Compiled by the New York State Adirondack Park Agency

 

Native Plant List for the Adirondack Park revised: March 24, 2003              
                   
Trees - Deciduous Common Name Scientific Name Group Avail. Height Soil Exposure Growth Comments
Ash black ash Fraxinus nigra T-D s 60 w-m M M  
Ash green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica T-D s 60 w-m M-T F  
Ash white ash Fraxinus americana T-D c 80 moist I F  
Basswood American basswood (linden) Tilia americana T-D   70 moist M    
Beech American beech Fagus grandifolia T-D   80 moist T    
Birch gray birch Betula populifolia T-D s 50 w-m I M  
Birch paper (white) birch Betula papyrifera T-D c 70 m-d I    
Birch black birch Betula lenta T-D   70 moist M    
Birch mountain paper birch Betula cordifolia T-D   40 m-d I    
Birch yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis T-D   80 moist M    
Butternut butternut Juglans cinerea T-D   80 moist M    
Cherry black cherry Prunus serotina T-D s 80 moist I M  
Chestnut American chestnut Castanea dentata  T-D xxx 100 moist I    
Cottonwood eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides T-D s 80 moist I VF  
Elm American Elm Ulmus americana T-D xxx 100 moist M    
Elm slippery elm Ulmus rubra T-D   50 moist M    
Hackberry hackberry Celtis occidentalis T-D s 60 moist M-I F  
Hickory bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis T-D s 70 moist M M  
Hickory shagbark hickory Carya ovata T-D   70 moist M    
Hornbeam American hornbeam (blue-beech) Carpinus caroliniana T-D   35 moist M    
Hornbeam eastern hop-hornbeam (ironwood) Ostrya virginiana T-D   40 moist T    
Maple red maple Acer rubrum T-D c 70 moist T-M M-F  
Maple silver maple Acer saccharinum T-D s 80 moist I F  
Maple striped maple Acer pensylvanicum T-D   35 moist T    
Maple sugar maple Acer saccharum  T-D c 80 moist T S  
Oak black oak Quercus velutina T-D   65 moist M    
Oak burr oak Quercus macrocarpa T-D   100 moist I    
Oak chestnut oak Quercus montana T-D   80 moist M    
Oak northern red oak Quercus rubra T-D c 100 m-d M M-F  
Oak swamp white oak Quercus bicolor T-D s 70 w-m M-I M  
Oak white oak Quercus alba T-D c 100 m-d M-I F  
Poplar balsam poplar Populus balsamifera T-D   65 moist M F  
Poplar big tooth aspen Populus grandidentata T-D   80 m-d I VF  
Poplar quaking aspen (trembling aspen) Populus tremuloides  T-D s 65 moist I VF  
Tamarack  (Conifer) eastern larch/tamarack/hackmatack Larix laricina T-D s 80 w-m M M-F  
Willow black willow Salix nigra T-D s 50 w-m I F  
                   
Trees - Evergreen     Group Avail. Height Soil Exposure Growth Comments
Cedar eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana T-E s 40 moist M S  
Cedar northern white cedar Thuja occidentalis T-E c 65 moist M S-M favored conifer deer food
Fir balsam fir Abies balsamea T-E c 70 moist M M-F  
Hemlock eastern (Canadian) hemlock Tsuga canadensis T-E c 80 moist T S favored conifer deer food, although 2nd to yew and cedar
Pine jack pine Pinus banksiana T-E   60 m-d I    
Pine pitch pine Pinus rigida T-E   60 m-d I    
Pine red pine Pinus resinosa T-E c 80 m-d I F  
Pine white pine Pinus strobus T-E c 100 m-d I F-VF  
Spruce black spruce Picea mariana T-E s 80 moist M S-M  
Spruce red spruce Picea rubens T-E   80 moist T S  
Spruce white spruce Picea glauca T-E   80 moist M M  
                   
Small Trees (15 to 30 feet mature height) - Deciduous                
Alder speckled alder Alnus rugosa ST-D s 15 w-m I M  
Canada Plum Canada plum Prunus nigra ST-D   15 moist M    
Cherry choke cherry Prunus virginiana ST-D s 20 m-d I F  
Cherry fire cherry Prunus pennsylvanica ST-D   20 m-d I    
Hawthorn hawthorns Crataegus sp. ST-D   25 moist M    
Maple mountain maple Acer spicatum ST-D   15 moist T    
Mountain Ash American mountain ash Sorbus americana ST-D c 20 moist M-I    
Nannyberry nannyberry Viburnum lentago ST-D   20 w-m M-I    
Prickly Ash prickly ash Zanthoxylum americanum ST-D   20 moist M-I    
Serviceberry downy serviceberry (shad bush) Amelanchier arborea ST-D s 25 w-m M-I    
Sumac staghorn sumac Rhus typhina ST-D   20 m-d I    
Willow pussy willow Salix discolor ST-D   15 w-m M-I    
Witch Hazel witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana ST-D   20 moist M-I    
                   
