For landscape architects, designers, installers and maintenance professionals.
Learn and earn continuing education credits from the comfort of your home or office, at your own pace.
Benefit from practical, experienced, professional feedback.

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT OFFERED:
2 CEs for Florida Registered Landscape Architects
4 CEUs for FNGLA Certified Professionals

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Participants will gain an understanding of how to use Florida native plant communities as a guide for selecting the right native plants for the right place, based on aesthetics, ecology, performance and availability.

FORMAT: Self-paced research and hands-on exercise with communication by email/phone.

TIME REQUIREMENT: 2-4 hours (estimate of average time required on your part)

OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Microsoft Word and Excel, Adobe Reader or other PDF file browser, Email, and Internet access with web browser

PROJECT: Participant will use an existing landscape design and suggested references to select plants for a residential front-yard landscape project. FANN professionals will evaluate the submitted site description and plant list, and provide written feedback.

MATERIALS PROVIDED:

• Instructions, suggested references, evaluation criteria
• Landscape design (plan format in PDF file)
• Forms for describing site conditions and listing selected plants
• Participant feedback form
• Written feedback & FNGLA CEU form

EVALUATION PROCESS: FANN professionals review the submitted site description and plant selection, and score submittals using detailed evaluation criteria. Submittals receiving 70 of 100 possible points are granted 4 CEUs for FNGLA Certified Landscape Professionals. Download evaluation criteria (PDF file)

COURSE FEE: just $35 (includes all materials and review as described)

REGISTER NOW

AGREEMENT: It is the participant’s responsibilty to complete and submit coursework within six months of registration.

FANN agrees to provide evaluation and feedback within 45 days of receipt of participant’s submitted course materials. LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED THE PROCESS EXPEDITED. We understand deadlines.

All materials submitted are considered property of FANN and may be used in the development of future courses or other educational materials. Materials provided to registered participants are for use in the FANN course only and are not to be copied or distributed outside of this registered use.

FANN COURSE: RFL001

Course #0009272 approved by the Florida Board of Landscape Architecture.
FANN is a licensed provider (#0005309) of Continuing Professional Education programs for Florida landscape architects.

Brief descriptions of plant community soils, drainage and natural cycles
Elevation drawings like the one above
Plant lists identifying canopy & understory trees, shrubs, vines, and groundcover plants
Plant lists for difficult areas (medians, parking lots, retention)
Exceptional plants
Florida native palms
Horticultural hardiness zones (8a through 11) added to the map in 2010

The book is a widely used reference for both landscape professionals and native plant enthusiasts, and has long been one of the state recommended references for landscape architects. Out of print for several years, it has been reprinted in 2011 and is now available with an updated climate map. Handsome coil binding for ease of use.

If you want to order more than one copy or have questions, please contact FANN.

Price: $24.95 includes shipping and sales tax

BUY ONLINE NOW

Availability

More native plants are available than ever before, but many are still limited in availability, and considerable time is often required to coordinate availability among multiple native growers. For some species, it may be necessary to contract grow the plants. Many native plants cannot be produced on the same schedule or with the same methods as non-natives. Use this website to identify general availability, but always consult directly with FANN growers by phone before submitting plant lists to installers or clients. If your project has the luxury of planning time, consider contract growing as a solution to obtaining exactly what you want.

Reasonable Sizes to Specify

All too often, we see requirements for plants which cannot be grown to the sizes specified in a practical time period. Unfortunately, existing Florida Grades and Standards were not developed with a comprehensive, in-depth view of what constitutes healthy native plant growth. Use of these “one size/one form fits all” industry standards sometimes results in unreasonable expectations and a loss of natural, healthy diversity of species and forms.

Diversity and Genetic Adaptation of Species

Scientists are just beginning to understand that the variety of plant species found in native plant communities is part of what makes these communities able to adapt and regenerate in response to change. Some of this adaptability is genetically encoded in the plants, resulting in what we call “local ecotypes,” species specifically adapted to local conditions. Sustainable landscape designs should strive to mimic the complexity and diversity found in native plant communities whenever possible. Don’t feel compelled to plant repetitive masses of a small number of species. And always ask where plants come from and how their origin is expected to affect their performance. Source plants locally, from locally grown seed or cuttings, whenever possible.

