Approximately 2,100 vascular plant species (excludes mosses and the like) are known to be native to Pennsylvania. In this chapter we suggest a relatively small fraction of those species for use in natural land restoration, urban and container plantings, and landscaping. All species were selected for their ability to thrive under a range of environmental conditions and for their commercial availability, mainly from nurseries and seed suppliers who specialize in plants that are native to Pennsylvania and immediately adjacent areas of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, and New York. Don’t be discouraged if the availability of some of these plants is limited. Your interest will encourage nurseries to increase their supply.

Plant Lists for Restoration Projects

Plant Lists for Restoration Projects

The plants we recommend for restoration projects are sorted into three major habitat categories: forest, shrubland, and meadow. Within each major category are separate lists of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous species, and each of those groups is further broken down into height classes, based on the maximum height that each species could attain under ideal growing conditions. Maximum height is particularly important in meadow plantings. Most native meadow species have low shade tolerance and require full sun for at least a part of every day to survive. If species of markedly different heights are planted together, the shorter species are likely to fail due to shade suppression. In any given patch of meadow, the mix of species planted from seeds or plugs should range across no more than two consecutive size categories. The overall planting can be a mosaic of patches of different heights.

All of the shrub and herbaceous species listed under “Native Forest Plants” have intermediate to high tolerance of shade. The list of upper canopy trees includes a mixture of species with low, intermediate, and high shade tolerance, but all native upper canopy tree species—including those that are highly shade tolerant—should be planted where they will get at least some full sun every day. Subcanopy trees species generally are more tolerant of shading but will also benefit from some direct sun exposure while they become established; a few have low shade tolerance and thrive best in savannas, open woodlands, or riparian zones, including pitch pine, Virginia pine, black jack oak, post oak, sassafras, and black willow.

Seedlings and saplings of even the most shade-tolerant tree species tend to grow extremely slowly or not at all in deep shade. Shade tolerance does not allow young trees of upper canopy species to grow to full size in the shade; it merely enables them to survive many years in a suppressed state until adult trees in the canopy above them die. The natural course of forest canopy renewal takes place when old trees fall or die, opening up a light gap that admits enough sunshine to fuel a growth spurt of the advance regeneration (established seedlings and saplings), which soon fill the gap. If the gap is large enough to provide sufficient sunlight, it often becomes a race to fill the gap between shade-tolerant tree species, which are already established and have a head start but have slower maximum growth rates, and shade-intolerant tree species, which must start from seed but generally grow much more rapidly. Owners or managers of natural lands can choose the winners in this race by judicious weeding and by planting tree seedlings or saplings of upper canopy species far enough apart that none will shade or otherwise interfere with each other’s growth.

Plant Lists for Urban Spaces and Containers

Below is a link to tables of native trees, shrubs, and perennials recommended for public and private urban planting spaces. This list is not exhaustive. There are many other native plants that do well in smaller spaces. Cultivars for tree species are occasionally included in this list due to certain characteristics that make them more suitable for urban and small areas, such as size and form.  

Urban Yard and Container Plant Lists

Urban Private Planting Spaces 

Small urban residential areas can enhance property values, the cooling effect of shade, and wildlife habitat while providing outdoor space for residents to enjoy. These spaces create opportunities to plant native species for both scenic beauty and their benefits to wildlife like birds and pollinators. Possible planting spaces include:

• Compact yards 
• Planter boxes 
• Stoops 
• Patios and decks   

There are a few key principles that will ensure the success of native plants in urban gardens.  

• Trees should be at least five feet from a fence or wall. Shrubs should be at least three feet from a fence or wall. Herbaceous perennials can be closer to structures.  
• Select plants that can survive in your property’s light and shade conditions.  
• Plants that are in walled planting beds and containers can only draw water from the space they are in. Water requirements will vary based on how much water the soil retains and the user’s watering schedule. If you’re unable to water frequently, select drought resistant plants or use soil amendments that retain water. 
• When selecting containers, consider the largest size that will work in your space. Small containers mean more frequent watering. Select containers with drainage that are at minimum 16 inches deep to allow your native plants to build strong root systems. Deeper containers should be provided for shrubs and small trees.  
• Container shrubs are a low-maintenance way to add seasonal interest and wildlife habitat to your space. 
• Container plants grow more slowly so shrubs and trees grown in containers may not reach the maximum heights listed in the tables linked above.   
• Protect your container plants over the winter with 3-4 inches of leaf mulch or by moving your planter to an area that is less exposed to ambient low temperatures and wind. 

