ow do native plants benefit the Places where you can purchase native ative lants HDelaware Estuary? plants and seeds: As rain washes over the land, it carries nutrients and chemicals Bowman’s Hill Octoraro Native Plant Nursery from lawns and other landscapes to storm drains and groundwater. This rainfall eventually drains into streams and Wildflower Preserve 6126 Street Road N P rivers. Because native plants require less fertilizer and pesticides, Washington Crossing Kirkwood, PA 17536 hat is the Delaware Estuary? using them reduces the amount of these pollutants that eventually Historic Park 717/529-4099 P.O. Box 685 The Delaware Estuary is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, surrounded enter our waterways. Therefore, when we use locally native Pinelands Nursery W species on our landscapes we make a meaningful contribution to New Hope, PA 18938 by portions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. An estuary is where fresh water 323 Island Rd. improving water quality in local watersheds and ultimately the 215/862-2924 from a river mixes with salt water from an ocean or bay. Estuaries are fragile ecosystems, www.bhwp.org Columbus, NJ 08022 which support some of the Earth’s richest and most productive habitats. The Delaware Delaware Estuary. 609/291-9486
Estuary stretches approximately 134 miles, from the falls of the Delaware River between Native plant species also significantly improve wildlife habitat. Brandywine Conservancy Sylva Native Nursery & Seeds Trenton, New Jersey and Morrisville, Pennsylvania, south to the mouth of the Delaware Bay Native wildlife has evolved with native plants. Birds, mammals P.O. Box 141 1683 Sieling Farm Road between Cape May, New Jersey and Cape Henlopen, Delaware. and other wildlife depend on vegetation for food and shelter, Chadds Ford, PA 19317 New Freedom, PA 17349 including nesting and other types of breeding sites. Unmowed 215/388-7601 717/227-0486 stretches of grass will not only provide valuable habitat, but also Croshaw Nursery 717/227-0484 fax help to filter out pollutants in the stormwater. hat are our landscaping traditions? P.O. Box 339, Mill Land Our landscape history began when the first settlers arrived Columbus, NJ 08022 Temple University - De Ambler Campus W la 609/298-0477 in the new world. Colonists brought many plants from their w xotic invasive plants: a r Native Plant Propagation Center homeland and created landscapes that imitated familiar e E Habitat s What are they? 580 Meetinghouse Rd. t Crownsville Nursery European-style gardens. Three centuries later, our landscapes u a E r y Exotic plants are any form of vegetation that have been P.O. Box 797 Ambler, PA 19002 are dominated by European design elements. Expansive Watershed Enhancement introduced to an area where they would not naturally Crownsville, MD 21032 215/283-1330 turf-grass lawns with symmetrically planted and shaped occur. Because they do not have the same checks and 410/849-3413 trees and shrubs, along with flowerbeds, characterize this RReadingeading Program Toadshade Wildflower Farm landscape tradition. Many of the plants we use are non- balances as they did in their native lands, many of these Delawa Environmental Concern 53 Everittstown Rd. re natives and because they have not evolved under local E species take over and become invasive. These exotic species st ua P.O. Box P Frenchtown, NJ 08825
conditions, these plants require a great deal of maintenance ry displace naturally occurring vegetation and in the process, W PPennsylvaniaennsylvania
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t H upset nature’s balance and diversity. to survive. Some are aggressive and have escaped from e Morrisville TTrentonrenton U
r Y St. Michaels, MD 21663 www.toadshade.com s LLK cultivation, thereby invading and threatening the survival of h ILL e R 301/745-9620 d IV Invasive plants share the following characteristics: our native plant communities. These plants are known as ER We-Du Nurseries Philadelphia exotics or non-native species. Camden • rapid growth Ernst Conservation Seeds Route 5, Box 724 ER E RIV AR • prolific reproductive capabilities including highly 9006 Mercer Pike Marion, NC 28752 W Today, few of us have the time or resources needed to A Wilmington L E Meadville, PA 16335 828/738-8300 D successful seed dispersal and germination maintain formal, high-maintenance landscapes. At the same D NewNeDw JerseJerseyy e l • rampant spread and colonization 814/336-2402 www.we.du.com a e time, we are recognizing the threats that non-native species w la a w
r • costly to control 800/873-3321 pose to biological diversity. As a result, people are exploring e a
E re Wild Earth Nursery