Adaptability, including any specific plant needs or limits

Not surprisingly, our most popular and widely used native plants are generally highly adaptable to a range of conditions. But some native plants do have specific or narrow tolerances with regard to soil fertility, pH, drainage or other conditions. Some of this information is provided in reference books but it’s always best to check with FANN growers, who have seen the plants perform in a wide variety of sites over long periods of time.

Landscape Performance, including Seasonality

Don’t rely solely on reference books to determine whether plants “look good” at different times of the year. Check with local FANN growers. There can be great variation in general appearance within a species and in its seasonal behavior, depending upon location. Wildflowers are becoming more popular and available, but many have periods of time during which they are less attractive or visible. It’s important to know these details during selection.

Best Methods for Establishment and Maintenance

Ask growers about schedules and methods for irrigation, fertilization and pruning/shearing, and document this information for use in maintenance plans. Don’t assume that the maintenance techniques you’ve been using in traditional non-native landscapes will work well in native landscapes. Some native plants will not respond well to heavy watering, others will. The same is true for fertilization and pruning/shearing. Growers should also be consulted about choices of mulch and other site materials that can affect plant performance.

Thinking Native

Learning to design in native plant communities and select native plants is a little like learning a new language. FANN can help you acquire the grammar and vocabulary and have you “thinking native” in no time. With advance communication and planning, you can design and install a native landscape that rivals the beauty and sustainability you see in nature. FANN is here to help – your success is ours as well.

Thousands of years of trial and adaptation have proven which plants thrive in these communities. Anything that didn’t work was eliminated a long time ago. Understanding native plant communities can lead to more successful native plant selections for sustainable landscapes, by helping you:

• Match the right plant to the right place, based on site conditions and location
• Combine plants with similar cultural needs (soil fertility, water and exposure)
• Group and arrange plants in ways that enhance our sense of place
• Attract and support native wildlife in the landscape

FANN encourages you to explore Florida’s natural areas to see native plants in their natural setting and associations. National and state parks, and some county parks intended for conservation, are great examples. Florida Native Plant Society conducts guided field trips throughout the state that are excellent opportunities to see and learn about Florida’s natural flora. Find a local chapter and you’ll meet botanists, ecologists and others who really know your local native plant communities.

Why is the word “community” used?

A distinct and recurring assemblage of populations of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms naturally associated with each other and their physical environment. – Florida Natural Areas Inventory

A group of native plants that interact with each other and their environment in ways not greatly altered by modern human activity or by introduced organisms
… form recognizable units [e.g., hardwood hammocks, pine flatwoods, beach dunes] that tend to repeat over space and time
… classified and described by considering vegetation, hydrology, landforms, soils and natural disturbance regimes [e.g., droughts, floods, storms and floods]
… named for the characteristic plant species within them or for characteristic environmental features [e.g., pine rockland].
– adapted from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources definition

Native plant communities are also referred to as natural communities, native or natural habitats, native plant associations. Generally, native plant communities are the “floral” components of natural ecosystems.

Learn More

The Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy is another great resource for exploring and learning about Florida’s native lands and plants. They also have vegetation maps of all kinds, generally much more complex serving conservation and restoration interests.

Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI), a nonprofit dedicated to developing and maintaining a database of Florida’s biological diversity. Much more detail and scientific information on our Florida native plant communities can be found online in FNAI’s Guide to the Natural Communities of Florida, 2010 Edition.

The Plant Communities Map used on this website is directly adapted from the original “General Map of Natural Vegetation of Florida” developed by John Henry Davis, University of Florida (UF), and published in 1967 by UF’s Agricultural Experiment Station, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), in Gainesville, in their Circular S-178. The map was subsequently used for Florida ecology classes at UF for many years. UF Graduates from the 1960s, 70s and 80s may recognize the map. Digital reproductions are available from the University of Florida Digital Collections Library. Earlier versions of this map exist, in particular Davis’ Vegetation Map of South Florida from 1943; and a variety of modified versions exist with other organizations as well.