There are links in the Related Library Items section with examples of plant combinations for containers.  

Urban Public Planting Spaces  

In urban areas, large amounts of marginal public land, like pocket parks, urban planting beds, medians, and even highway interchanges are managed by the municipalities, Business Improvement Districts, and community-based volunteer groups. These areas might seem small, but they add up and may comprise the largest amount of planting space a community has. Public planting areas are maintained by a limited number of organizations. A strategic stewardship approach to public planting areas can result in large-scale cohesive design, streamlined maintenance, and reduced cost. Examples of possible planting spaces in public land include:

• Tree pits within paved areas 
• Parking strips and bump-outs between the street and sidewalk 
• Medians  
• Walled beds  
• Green stormwater infrastructure plantings (require plants that grow in hydric soils)  

Municipalities and community groups like Registered Community Associations (RCAs) that are responsible for managing public land within urban areas should select trees, shrubs, and perennials that are resilient to tougher conditions, including full sun and road salt. They should also require ongoing maintenance of existing plants (rather than seasonal replanting) and choosing plants of appropriate for the area when full-grown. Trees should be salt-tolerant and with maximum height that is short enough not to grow into overhead wires if present. Trees with small leaves can also be a good choice as the leaf litter disperses and decomposes more quickly. 

Designed plant communities or matrix planting is a new design approach that can be used in urban public planting areas where groupings of plants are repeated across a planting area to create a well-managed but more natural appearance. The High Line in New York City and the Rail Park in Philadelphia are examples of matrix planting.

There are five key principles to the designed plant communities approach, as defined by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West in their book, Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for a Resilient Landscape. The principles are as follows:

• Designers start with native plant groupings that prefer similar environmental conditions (sun, shade, dry, wet, moist). In urban areas, shorter plants offer a tidier presentation while also increasing visibility for safety and ease of maintenance.  
• Plants are selected that can withstand the stressors of the site without amending soil, eliminating shade, or providing irrigation. Nonnative, noninvasive plants that are able to withstand the stressors of the site can be mixed in as needed with native plants that serve as the basis for the design. These plants are then combined and repeated throughout the landscape to create a natural look. 
• The ground is densely covered by layering plants vertically (having plants at different heights). The plants fill the garden area, eliminating the need for mulch and reducing maintenance needs. 
• Attractive and approachable spaces are created. Plants are combined and repeated throughout the landscape to create a natural look. Designs include “cues to care,” landscape elements that are immediately recognizable as designed and that signal continuing human presence to care for a landscape, like surrounding a mixed planting with a clipped hedge or mowing a margin next to a taller meadow planting. 
• Management activities are emphasized and traditional maintenance is avoided. Large-scale activities like mowing, burning, selective removal, or selective additions are management activities necessary to conserve the planting structure. Maintenance tasks such as watering, mulching, spraying, and leaf litter removal are avoided. Urban public spaces often lack the budget or staff for ongoing maintenance; designed plant communities provide a realistic approach to management. 

Plant Lists for Landscaping

The following plant list was created to guide municipalities in what plants are appropriate for landscaping around municipal properties and subdivisions created by developers. The list is also more broadly applicable to residential properties and others looking to convert to native plants for landscaping.

Landscaping Plant Lists

Outside Resources

Missouri Botanical Garden: Container Gardening with Native Plants (missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/visual-guides/container-gardening-with-native-plants as of 2024)

Audubon, At Home in The City Container Growing (http://pa.audubon.org/sites/default/files/native_plant_brochure_-_pa_audubon_2.pdf as of 2024)

Missouri Botanical Garden: Native Plant Container Design (missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening Help/Visual Guides/Natives for Containers Grow Native.pdf, as of 2024)