Native New York Plants

Hudson River Water-Nymph (Najas guadalupensis ssp. muenscheri), endemic endangered species  

I am interested in the conservation of native plants populations within the New York area that are essential to the preservation of these self-sustaining ecosystems. Native plants populations are where adaptations to soil, insects, climate, and disease occur, but with urbanization, they become spatially isolated and may not be able to disseminate pollen.  The Greenbelt Native Plant Center in Staten Island (part of the NYC Parks Dept.), has been developing initiatives in native plant restoration with locally appointed seed-banks, providing education and assistance in planning and planting, as well as offering services and resources such as workshops, to enable more public awareness and participation. I would like to find a specific native plant in my research (with the help of the Greenbelt Center and their Native Plant Conservation Initiative) that may be rare or endangered due to their low numbers of individuals and populations. I hope to find qualities in a certain plant that will lend way to restoration in local populations and remediate some of the effects of pollution on biodiversity and self-sustaining populations.

http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/gnpc/index.html