the basics of what is required to create and maintain a native grass and wildflower meadow in southeastern Pennsylvania.

This website has lists of Pennsylvania invasive plants and landscaping suggestions that are alternatives to using invasive plants.

Invasive species management programs help minimize the harm of invasive species on natural lands and encourage the health of native plants and wildlife.

A publication of the Biodiversity Project

As homeowners become aware of the costs of maintaning lawns, both to people and to wildlife, many are choosing to replace all or part of their lawns with alternatives that are more friendly to wildlife and the environment.

fact sheet

Converting part of your yard to meadow can save you time and money--think about less frequent mowing. And meadows help filter our groundwater, control flooding, add visual appeal, and provide critical habitat for sonbirds and pollinators.

A book full of colorful photographs that profiles common invasive plants (national) and the native alternatives to take their place.

A newsletter article focused on ornamental grasses in Pennsylvania.

fact sheet on natives

This publication is an informational guide to native species appropriate for planting in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and adjacent coastal regions. It includes color photographs of the species, making it a user-friendly resource for landscape design.

Guide for planting native species on solar farms to mitigate the environmental impacts of installing solar energy facilities.

The list contains information about plant species native to Pennsylvania that are suitable for use in BMPs. The list is sorted by plant type and then by scientific name. The table also contains information helpful for designing a planting plan for a successful BMP.

This is the current version of the book. The 1979 version is also recommended, and used copies can be found from online book sellers.

The book analyzes the factors that shape an invader s progress through four stages: arriving through one of many possible ports of entry, reaching a threshold of survival, thriving through proliferation and geographic spread, and ultimate impact on the organism s new environment. The book also reviews approaches to predicting whether a species will become an invader as well as the more complex challenge of predicting and measuring its impact on the environment, a process involving value judgments and risk assessment. This detailed analysis will be of interest to policymakers, plant scientists, agricultural producers, environmentalists, and public agencies concerned with invasive plant and plant pest species.

List of native plants compiled by the Schuylkill Township Environmental Advisory Council.

An in-depth breakdown of plant communities found in Pennsylvania specific to particular physiographic regions.

The manual includes keys to families, genera, and species; extensive diagnostic illustrations; scientific and common names; and data on distribution ranges, relative frequency, rare and endangered species, blooming and fruiting periods; with taxonomic notes and an illustrated glossary. The information meticulously reflects the plants as represented in Pennsylvania and is derived from specimens collected within the state.

This volume is the first published product of the Pennsylvania Flora Database, created & maintained at the Morris Arboretum of the Univ. of Pennsylvania. The database has its roots in the work of Edgar T. Wherry, John M. Fogg, Jr., & Herbert A. Wahl, the “Atlas of the Flora of Pennsylvania”, published by the Morris Arboretum. Over a period of 40 years, Wherry & his colleagues gathered data from the major Pennsylvania herbaria & manually placed a quarter of a million dots on over 3500 maps. The Pennsylvania Flora Database retains the emphasis on specimen-based, site-specific data. The checklist of included taxa has undergone extensive review to reflect recent taxonomic & nomenclatural revisions. Questionable specimens have been re-evaluated with the result that several taxa included in earlier works were dropped. Recent discoveries have been added & distribution data has been updated. This vol. also includes collections made in the 1990s in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI), the state heritage program. The maps present the accumulated collection of information for each taxon as represented in the herbaria. Illus., reprinted 1996.

Todd, the recipient of the PEN/Jerard Award for this book while it was a work-in-progress, recounts how some of the approximately 4,500 exotic insects, mammals, and plants have been introduced to North America, occasionally for the better (such as with the Vedalia ladybug)—but more often wreaking destruction on native species.

List of best practices to ensure that parks and recreation sites and environmentally sustainable.

List of effective nature-based stormwater management practices including riparian buffers, pervious pavement, trees, and bioswales.

This article, published in Sylvan Communities magazine, provides a snapshot of the information found in the “Sustainable Community Parks” publication, with a specific focus on the use and benefits of native trees.