The Davis map is one of many available vegetation maps for Florida, but one which FANN thinks strikes a pretty useful balance between simplicity and complexity when it comes to using it as a tool for plant selection. FANN incorporated the map, with modifications, into our 1991 book, Xeric Landscaping with Florida Native Plants, and of course this website as well as our consumer site, PlantRealFlorida.org

John Henry Davis (1901-1978?) was a prominent Florida botanist perhaps best known for his groundbreaking study of Florida’s mangroves and mangrove swamp systems, mapping the Florida Everglades, early promotion of the importance of beach dunes and their development and maintenance and consultation to the infamous and fortunately ill-fated Cross Florida Barge Canal. Davis went to high school in Eustis, Florida, spent his college summers here, married a woman from Orlando, and after earning a Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Chicago (part of an early class in this subject), returned to Florida permanently in 1941. His work with the Florida Geological Survey and UF took him all over the state, and thankfully for us, resulted in a greater understanding of our state’s native plant communities.

FANN would like to see the map moved into the 21st century so that industry can take advantage of digital technology to enhance its usage. Michael Miller, of Perfect Island US, a Florida landscape designer with experience using FANN’s plant selection framework based on the map, actively works to promote the maps use and enhancement through hands-on experience and modern technology. We appreciate Michael’s enthusiasm and work, and look forward to his future innovations in this area.

Butterflies and hummingbirds are constant reminders of why gardeners who live in southern and coastal Central Florida cultivate our native Firebush (Hamelia patens var. patens). This ever-blooming shrub or small tree (to 15′) seems to always have butterflies around the flowers. Hummingbirds, bees, and wasps frequent the flowers as well. As an added bonus, fruit-eating birds such as mockingbirds, catbirds, and blue-headed vireos savor the small purple fruits, and the leaves serve as larval food for the Pluto Sphinx, a hummingbird-like moth that can be seen visiting the blossoms at dusk, or laying eggs on the leaves.

On the left, native Firebush leaves are broadly lanceolate, in whorls of 3-4 (typically 3, as shown here), and often tinged with red. Leaves and young stems are covered with appressed (flattened) hairs. On the right, non-native Firebush, of a variety frequently marketed as "dwarf" (but not dwarf), with glabrous (no hairs) leaves whorled in groups of 3-4 (typically 4, as shown here).

Florida’s native Firebush has many horticultural attributes, but it is decidedly cold sensitive and can only be cultivated successfully outdoors in USDA Zones 10, 11, and the warmer portions of Zone 9. In Zone 8 northward it will be killed in winter, so it is sometimes grown in those colder regions as an annual. The broadly lanceolate leaves are in whorls of 3-4 (typically 3) and are often tinged with red, especially when grown in full sun. The leaves and young stems are covered with appressed (flattened) hairs. Narrow, tubular, orange-red flowers are in terminal and axillary clusters, each flower ranging from 1/2-1″ long and about 1/8″ wide. The flowers can be yellowish when in bud, turning orange after opening, and then orange-red once they are pollinated – but the dominant color on open flowers is typically red, or orange-red.

L-R: Native Firebush (Hamelia patens var. patens). Non-native H. patens var. glabra (frequently sold as 'African' or 'Dwarf' and sometimes 'Compacta'). Non-native H. cuprea. Non-native hybrid of H. cuprea and H. patens.

Hamelia patens var. patens has the widest natural range of any other species in the genus. It occurs from Marion County in Florida south through the Florida Keys, the West Indies, and Mexico into South America. Its distribution in South America is mostly from Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador to Peru, with isolated populations in Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. It is regarded as one of the most common shrubs in tropical America and is the only member of the genus native to Florida and the Bahamas.

Hamelia is a small genus of 16 species with a mostly tropical American distribution and commemorates French botanist Henri Louis DuHamel de Monceau (1700-1782). The name means “spreading,” alluding to the growth habit.

Sometime in the mid-1980s, a non-native variety of Hamelia patens was introduced into the Florida nursery trade, but, oddly enough, the material came from a botanical garden in Pretoria, South Africa. The plant quickly became popular under the misnomer Hamelia patens ‘African’ or “African Firebush,” and erroneously sold as a Florida native by many nurseries and garden centers throughout the state. Its correct botanical name is Hamelia patens var. glabra, which has a natural range that encompasses extreme southern Mexico through Central America and into northern South America, as well as Trinidad and Tobago. As the name glabra implies, the leaves are glabrous (without hairs) and are whorled in groups of 3-4 (typically 4). The flowers of this variety are mostly yellow with a reddish orange base, often with thin red lines along the outside of the floral tube. By examining the bottom of a leaf through a magnifying lens, small hairs on the veins are visible, but the leaf blade is essentially smooth.