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environmentally sound and attractive landscapes, reducing Maryland t s u Bridgeton t
u Natural Landscapes 49 Mead Ave. a
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the size of lawns, and incorporating locally native plant y r W y ow can you incorporate locally 354 N. Jennersville Rd. Freehold, NJ 07728 species. a W t a e DoDoverver t West Grove, PA 19390 732/308-9777 r e s rs native plants into your landscape? h h e e 610/869-3788 www.wildearth.com
d H d Develop a long-term plan to introduce locally native species. A hy native plants? Delaware good approach is to work on one section at a time, perhaps Niche Gardens Bay Atlantic designing a native wildflower bed or converting a small section of 1111 D a w son Road WNative plants are those species that were present before DelawareDelaware Cape MayOcean lawn back into a native meadow. Another approach is to replace Chapel Hill, NC 27516 European settlement in North America. These species have non-native plants lost from storm damage, insects or disease, 919/967-0078 evolved in the presence of local soils and climate conditions Cape Henlopen with native species. www.nichegdn.com and have developed natural defenses to insects and disease. They also require less water and can tolerate drought North Creek Nurseries conditions better than exotic species. These characteristics here can you purchase native 388 North Creek Road make native species easy to grow, low maintenance plants plant species? Landenburg, PA 19350 W 610/255-0100 with many environmental benefits. Native plants are sometimes hard to find because of people’s fascination with rare and exotic species. During the past few years, the nursery industry has begun to recognize the importance of adding locally native species to their plant inventories that are available for retail sale. If your local garden center has not yet caught onto this trend, explain that you want locally native plant species that need less fertilizer, less pesticide, less water, and that
provide better habitat for native wildlife species. Printed on recycled paper. 3/02
For more information about the Delaware Estuary, call 1-800-445-4935, or visit www.DelawareEstuary.org and www.delep.org. Funding for this fact sheet was provided by U. S. EPA, Region II, in support of the Delaware Estuary Program. Special thanks to U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Natural Lands Trust. ow do native plants benefit the Places where you can purchase native ative lants HDelaware Estuary? plants and seeds: As rain washes over the land, it carries nutrients and chemicals Bowman’s Hill Octoraro Native Plant Nursery from lawns and other landscapes to storm drains and groundwater. This rainfall eventually drains into streams and Wildflower Preserve 6126 Street Road N P rivers. Because native plants require less fertilizer and pesticides, Washington Crossing Kirkwood, PA 17536 hat is the Delaware Estuary? using them reduces the amount of these pollutants that eventually Historic Park 717/529-4099 P.O. Box 685 The Delaware Estuary is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, surrounded enter our waterways. Therefore, when we use locally native Pinelands Nursery W species on our landscapes we make a meaningful contribution to New Hope, PA 18938 by portions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. An estuary is where fresh water 323 Island Rd. improving water quality in local watersheds and ultimately the 215/862-2924 from a river mixes with salt water from an ocean or bay. Estuaries are fragile ecosystems, www.bhwp.org Columbus, NJ 08022 which support some of the Earth’s richest and most productive habitats. The Delaware Delaware Estuary. 609/291-9486
Estuary stretches approximately 134 miles, from the falls of the Delaware River between Native plant species also significantly improve wildlife habitat. Brandywine Conservancy Sylva Native Nursery & Seeds Trenton, New Jersey and Morrisville, Pennsylvania, south to the mouth of the Delaware Bay Native wildlife has evolved with native plants. Birds, mammals P.O. Box 141 1683 Sieling Farm Road between Cape May, New Jersey and Cape Henlopen, Delaware. and other wildlife depend on vegetation for food and shelter, Chadds Ford, PA 19317 New Freedom, PA 17349 including nesting and other types of breeding sites. Unmowed 215/388-7601 717/227-0486 stretches of grass will not only provide valuable habitat, but also Croshaw Nursery 717/227-0484 fax help to filter out pollutants in the stormwater. hat are our landscaping traditions? P.O. Box 339, Mill Land Our landscape history began when the first settlers arrived Columbus, NJ 08022 Temple University - De Ambler Campus W la 609/298-0477 in the new world. Colonists