A Guide for Plants as Tools
This site is meant to serve as a guide to use plants intentionally to assist in a service, like managing water, recolonizing disturbed areas, and populating difficult soil.
Water Management
Plants for a variety of different water management applications.
Soil Type
Species for a range of soil conditions, from rich to clay.
Disturbance
Species that can help regenerate after a disturbance– like human intervention or a fire.
Urban Settings
Plants that can withstand co-habitating in dense urban environments.
Other Considerations
By Anastasia Leopold for LARC 2430: Landscape Ecology, Fall 2019
Get specific
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Lobelia cardinalis
Cardinalflower Family: Campanulaceae Native Region: Eastern US and Canada, Southern US Plant Community: Red Maple Swamp Size: 1-6′ tall Hardiness Zone: Habitat: Prefers full sun to very light shade in constantly wet soil. Soil should be kept cool and moist, and requires disturbance to sprout. Found in woodland edges, ditches, ravines, depressions, openings in forests, stream… Read more
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Glyceria striata
Fowl Mannagrass Family: Poaceae Native Region: Southern Canada and all of US Plant Community: Red Maple Swamp Size: 1-4′ tall, quick spreading Hardiness Zone: Habitat: Found in bogs, seeps, wet woods, swamps, shaded ditches, and standing water. Part of wetland forest communities, especially willow and aspen. Prefers moist soil but also can tolerant upland conditions, and… Read more
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Magnolia macrophylla
Bigleaf Magnolia Family: Magnoliaceae Native Region: Central eastern US Plant Community: Size: 30-40′ tall and wide Hardiness Zone: 5-8 Habitat: Found in bottomland woods, rich wooded slopes, alluvial woods, and bottoms of mountains. Prefers rich, acidic soils, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Intolerant of soil moisture extremes and urban pollutants. Leaf: Large, yellow-green… Read more
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Stewartia pseudocamellia
Japanese Stewartia Family: Theaceae Native Region: Japan Plant Community: Size: 12-40′ tall, 8-25′ wide Hardiness Zone: 5-8 Habitat: Found on rocky, well-drained Japanese slopes from 1000-2600′ elevation. Prefers moist, rich, well-drained, acidic soil in full sun to partial shade. Tolerates poor, clay soil conditions. Prefers shade in warmer climates. Leaf: Green leaves transition to vibrant red… Read more
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Pinus slyvestris
Scotch Pine Family: Pinaceae Native Region: Europe and Asia, Naturalized: Northeastern US, eastern and western Canada Plant Community: Size: 30-60′ tall, 30-40′ wide Hardiness Zone: 2-6 Habitat: Found in anthropogenic, forest edges, shrublands or thickets, and roadsides. Prefers moist, acidic, well-drained soil in full sun. Climatically prefers cooler summers and does not fare well in southern… Read more
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Pinus pungens
Table Mountain pine Family: Pinaceae Native Region: Central eastern US Plant Community: Oak Hickory Size: 40-60′ tall Hardiness Zone: up to 6 Habitat: Found in rocky mountain slopes & ridges. Prefers dry, rocky, acidic, infertile, poor, shallow soil in full sun. Leaf: Yellow-green bundles of usually two but sometimes three needles. Evergreen. Flower: Non-flowering, but large… Read more
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Pinus echinata
Short-Leaf Pine Family: Pinaceae Native Region: Southeastern and eastern US Plant Community: Oak Hickory Size: 50-60′ tall, 20-35′ wide Hardiness Zone: 6-9 Habitat: Found in dry, sandy, and rocky condition; wooded ravines; bluffs & upland plains. Prefers average, dry to medium moisture, sandy, acidic, well-drained soil in full sun. Will tolerate some shade and a range… Read more
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Betula nigra
River Birch Family: Betulaceae Native Region: Eastern US Plant Community: Urban growth Size: 40-70′ tall, 40-60′ wide Hardiness Zone: 4-9 Habitat: Found in floodplains, swampy bottomlands, along streams, and anthropogenic sites. Prefers moist, acidic, fertile soil including semi-aquatic soil but can also tolerate dry ones, tolerates bad drainage situations. Most heat tolerant of all birches. Leaf:… Read more
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Amelanchier nantucketensis
Nantucket Shadbsuh Family: Rosaceae Native Region: Northeastern US Plant Community: Old Field, Red Maple Swamp Size: 4-5′ tall, 4-5′ wide Hardiness Zone: 3-6 Habitat: Found in sunny, dry, sandy habitats including old fields, grasslands, some areas close to water, sand plains, pine barrens, ridges/ledges, roadsides and disturbed sites. Prefers dry to medium moisture, sandy, well-drained soils… Read more
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Corylopsis spicata
Spike Winter Hazel Family: Hamamelidaceae Native Region: Mountainous regions of Japan Plant Community: Size: 4-6′ tall, 6-10′ wide Hardiness Zone: 5 Habitat: Prefers average, well-drained garden soil that has medium moisture in full sun to part shade. Should be sheltered from high winds, afternoon shade, and frost. Leaf: Leaves first grow as bronze-purple, then transitions to… Read more
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Comptonia peregrina
Sweetfern Family: Myricaceae Native Region: Eastern US and Canada Plant Community: Old Field Size: 2-5′ tall, 4-8′ wide Hardiness Zone: 2-6 Habitat: Found in areas of poor, gravelly, infertile soils like roadsides, anthropogenic habitats, grasslands, meadows and fields, and woodlands. Prefers average, moist, acidic, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade, but adapts to a… Read more
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Taxus x Hunnewelliana
Hunnewell hybrid yew Family: Taxaceae Native Region: Garden origin in Massachusetts Plant Community: Size: 5-10′ tall Hardiness Zone: 5 Habitat: Prefers average soil of medium moisture. Tolerates shade and urban conditions, but does not do well with wet conditions. Leaf: Light green summer needles shift to reddish brown in the winter. Flower: Non-flowering but instead has… Read more
