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.