Hamelia patens var. glabra is also sold under the trade name ‘Firefly,’ and this cultivar is advertised as having slightly smaller leaves.

Quite a number of Florida nurseries offer Hamelia patens ‘Compacta’ and there is much confusion involving this cultivar name. Some nurseries offer a variety of Hamelia patens var. patens with a rounded, compact growth form and dark red flowers. All Native LLC offers this form under the trademark name ‘Calusa.’ Other nurseries, both in Florida and on the Internet, offer a compact version of Hamelia patens var. glabra, with its typical orange-based yellow flowers, and refer to it as ‘Compacta’ as well. It is also sold as “Dwarf Firebush,” even though the plant may eventually exceed eight feet in height unless it is pruned. A large number of Florida nurseries also offer Hamelia nodosa as “Dwarf Firebush” but this is nothing more than a botanical synonym of Hamelia patens var. glabra.

Another species that has become popular in the nursery trade is Hamelia cuprea, which is advertised by many Florida nurseries as “Bahama Firebush.” This common name is another misnomer because Hamelia cuprea does not occur in the Bahamas. It is native to Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the Cayman Islands. Perhaps “Antillean Firebush” would be a more appropriate common name. This very ornamental small tree (to 20′) has glossy, light green or copper-colored (cuprea means “coppery”) elliptic leaves in whorls of 3, which average 3″ long and 1 1/2″ wide. The bell-shaped yellow flowers are mostly 1-1/4″ long and 3/4″ wide, turning reddish orange with age. The flowers have six thin red longitudinal stripes and six reflexed lobes. Bees frequent the flowers along with occasional hummingbirds and butterflies.

To complicate things even further, Hamelia cuprea hybridizes with Hamelia patens, and the hybrids produce flowers that are intermediate between the two species, resembling Hamelia cuprea in color but are much narrower, measuring about 1-1/4″ long and 1/4″ wide.

At present, no other members of the genus are available commercially in Florida although one Florida nursery currently advertises Hamelia macrantha, but this is likely a misidentification of Hamelia cuprea. However, a quick check on the Internet revealed one other Florida nursery advertising Hamelia macrantha with an accompanying photo of a Hamelia cuprea x Hamelia patens hybrid. True Hamelia macrantha is not known to be in Florida. It is a rainforest species native from Costa Rica south through Panama and Colombia to Ecuador. Its flowers are bell-shaped, wider than Hamelia cuprea, and solid yellow.

Whether or not any of the non-native members of this genus will escape into natural areas in Florida and become a problem for resource managers has yet to be seen. Non-native Hamelia patens var. glabra readily escapes from seed around cultivated specimens and may contaminate the gene pool of Florida’s native Firebush through hybridization, so it appears to be the plant to watch, especially with its increasing popularity as a landscape plant in Florida.

References:
Elias, Thomas. 1976. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden: A Monograph of the Genus Hamelia (RUBIACEAE); 26(4): 81–144. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York

About the author: Roger Hammer, is a Miami-Dade County naturalist, author, and photographer. He served as Senior Interpretive Naturalist for Miami-Dade County Parks & Recreation Department for 33 years and has a statewide reputation for botanical knowledge. Roger discovered two new orchids in Florida, now listed as endangered species, has received numerous awards and is a frequent invited speaker at plant-related events, including having twice been the opening ceremony speaker for the World Orchid Conference. He is the author of three FalconGuide® reference books: Everglades Wildflowers, Florida Keys Wildflowers, Everglades National Park, and folding laminated wildflower identification cards for Southeastern Florida, Southwestern Florida, and Central Florida. His books and plant ID cards are available at all major bookstores.

Meet Roger!
And take a class on great plants for Zones 10-11 on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011 in Fort Myers. Click for details and to register.

Every year as fall approaches, millions of monarch butterflies throughout eastern North America make their long-distance journey south to the mountains of central Mexico to overwinter. In Florida, we also have small resident populations that breed year-round in southern portions of the state. Many butterfly enthusiasts and gardeners plant milkweed in their landscapes to help provide needed food for monarch larvae.

Unfortunately, not all milkweeds are the same. Non-native Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias currasivica), by far the most common commercially available species and sometimes misidentified in the marketplace as native, has escaped from cultivation in many areas and can cause some problems for Monarchs. Because Tropical Milkweed grows throughout the year (weather permitting), it can enable monarchs to continue breeding well into the fall or winter, disrupting their normal migratory cycle. Prolonged breeding can also foster higher than normal infection rates by a lethal protozoan parasite, Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, or OE for short. In fact, recent research indicates that such year-round resources could prolong exposure to parasites, elevate infection prevalence, and even favor more virulent parasite genotypes.

