Why Use Native Plants in Yards and Gardens?

Native plants are adapted to the local climate, soils, and insects; therefore, they require little or no additional fertilizers, pesticides, or irrigation.
As a result, the use of native plants minimizes the transport of nutrients and pesticides into the groundwater and improves the health of our nearby harbors and estuaries.
Native plants provide butterflies, birds, and wildlife with shelter and food, including seeds, berries, and nectar.

Wildflowers and Ferns

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) : This wildflower is tolerant of dry, open sites and has conspicuous orange flowers (June-August) that attract butterflies.

Smooth Aster (Aster laevis): This species is tolerant of moist to dry soils and has violet-blue flowers with yellow centers n September to October. This species also attracts butterflies.

Blue Lupine (Lupinus perennis): Lupine thrives in open sites with dry soils and has showy blue, pink, or white flowers in May-June.

Wild Bergamont (Monarda fistulas): This species tolerates moist to dry sites and forms dens colonies. The ornate pink flowers are present between June and September.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta): This species is tolerant of dry soils and open, sunny conditions, its yellow blossoms are present between June and August.

Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides): This fern (up to 1.5’) thrives in the shade of trees and is more tolerant of dry soils than most ferns. The fronds are evergreen and add color in the winter months.

Marginal Woodfern (Dryopteris marginalia): This fern (up to 2’ tall) has dark green, leathery fronds that also add interest during the winter months.

Native Trees, Shrubs, Wildflowers, and Ornamental Grasses for Home Landscaping

Oaks: Several species of oak are native to Long Island including Red Oak (Quercus rubra), White Oak (Quercus
alba), Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus), and Black Oak (Quercus velutina). These large trees (50-80’) thrive in Long Island’s sandy soils and attract both birds and wildlife. Some oaks have pleasant red- or rust-colored foliage in autumn.

Red Maple (Acer rubrum): This quick-growing tree (60- 75’) tolerates a wide range of soil moisture and sunlight conditions and provides brilliant red color in autumn.

Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra): Pignut hickory is a fastgrowing tree (50-90’) that grows well in sandy soils. The leaves turn bright yellow in the autumn and the nuts are valued by wildlife.

Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida): This medium-sized (to 60’) tree grows well on infertile, sandy soils.

Small Trees

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida): This small tree (10-40’) has large white flowers in the early spring and beautiful red to purple leaves in fall. Dogwoods prefer moist, slightly acidic soils.

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana): This small evergreen tree (20-40’) can be used to provide screening and winter color. Red cedar tolerates a variety of soil types, but prefers full sun and dry sites. The dense foliage and berries provide shelter and food for various songbirds.

Shrubs

Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum): This medium-sized shrub (<12’) is best suited to moderate to moist sites and has aromatic white flowers in the spring. The berries are prized by people and wildlife and the leaves turn bright red in the fall.

Bayberry (Morella pennsylvanica): This medium-sized shrub (to 10’) thrives in dry, open sites and is tolerant of salt spray in coastal areas. The waxy berries provide an important food source for songbirds during the winter.

American Holly (Ilex opaca): This large shrub (10-40’) is evergreen and provides winter color. The red berries provide color in summer and serve as food for songbirds.

Great Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum): This large shrub (5-35’) prefers moderate to moist soils and has large, white-to-pink flower clusters (up to 5” across) in June-July and the evergreen leaves provide winter color.

Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia): This native shrub (5-15’) is characteristic of undisturbed woodlands, particularly slopes, on the hilly north shore of Long Island. Mountain laurel has stunning white to pink blossoms in May-June and the evergreen leaves provide winter color.

Ornamental Grasses

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii): The blue-green leaves turn shades of red/purple in fall. This grass thrives in sunny, sandy sites and may reach 3-4′ in height.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum): Switchgrass forms tall (3-5’), attractive clumps that are yellow in the autumn and tan in the winter. Switchgrass grows well in moist to dry sites and tolerates salt spray in coastal areas.

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium): This ornamental grass (up to 3’ tall) grows well in dry, open sites. The grass turns gold in the fall with fluffy white seed clusters. The grass blades persist through much of winter and retain their gold color all winter.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the students of the Port Jefferson High School Environmental Club for suggesting that the Village encourage the use of native plants throughout Port Jefferson.