Native plants have a lot of advantages

Here's a good description of native and non-native plants provided by the EPA.

What is a Native Plant? Native plants (also called indigenous plants) are plants that have evolved over thousands of years in a particular region. They have adapted to the geography, hydrology, and climate of that region. Native plants occur in communities, that is, they have evolved together with other plants. As a result, a community of native plants provides habitat for a variety of native wildlife species such as songbirds and butterflies.

What is a Non-Native Plant? Non-native plants (also called non-indigenous plants, invasive plants, exotic species, or weeds) are plants that have been introduced into an environment in which they did not evolve. Introduction of non-native plants into our landscape has been both accidental and deliberate. Purple loosestrife, for example, was introduced from Europe in the 1800's in ship ballast and as a medicinal herb and ornamental plant. It quickly spread and can now be found in 42 states.

In general, aggressive, non-native plants have no enemies or controls to limit their spread. As they move in, complex native plant communities, with hundreds of different plant species supporting wildlife, will be converted to a monoculture. This means the community of plants and animals is simplified, with most plant species disappearing, leaving only the non-native plant population intact.

Why use native plants?

Native plants do not require fertilizers.
Native plants require fewer pesticides than lawns.
Native plants require less water than lawns.
Native plants help reduce air pollution.
Native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife.
Native plants promote biodiversity and stewardship of our natural heritage.
Native plants save money.

Native plants in Central New York

One excellent resource is Ecological Communities of New York State This is a revised version of the classic guide that is now out of print. It describes in detail the literally dozens of specific ecological communities in New York State. This is a good resource for the professional interested in habitat restoration. But I'll have to admit that it seems overwhelmingly detailed for my backyard purposes.

The article “Home Landscapes for Environmental Sensitivity”, on the SUNY-ESF (Environmental Sciences and Forestry) website, is much more useful to me. It describes the main plant communities in Central New York.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Regional Plant Communities

Plant communities are described as many, often interdependent, species of plants which grow under similar environmental conditions, i.e., soils, climate, hydrology, etc. Unless there are abrupt changes in environmental conditions, communities are seldom distinct and blend together to some degree. In Central New York, there are three major plant community types: Woodland, Meadow and Aquatic.

Here are some resources on native plants

New York Flora Association - an organization dedicated to the promotion of field botany and greater understanding of the plants that grow in the wild in New York State. A non-profit group administered by the New York State Museum Institute.
New York Flora Atlas - a joint effort between the New York Flora Association, the New York Natural Heritage Program, the New York State Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and other partner herbaria with the goal to provide users with a comprehensive searchable database of the vascular and non-vascular plants of New York State. Lists native plants by county!! CAUTION: Unless you go to the Advanced Search and select "native," your list will also include non-native and invasive plants i.e. anything that grows in your selected area - native, non-native, or invasive. Check the "native" box before searching!
Finger Lakes Native Plant Society

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Native Plant Guide Finally something for all parts of the country! You can search on type of plant and region of the country. There is a photo and description of each. A WONDERFUL resource!!

New England Wild Flower Society - the oldest plant conservation organization in the United States, promoting the conservation of temperate North American plants.

The Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes - excellent resource on native plants and natural landscaping. This group also advocates for native plant-friendly policies and against unreasonable "weed" laws.

ENature.com Native Plant Guide This one is useful because it focuses on plants that are commonly found at garden centers or in plant catalogs.

HardyPlants.com - a state-by-state list of native plants-related websites.

US Dept of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Database If you get a "notice" type of page, wait a few seconds - I was then transferred to the database. This site includes state plant lists.

Native Plants Journal at University of Idaho - especially good if you're interested in propagating native plants.

Green Landscaping with Native Plants - the EPA's website for the Great Lakes region (are we really the Great Lakes, though?)

Native and Alien Wildflowers - WiseAcre Gardens, St. Lawrence County. We aren't exactly St. Lawrence County, but we're close. There are lots of beautiful pictures of wildflowers, probably most of which are native to Central New York as well. Gives requirements and characteristics for each.

North American Native Plant Society - Dedicated to the study, conservation, cultivation and restoration of native plants.

University of Connecticut's Plant Selector - A great resource for choosing plants that meet certain criteria you select - just remember to select native and wildlife!

But where can I get native plants?!?

Isn't it ironic that the plants that may be most difficult to find are those that are native to where you are? Sad but true ... but changing! As the virtues of native plants become better known, we're starting to see them for sale at the local garden centers. And as we habitat gardeners start requesting them, they'll become even more readily available.

Watch out for poisonous plants ...

especially when young children or pets are going to be around!

Of course, the best protection for children is to teach them never to eat anything without asking an adult first.

However, if young children are going to be in your yard frequently, you may want to err on the side of caution and choose plants without poisonous properties.

There are many lists available. Here are a few of these resources:

And don't forget your pets. They, too, can be poisoned by plants. Here's one database of such plants:

Humane Society