nrg-native-species-planting-guide-091714

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E. Urban Plant Communities


Urban plant communities are those that occur in developed, landscaped, or built up areas.


They occur on a wide variety of soils, and are the most frequently encountered plant


community for most people.


The palette of our natural plant communities can be used to help select the right plant


species for the right urban place. Understanding the conditions that these plants naturally


occur in will reveal the compatibility of a particular species to a projects site conditions.


Urban Landscapes


Urban landscapes can be some of the most challenging sites to work within. Many times


this type of landscape becomes an excuse to use the same tried and true palette of


plants because “nothing else will grow there”. In reality, many native pioneer species


have found and will thrive in abandoned lots and rail lines, cracks in the concrete and


roadsides.


o Many of the species found in the Successional Communities - Old Fields and


Urban Lots, are the ideal species to consider for challenging sites. Designers


should consider these species for many types of urban parks. For more natural


areas, straight species are preferred, but there are many commercially available


cultivars of these species for more manicured areas, to meet habitat and


aesthetic goals. Many of these species are successful in phyto-remediation.


o Poor soils with low nutrients, or other soils with high content of magnesium or


other metals, where remediation or restoration is not possible or desired, can be


a difficult site to work with. Plants from the Serpentine Barrens community may


be appropriate, given their adaptations to thrive in low-nutrient soils close to


bedrock. Their native soil conditions are only found on Staten Island, however,


these plants can be considered for use in other disturbed soils.


o For new parks or sites with minimal canopy, Successional Mixed Hardwoods


provide a range of species that are hardy, establish quickly and tolerate a range


of soils. Creating the proper framework for your desired climax habitats is the


necessary first step for the long term sustainability of a healthy ecosystem.


Established Parks


Many established parks have a dense tree canopy that can limit the amount of sun and


nutrients that reach the forest floor. In projects where understory species are being


expanded and green space increased, there are a range of opportunities to increase


species diversity and habitat value. Knowing the habitat your project is situated within


can help guide you to species that will be suitable for the existing conditions.

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