Native Flora
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A Bird Habitat Garden—Plant Choices and Design Tips
Wild bird populations are threatened by habitat loss, global warming, collisions with buildings, and much more. You can help ease their plight by turning your city garden, or a portion of it, into a pesticide-free bird sanctuary. Read More ›
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Native Plants for New York City Rain Gardens
Native plants are highly recommended for rain gardens because they are more pest resistant than nonnatives, require no fertilizer, and provide habitat for birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. Read More ›
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Sarracenia: Native Pitcher Plants
Grow these fascinating carnivorous plants in an outdoor container, and watch how they capture prey. Read More ›
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Native Bees
Honey bees are from Europe. The bee species native to North America are very different. They can be black, brown, or green, and the vast majority are solitary creatures that nest in cavities or soil. They are also important pollinators and could use your help! Read More ›
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Lost in the Wild
Brooklyn was once a verdant landscape lush with vegetation. Today, Brooklyn is the New York City borough with the least amount of green. Unless in a garden setting, humans barely notice individual plants or consider the fact that they are alive. Read More ›
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The Native Flora Garden
BBG’s Native Flora Garden comprises of only plants native to New York City and the surrounding area. It provides a glimpse of what Brooklyn could be like in its most natural state. Read More ›
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An Adventure into Harriman State Park
BBG and the Greenbelt Native Plant Center often partner for joint scouting and seed collection trips to natural areas within the metropolitan region of New York City. Recently we headed to Harriman State Park on an expedition to find Carex appalachica (Appalachian sedge). Read about our hunt for this common but elusive species. Read More ›
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Go Native
In all the busyness of installing “green” systems in your garden—drip irrigation, compost bins, solar panels, gray-water recycling—it can be easy to overlook one of the most important environmental decisions you make as a gardener: what you plant. Read More ›
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Seed Banking for Survival—Saving the World, One Seed at a Time
Seed banks, also known as seed archives, germplasm banks, and seed vaults, are gene banks for plants, and there are approximately 1,400 of them around the world. The projects range from small, geographically specific ones that support horticultural research and local restoration to larger, overarching projects that seek to provide the means to sustain life in the face of mass ecological catastrophe. Read More ›
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Stinging Nettle
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has an off- putting name, but it is actually a delicious and nutritious wild green. Nettles are historically and scientifically proven to be an excellent remedy against allergies and a great general anti-inflammatory. Read More ›