brought many plants from their w xotic invasive plants: a r Native Plant Propagation Center homeland and created landscapes that imitated familiar e E Habitat s What are they? 580 Meetinghouse Rd. t Crownsville Nursery European-style gardens. Three centuries later, our landscapes u a E r y Exotic plants are any form of vegetation that have been P.O. Box 797 Ambler, PA 19002 are dominated by European design elements. Expansive Watershed Enhancement introduced to an area where they would not naturally Crownsville, MD 21032 215/283-1330 turf-grass lawns with symmetrically planted and shaped occur. Because they do not have the same checks and 410/849-3413 trees and shrubs, along with flowerbeds, characterize this RReadingeading Program Toadshade Wildflower Farm landscape tradition. Many of the plants we use are non- balances as they did in their native lands, many of these Delawa Environmental Concern 53 Everittstown Rd. re natives and because they have not evolved under local E species take over and become invasive. These exotic species st ua P.O. Box P Frenchtown, NJ 08825
conditions, these plants require a great deal of maintenance ry displace naturally occurring vegetation and in the process, W PPennsylvaniaennsylvania
S 210 West Chew Ave. 908/996-7500
a C
t H upset nature’s balance and diversity. to survive. Some are aggressive and have escaped from e Morrisville TTrentonrenton U
r Y St. Michaels, MD 21663 www.toadshade.com s LLK cultivation, thereby invading and threatening the survival of h ILL e R 301/745-9620 d IV Invasive plants share the following characteristics: our native plant communities. These plants are known as ER We-Du Nurseries Philadelphia exotics or non-native species. Camden • rapid growth Ernst Conservation Seeds Route 5, Box 724 ER E RIV AR • prolific reproductive capabilities including highly 9006 Mercer Pike Marion, NC 28752 W Today, few of us have the time or resources needed to A Wilmington L E Meadville, PA 16335 828/738-8300 D successful seed dispersal and germination maintain formal, high-maintenance landscapes. At the same D NewNeDw JerseJerseyy e l • rampant spread and colonization 814/336-2402 www.we.du.com a e time, we are recognizing the threats that non-native species w la a w
r • costly to control 800/873-3321 pose to biological diversity. As a result, people are exploring e a
E re Wild Earth Nursery
s E
environmentally sound and attractive landscapes, reducing Maryland t s u Bridgeton t
u Natural Landscapes 49 Mead Ave. a
r a
the size of lawns, and incorporating locally native plant y r W y ow can you incorporate locally 354 N. Jennersville Rd. Freehold, NJ 07728 species. a W t a e DoDoverver t West Grove, PA 19390 732/308-9777 r e s rs native plants into your landscape? h h e e 610/869-3788 www.wildearth.com
d H d Develop a long-term plan to introduce locally native species. A hy native plants? Delaware good approach is to work on one section at a time, perhaps Niche Gardens Bay Atlantic designing a native wildflower bed or converting a small section of 1111 D a w son Road WNative plants are those species that were present before DelawareDelaware Cape MayOcean lawn back into a native meadow. Another approach is to replace Chapel Hill, NC 27516 European settlement in North America. These species have non-native plants lost from storm damage, insects or disease, 919/967-0078 evolved in the presence of local soils and climate conditions Cape Henlopen with native species. www.nichegdn.com and have developed natural defenses to insects and disease. They also require less water and can tolerate drought North Creek Nurseries conditions better than exotic species. These characteristics here can you purchase native 388 North Creek Road make native species easy to grow, low maintenance plants plant species? Landenburg, PA 19350 W 610/255-0100 with many environmental benefits. Native plants are sometimes hard to find because of people’s fascination with rare and exotic species. During the past few years, the nursery industry has begun to recognize the importance of adding locally native species to their plant inventories that are available for retail sale. If your local garden center has not yet caught onto this trend, explain that you want locally native plant species that need less fertilizer, less pesticide, less water, and that
provide better habitat for native wildlife species. Printed on recycled paper. 3/02
For more information about the Delaware Estuary, call 1-800-445-4935, or visit www.DelawareEstuary.org and www.delep.org. Funding for this fact sheet was provided by U. S. EPA, Region II, in support of the Delaware Estuary Program. Special thanks to U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Natural Lands Trust.