A native plant is one that naturally occurs in a region without having been introduced from elsewhere by people. New York City natives include mosses, ferns and fern allies; grasses, sedges and rushes; forbs (aka “wildflowers”); trees, shrubs and woody vines.

Staten Island in 1879 was a farming community with 30,000 people and 1,100 plant species.  Staten Island today has 400,000 people and has lost 443 plant species.

Many wildflowers have ant-dispersed seeds that don't travel far from the mother plant.  For example, the seeds of Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) advance only about 100 yards over a 1000-year period!

New York City used to have 30 species of terrestrial orchids with dozens of populations occurring throughout the five boroughs. Today six species remain, consisting of only eleven populations.

Literally "fungus roots", mycorrhizal fungi are critical to forest flora.  They grow along plant roots, facilitating in the uptake of vital nutrients and water.  Many plants, including our forest orchids, rely on them for their very survival.  These organisms are so important and ubiquitous that a leaf layer 1 1/2 inches thick and a yard square could contain as much as 5,000 miles of these fungi. 

As many as 80% of the seeds in forest soils (seed banks) may be non-native.  Plants that are intolerant of shade, such as scraggly weeds of sunny roadsides, are replacing those plants that have adapted to deep canopy umbrage, like our forest lilies.

NYC’s earliest parks date to the Dutch and Colonial era, and parks before 1856 were maintained by the Mayor's office and street commissioner. But as the city grew and open space diminished, it became important to reserve open space for the city's citizenry. In 1856, a new era of park planning emerged when the Board of Commissioners of Central Park was established to build that great landmark.

New York has a higher percentage of open space than any major city in United States. About 25% or 53,000 acres is city, state and federal parkland—that’s more than Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia combined.

More than 40% of New York State's rare and endangered plant species can be seen in the five boroughs within the 28,000 acres of city parkland.

Gotham's spaces serve 8 million people, more than any other urban park system. However, New York City spends only $41 per resident per year on its green acres, with next to none of it going toward management of natural areas. By contrast, Seattle and Chicago annually spend much more per capita - $164 and $108 respectively.