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Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’
Cultivar of “Magnolia” Family: Magnoliaceae Native Region: Garden origin but can be planted along the central range of the US from West to East. Plant Community: Size: 20-35′ tall, 12-20′ wide Hardiness Zone: 5-8 Habitat: Prefers rich, neutral to slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Tolerates air pollution but should be… Read more
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Salix × pendulina “Elegantissima”
Wisconsin weeping willow Family: Salicaceae Native Region: Garden origin, Naturalized: Select eastern central, and western US states, select portions of eastern and western Canada Plant Community: Size: 30-50′ tall and wide Hardiness Zone: 4 Habitat: Prefers moist to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade and thrives best in moist soil with full sun.… Read more
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Solidago rugosa
Common Wrinkle-leafed Goldenrod Family: Asteraceae Native Region: Eastern US and Canada Plant Community: Old Field, Red Maple Swamp Size: 2.5-3′ tall and wide Hardiness Zone: 4-8 Habitat: Found in anthropogenic habitats, meadows and fields, swamps, and wetland margins. Prefers slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil in full sun, but also tolerates light shade. This is a colonizing… Read more
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Ulmus hollandica
Dutch Elm Family: Ulmaceae Native Region: Europe Plant Community: Size: 120′ tall, 80′ wide Hardiness Zone: 5-7 Habitat: Found in parks and some other urban conditions. Prefers rich, moist, well-drained and consistently moist soil in full sun to partial shade. Tolerant of smog and short period of drought. Also tolerates a range of soil conditions, like… Read more
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Prunus serotina
Black Cherry Family: Rosaceae Native Region: Eastern US and Canada, Naturalized: PNW and Western Canada Plant Community: Urban Growth, Barrier Beach, Oak Hickory Size: 50-80′ tall, 30-60′ wide Hardiness Zone: 3-9 Habitat: Found in anthropogenic areas, floodplains, forests, deciduous and mixed evergreen-deciduous forests, riparian terraces, and roadsides. Prefers medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to… Read more
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Tilia cordata
Littleleaf Linden Family: Tiliaceae Native Region: Europe, southwestern Asia, Naturalized: Northeast US, southeast Canada Plant Community: Size: 50-75′ tall, 35-50′ wide Hardiness Zone: 3-7 Habitat: Found in anthropogenic areas, forest edges, forests, roadsides, areas of habitation, parks. Prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade, but can tolerate a range of conditions including… Read more
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Template
Burr Oak or Mossycup Oak Family: Native Region: Plant Community: Size: Hardiness Zone: Habitat: Leaf: Flower: Ecosystem services: xx
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Rhus typhina
Staghorm Sumac Family: Anacardiaceae Native Region: Eastern North America, naturalized in central US Plant Community: Old Field, Urban Growth Size: 15-25′ tall, 20-30′ wide Hardiness Zone: 3-8 Habitat: Found in anthropogenic areas, forest edges, meadows, woodland edges, roadsides, railroad embankments, stream/swamp margins and fields. Prefers average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to… Read more
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Quercus macrocarpa
Burr Oak or Mossycup Oak Family: Fagaceae Native Region: Central and Eastern Canada and US Plant Community: Oak Hickory Size: 60-80′ tall and wide Hardiness Zone: 3-8 Habitat: Found in floodplains, forests, swamps, and prairie edges. Prefers mesic to dry-mesic solid of high pH. Can tolerate harsh condition like drought, limestone soil, and alkaline clay soil.… Read more
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Psathyrella ammophila
Dune Brittlestem Family: Psathyrellaceae Native Region: US and Canada Plant Community: Barrier Beach Size: Up to 2″ Hardiness Zone: Habitat: Found on dunes of lake-side environments, feeding on decaying grass roots. Fruiting Body: Beige stem with warm-brown cap and exposed gills. Ecosystem services: Adds to ecology of sand dunes. https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0001495014 https://mushroomobserver.org/name/show_name/3448 http://iucn.ekoo.se/iucn/species_view/337654/
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Larix decidua
European Larch Family: Pinaceae Native Region: Central and southern Europe, Naturalized: northeastern US and southeastern Canada Plant Community: Urban Growth Size: 50-75′ tall, 25-30′ wide Hardiness Zone: 3-6 Habitat: Found in anthropogenic areas, forests, shrublands or thickets. Prefers dry, acidic soil in full sun to partial shade. Also tolerates poor soil. Leaf: Green needles in… Read more
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Populus grandidentata
Big-toothed Aspen Family: Salicaceae Native Region: Northeastern US, Eastern and Western Canada Plant Community: Old Field Size: 30-75′ tall, 20-40′ wide Hardiness Zone: 3-7 Habitat: Found in forest edges, forests, meadows and fields, shrublands or thickets, and woodlands. Prefers full sun to partial shade, moist to dry-moist soil. Tolerates a range of acidities, from very acidic… Read more
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Pieris “Brouwers Beauty”
Cultivar of Pieris Family: Ericaceae Native Region: Cultivar, not native Plant Community: Old Field Size: 5-7′ tall, 5′ wide Hardiness Zone: 5-8 Habitat: Does well in areas of partial sun and good drainage. Leaf: Greenish blue to greenish yellow, evergreen. Flower: Arching panicles white, yellow-gold, and lander flowers with deep purplish buds, blooming in spring.… Read more
Plants Identified 