The simple answer to this potential problem is “go native.” An abundant and diverse supply of native milkweed species will contribute to a an abundant healthy population of monarch butterflies. The challenge is finding one of our many native milkweed species in nursery production. [FANN growers offer Scarlet or Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Aquatic or White Milkweed (A. perennis) and Butterflyweed (A. tuberosa) in small quantities – usually, hundreds or less.]

The Florida Museum of Natural History and the Butterfly Conservation Initiative are trying to help by growing several milkweeds including Asclepias perennis, A. incarnata, A. humistrata and A. lanceolata for eventual retail sale as well as developing appropriate nursery propagation protocols. This effort complements the excellent work of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to increase the availability of Florida native milkweed seed for monarch butterfly habitat restoration efforts. Finally, our three organizations are developing an informational brochure that emphasizes the importance of using native milkweed, features several Florida milkweed species and provides color photos of common butterfly larvae and their native Florida host plants. We hope to raise awareness and interest in using native plants in the landscape and help stimulate more native milkweed production. Look for the new brochure as a companion to the Florida Wildflowers & Butterflies brochure in early 2012. Also see: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/wildflower/books.asp

About Milkweed Seed

The following information provided by Brianna Borders, Plant Ecologist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Commercial sources of Florida native milkweed seed are even more scarce than plants. This can make it difficult to include milkweed in budget-challenged regional restoration efforts. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Plant Materials Center in Brooksville, to increase the availability of Florida native milkweed seed for monarch butterfly habitat restoration efforts. In winter 2011, Xerces and the Plant Materials Center will initiate seed production of Pinewoods Milkweed (Asclepias humistrata) and Aquatic Milkweed (A. perennis). The seed produced will be transferred to private native seed producers for commercial-scale production. Xerces contracted with Oecohort, LLC to wild-collect the seed stock used to initiate this seed increase program.

Queen caterpillar feeds on Butterfly Milkweed flower buds.

The monarch butterfly is one of our most easily recognized butterflies and well known for its long migration across North America. Unfortunately, the loss of natural habitat, in particular native milkweeds, has resulted in dwindling monarch populations vulnerable to other pressures, such as disease and a deadly parasite known as Ophryocystis elktroscirrha (OE), which can be passed from infected butterflies to healthy ones. OE can build up in a population over time.

In Florida, we see migrating monarchs in spring and fall, but also see year-round butterflies who take advantage of our warm climate and the prevalence of non-native tropical milkweed (Asclepias currasivica). This species has showy flowers, is easy to grow and reliably attracts monarchs. While not on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) list (yet), this plant has spread into natural areas and is often seen on roadsides and in open pastures. It is commonly sold and frequently mistaken as a native species.

Monarchs feed primarily on milkweed plants (Asclepias species).* Butterfly experts such as Dr. Jaret Daniels of the University of Florida believe that the spread of the non-native tropical milkweed may be causing monarch populations to persist longer than they naturally would, making them more vulnerable to OE and thus presenting a risk to other monarch populations. Encouraging monarchs to persist in areas where they would not normally overwinter also subjects them to devastating freezes. Thus, planting the non-native milkweed can have a negative impact on the population of monarch butterflies. By planting native milkweed, particularly the correct native milkweed species for our area, we can help maintain a safe, healthy natural food source that monarchs have relied upon for thousands of years. Queen and Soldier butterflies also rely on native milkweed plants.

Another threat to monarchs is the frequent use of systemic insecticides in the horticultural industry. Milkweed plants purchased from non-native nurseries are much more likely to have been treated with this poison, which persists in the plant tissues, killing caterpillars and causing butterfly eggs not to hatch. Female monarchs feeding on treated milkweed may repeatedly lay eggs with no result.

Florida has more than 20 native species of milkweed, but to date, only three are available in nurseries: butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata and A. perennis). Butterfly milkweed (A. tuberosa) is by far the most widely available, but mature leaves are usually too coarse for the caterpillars and their earlier instar stages to eat – monarch caterpillars on this plant will often be eating flowers, not leaves. Both pink (A. incarnata) and white (A. perennis) aquatic milkweeds like it wet, a condition that not all gardeners have. So we really need to provide more diversity of native milkweed choices in the trade.

