Native Plants
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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
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Thursday - May 09, 2013
From: Cortlandt Manor, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Trees
Title: Trees to replace ones lost in Westchester County, NY
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
We lost a large number of trees in the forest adjacent to our home, and I plan to replant them. What species do you recommend to plant the area with natives and to keep it looking "natural."ANSWER:
Was it Hurricane Sandy that took down your trees? I suspect so. If that is so, then I recommend your replacing them with the species that were lost if you know or remember which those were. That would ensure that the trees would be growing in the correct habitat. If, however, the trees were lost due to disease, then we should pick some other species. I have prepared a list of native trees that are reported to grow in Westchester County, New York according to the USDA Plants Database and our New York Recommended list of plants native to the state and commercially available for landscaping. All the trees below appear on both lists. There are deciduous ones and evergreens, small to large, relatively fast-growing and slow-growing trees on the list. If you would like to look at the ones on the New York Recommended list to see if there are other trees you might prefer, use the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option to limit the list by choosing "Trees" from the GENERAL APPEARANCE slot. You can also choose other criteria that match your site. Not all the plants on the New York Recommended list have been reported from Westchester County, but you can determine if they have by scrolling to near the bottom of the species page to the ADDITIONAL RESOURCES area and choosing the link to the USDA. On the USDA Plants Database page click on New York on the distribution map to see the county distribution in the state.
Betula populifolia (Gray birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam)
Carya ovata (Shagbark hickory)
Cornus florida (Flowering dogwood)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (White ash)
Juniperus virginiana (Eastern red cedar)
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip tree)
Pinus strobus (Eastern white pine)
Prunus serotina (Black cherry)
Quercus coccinea (Scarlet oak)
Tsuga canadensis (Eastern hemlock)
Below are photos from our Image Gallery of some of the trees listed above.
From the Image Gallery
More Trees Questions
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March 05, 2012 - We would like to plant a Dynamite Crape myrtle in front of our front window. They grow 20' to 30'. Can I trim it each year to about 15' to 20'? Should we plant it approximately 5 feet from the ...
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What is eating the leaves of my oak tree in Cedar Park, TX?
May 25, 2010 - This one has a couple of arborists stumped. I have clusters of small, light-colored worms on the leaves of an oak tree, but no tents or webs. They are eating the chlorophyll in the leaves, leaving th...
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Planting and care of Desert Willow in Golden Valley, AZ.
May 17, 2013 - I got a desert willow to plant in yard. Some of the leaves dried out before I could plant. Will that stop the tree from growing into a decent size tree or stay as a shrub?
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Wild plum tree failing to bloom from Simonton TX
May 04, 2013 - I have a wild plum tree that has been in the ground for 3 or 4 years and it has not ever flowered. Why? I don't know what kind it is. I dug it up from a friends yard. Her wild plum trees have flowere...
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