Shrubs - Deciduous     Group Avail. Height Soil Exposure Growth Comments
Arrowwood northern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum var.lucidum S-D s 12 w-m M    
Blackberry common blackberry Rubus allegheniensis S-D c 5 m-d I    
Blueberry high bush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum S-D c 8 w-m T-M    
Blueberry low bush blueberry Vaccinium spp.  S-D s 2 w-d M-I    
Buttonbush buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis S-D s 8 w-w M    
Catberry catberry Nemopanthus mucronatus S-D   10 w T-M    
Chokeberry black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa S-D s 8 w-m M    
Chokeberry red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia S-D s 10 m-d M F  
Cinquefoil shrubby cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa S-D   3 m-d I    
Cranberry American highbush cranberry Viburnum trilobum S-D c 14 w-m T-M    
Dogbane spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium S-D   3 d I    
Dogwood gray dogwood Cornus foemina ssp. racemosa S-D s 8 w-d T M  
Dogwood red osier (red-stem) dogwood Cornus sericea  S-D c 5 w-m M-I F  
Elderberry  black elderberry (common) Sambucus canadensis S-D s 10 w-w T    
Elderberry  red elderberry Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens S-D   12 moist M    
Hazelnut beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta S-D   8 moist M    
Hobblebush hobblebush Viburnum lantanoides S-D   6 moist T    
Honeysuckle common honeysuckle Lonicera canadensis S-D   7 m-d M    
Huckleberry black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata S-D s 3 w-d I    
Maple leaf viburnum maple leaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium S-D   5 moist T    
Raspberry red raspberry Rubus idaeus S-D c 4 m-d I    
Rose pasture rose Rosa carolina S-D   3 m-d I    
Rose prickly rose Rosa acicularis S-D   3 moist I    
Rose swamp rose Rosa palustris S-D s 7 w-w M-I    
Mountain Laurel mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia S-D   4 d M-I    
Bog Laurel bog laurel Kalmia polifolia S-D   3 w I    
Sheep Laurel sheep laurel Kalmia augustifolia S-D   3 w-m M-I    
Snowberry wild snowberry bush Symphoricarpos albus S-D   4 m-d I    
Spicebush spicebush Lindera benzoin S-D s 8 w-m T    
Spirea broad-leaved meadow sweet Spirea latifolia S-D s 4 w-m M-I    
Spirea hardhack (steeplebush) Spirea tomentosa S-D   4 w-d I    
Sweet fern sweet fern Comptonia peregrina S-D s 4 m-d M-I    
Sweet gale sweet gale Myrica gale S-D   4 w-m M    
Wild raisin wild raisin (witherod) Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides S-D s 10 w-m M    
Winterberry winterberry (winterberry holly) Ilex verticillata S-D s 8 wet M    
Leatherleaf leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata S-D   3 w I    
Bog Rosemary bog rosemary Andromeda glaucophylla S-D   2 w I    
Labrador Tea labrador tea Rhododendron groenlandicum S-D   3 w I    
               
                   
Shrubs - Evergreen     Group Avail. Height Soil Exposure Growth Comments
Juniper common juniper Juniperus communis S-E   3 dry I    
Yew American yew (Canadian Yew) Taxus canadensis S-E   3 moist T   favored conifer deer food
                   
Herbaceous - Perennials,                
Baneberry white baneberry Actaea alba HP   2 moist T    
Baneberry red baneberry Actaea rubra HP   2 moist T    
Bunchberry bunchberry Cornus canadensis HP   0.5 moist T    
Canada mayflower Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense HP   0.5 moist T    
Cranberry American cranberry Vaccinium corymbosum (macrocarpon) HP s 0.5 w-w M    
Goldthread goldthread Coptis trifolia HP   0.5 moist T    
Iris blue flag Iris versicolor HP s 2 water M-I    
Joe pye weed Joe pye weed Eupatorium maculatum/purpureum HP s 4 w-w M    
Lily Canada lily Lilium canadense HP   3 moist M    
Partridgeberry partridgeberry Mitchella repens HP   0.5 moist T    
Sorrel wood sorrel Oxalis montana HP   0.5 moist T    
Violet violet Viola spp. HP   0.5 moist T    
Wintergreen wintergreen Gaultheria procumbens HP   0.5 moist T    
Verbena verbena Verbena hastata HP   3 w I    
Cardinal Flower cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis HP   2.5 w M-I    
Turtlehead turtlehead Chelone glabra HP   2.5 w M-I    
               