We hope that future research will lead to increased availability and planting of native milkweed. The Xerces Society is working with other nonprofits and native plant growers to increase the supply of native milkweed available to gardeners and ecological restoration specialists.

Meanwhile, say “no” to tropical milkweed and choose natives to sustain your monarchs for the long haul. Ask growers for native milkweed for your projects. Butterfly milkweed (A. tuberosa) is the most available of the native species and is suitable for use in many parts of Florida. However, it grows throughout the United States, so be sure to specify Florida native ecotype from a Florida grower. Plants brought in from out of state may not perform to your expectations. If the nursery cannot tell you the origin of the plants (and seed source), ask them to order Florida native ecotype milkweed and if necessary, consider buying elsewhere. Other Florida native milkweeds you may find include Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and White or Aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis).

Native milkweed plants may be hard to find, but it’s worth the effort. Give our monarchs a fighting chance: feed them native milkweed.

*In addition to milkweed, monarch caterpillars also feed on other members of the Apocynaceae family. Monarch larvae have been observed feeding on the native Cynanchum northropiae in Bahia Honda State Park. Monarch larvae often feed on Asclepias tuberosa flowers because mature leaves are very coarse.

[Thanks to Roger Hammer, naturalist extraordinaire, for his always helpful comments which have improved this content from its original post. – Ed.]

Throughout this website, you’ll see references to the “plant communities map” and on county pages, you’ll see local segments of it. The map is used to illustrate the natural diversity of Florida and to show where in the state certain native plant communities occur. It is necessarily a “broad brush” treatment, and cannot reflect the detailed reality of any particular place on the ground. But by looking at the map, you can see the most common native plant communities in any county – or at least what they were before the mass urbanization of the last 50 years.

The plant communities map is a starting place for understanding authentic landscapes and how natural models can serve to inform sustainable Florida landscape design. FANN has used the map to develop a practical framework for selecting native landscape plants based on Florida’s native plant communities. This framework is integrated with plant availability on this website, and is also available in reference book form: Xeric Landscaping with Florida Native Plants, originally published in 1991 and recently re-released.

FANN’s framework can be used to identify native plants which can work well on chosen landscape sites. In addition to plant fitness, planting in “communities” gives a landscape a visual cohesiveness and authenticity that cannot be obtained any other way. Of course, when selecting native plants, there are other important factors that can “make or break” your project: sizes and availability, ecotypes and genetic diversity, adaptability and landscape performance, seasonality and use, establishment and maintenance. Talk to growers, who are eager to help you select the best plants for your place.

FloridaNativeNurseries.org can help you locate plants found in historical plant communities and put some “Real Florida” in your commercial, institutional and residential landscapes. It is possible to create and restore native ecosystem functions in urban and suburban landscapes, and this noble goal is needed now more than ever. Restoration and preservation of conservation areas can get complex in a hurry – because ecology is complex – and FANN encourages you to seek the assistance of our professional members, including environmental consulting associates, who can help your project be successful.

Learn more:

History of the Plant Communities Map

About Native Plant Communities

When children are nurtured and raised into adulthood, the ideal is that these people will then be able to take care of themselves and may provide benefit to local society and the world. Some benefits are easily recognized, while others cannot be grasped by common perceptions. Each person is a member of the larger community and plays a part, whether as a president or as a janitor (the janitor could be more important). Each is important and their presence and effect are undeniable, however minor they may seem.

A plant community is no different. There are plants that have pretty flowers and large trees that provide expanses of shade, some plants that provide nectar for bees and other plants that, well, I don’t know … The list goes on and on. Some plants may seem more important than others, but each provides some specific ingredient, provokes a reaction, and through their interaction with other community members, makes up a beautiful and complicated “painting” that we can refer to as a “plant community.”

Let’s take this one step further. As conscious as we can be of planting (together) components of a plant community, we must be equally thoughtful of where we plant. The plants making up a community that we refer to as a “fresh water wetland” will most likely not thrive on the top of dry hill, and most won’t live on a wind-blown salty beachfront.

If we can be more thoughtful of following nature’s guidelines, we will minimize the amount of energy, water and work needed to maintain our landscapes.

Learn more about native plant communities