Go Native to Help Protect Lake George

What is a native plant?
Native plants in the United States are indigenous to an area at the time of European settlement. When referring to native plants, it is important to state the specific geographic region in which a plant is truly native.  A plant that is native to New York can also be considered a Northeast native or a U.S. native.  However, a plant that is native to the U.S. may not be native to New York. When someone tells you that a plant is native, do they mean it is native to the entire U.S.? or just the Northeast? to the entire state of New York? or only to the Lake George Watershed?

Using a plant that is native to California isn't nearly as beneficial as using one that is native to New York. But such a plant might still be labeled "native" at your local nursery. To find out if a plant is considered native to New York, you can go to the New York Flora Atlas and search by common or scientific name. For an even more specific listing of plants considered native to the Adirondack Park, compiled by the Adirondack Park Agency, click here - pdf.

The Benefits of Native Species
With all the benefits that native plants provide, you can feel good about enjoying the beautiful landscape all around you.
Native plants:
• Help protect New York’s biodiversity by providing food and habitat for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife;
• Save you time and money. Natives have evolved in our environment over many years and are already adapted to survive here, so they are low maintenance and don’t need lots of fertilizer, pesticides, and watering;
• Help reduce stormwater runoff. The deep roots of natives absorb and filter runoff more effectively than the short roots of many turf grasses and other ornamental plants.

So many choices...
Native plants come in just about every size, shape, and color - so you can be sure to find something that you will like. You can
design a native plant garden with interest in all four seasons, or a theme garden based on form or function. Here are just a few
examples to get you started.

We can also help recommend natives for clay or sandy soils, shade, rain gardens, shoreline buffers, or whatever you need - just give us a call at the office.