                   
Vines     VN            
Grape, frost frost grape Vitis riparia VN            
Virginia creeper Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia VN            
                   
                   
Ferns     Group Avail. Height Soil Exposure Growth Comments
Bracken bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum FN s 2.5 m-d M    
Christmas Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides FN s 3 m-d T-M    
Cinnamon  cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea FN s 3 w-m T-M    
Hay scented hay scented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula FN   1.5 m-d I    
Interrupted  interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana FN s 2.5 m-d T-M    
Lady lady fern Athyrium filix-femina FN s 2.5 moist T-M    
Maidenhair  maidenhair fern Adiantum pedatum FN s 1.5 moist T-M    
Massachusetts Massachusetts fern Thelypteris simulata FN   1 moist T-M    
Marsh Marsh fern Thelypteris palustris FN   1 w I    
New York New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis FN s 1.5 moist T-M    
Ostrich ostrich fern Matteuccia struthiopteris FN s 4 w-m T-M    
Royal  royal fern Osmunda regalis FN s 5 wet T-M    
Sensitive sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis FN s 2 w-m T-M    
Clinton's Clinton's fern Dryopteris clintoniana FN   3.5 m T-M    
Goldie's Goldie's fern Dryopteris goldiana FN   3.5 m T-M    
Mountain Wood mountain wood fern Dryopteris campyloptera FN   2 m T-M    
Spinulose Wood spinulose wood fern Dryopteris carthusiana FN   2 m T-M    
Crested Shield crested shield fern Dryopteris cristata FN   1.5 w I-M    
Common Wood common wood fern Dryopteris intermedia FN   2 m T-M    
Marginal Shield marginal shield fern Dryopteris marginalis FN   2 m T-M    
Long Beech long beech fern Phegopteris connectilis FN   1 m T-M    
Broad Beech broad beech fern Phegopteris hexagonoptera FN   1 m T-M    
Fragile fragile fern Cystopteris fragilis FN   1 w-m T-M    
Bulblet bulblet fern Cystopteris bulbifera FN   1 w-m T-M    
Oak Oak fern Gymnocarpium dryopteris FN   0.5 m T-M    
Braun's Braun's holly fern Polystichum braunii FN   1.5 m T-M    
Ebony Spleenwort ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron FN   0.5 m M    
Maidenhair Spleenwort maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes FN   0.5 m M    
                 
KEY                   
                 
Avail = Availability of plant stock                
c = commonly available                
s = available from specialty nurseries              
xxx = species that have been nearly eliminated from native populations by disease and or insects.              
                   
Height                  
Plant Height - average maximum potential height on a good Adirondack Site in feet              
                   
Soil                  
water = standing water at surface during much of the growing season              
wet = soil is wet during much of the growing season.  i.e wetland or poorly drained soil              
moist = soil is moist during much of the growing season.  i.e. moderately-well to well drained soils              
dry = soil is dry during much of the growing season.  i.e. rocky areas, sandy soils,  excessively drained soils            
w-m = plants will grow on both wet and moist sites                
w-d = plants will grow on wet, moist and dry sites                
m-d = plants will grow on both moist and dry sites                
                   
Exposure                  
T = tolerant of shade                  
T-M = tolerant to moderately tolerant of shade                
M = moderately tolerant of shade                
M-I = moderately tolerant to intolerant of shade                
I = intolerant of shade.  i.e.. needs full sun                
                   
                   
Growth - plant growth as measured against other species within that group of trees, shrubs ...            
rapid                  
fast                  
moderate                  
slow                  
                   
footnotes                  
Compiled by Brian Grisi and Dan Spada, NYS Adirondack Park Agency, March 2000.              
All nomenclature and native species status determinations based on: Mitchell, R.S., and G.C. Tucker.  1997.  Revised Checklist of New York State   
    Plants.  Contributions to a Flora of New York State, Checklist IV, Richard S. Mitchell, Editor.  Bulletin No. 490. New York State Museum, The  
    University of the State of New York, The State Education Department, Albany, New York  12230.  400 pp.