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Our Wednesday Webinars are back!
"Bring on the Bugs!
The Importance of Native Plants &
How to get your Neighbors Onboard"
Wednesday September 22, 2021 at 7PM
Tom Knezick & Fran Chismar
Pinelands Nursery in Columbus, NJ
More information and registration .Click Here
The conventional American landscape is almost devoid of native plants, with lots of land no longer performing its ecological function. Some folks have embraced using native plants at home but without the help of our neighbors our insects, wildlife, water, and plants are in trouble. What can we do to get more people on board? Fran and Tom have some tips to help get your neighbors on the native plant bandwagon.
All of our webinar recording are listed on our
All About Natives Page .
The recording of the last webinar - "Native Plants For Moths" by Rachel Mackow is now available
Team with a community of plant enthusiasts, whether you are a botanist, hobbyist, or gardener
Explore with Us!
See our
Events Across the State
Attend a lecture, plant sale, or go on a hike with fellow enthusiats!
In recognition of Wreath goldenrod (Solidago caesia) we’ve added a new design to our shop!
Wreath goldenrod was voted 2021 Plant of the Year - category ‘Native perennials for your backyard habitat’ at our Spring Conference this past March.
From the family Asteraceae, this herbaceous perennial is one of New Jersey’s most useful and beautiful native plants. It blooms from late summer into fall, when pollinators are getting in their last desperate licks and slurps, and is adaptable to a wide range of garden conditions.
If you take a hike this weekend, keep an eye out - Wreath goldenrod is in full bloom! Also, consider treating yourself (or your native plant pal) to this mug - 100% of profits support the Native Plant Society of New Jersey.
Questions: SHOP@npsnj.org
All events are open to the public.
Save the Date
Our Fall Conference will be Online on
Saturday November 6, 2021
We will have 4 speakers, plant sale and seed swap. The talks will be online by Zoom. The plant sale and seed swap will be conducted as last November.
Plants will be ordered at the websites of our supporting vendors. Seed swap donations will be done by mail and ordering by email. Plants and seeds will be picked up at the Highland Park Native Plant Preserve (Middlesex County).
More information coming later.
======== Chapter Meetings ===================
Bergen Passaic Chapter Outdoor Meeting in the garden of Elaine Silverstein!
Sunday September 19, 1-3PM
For details Click Here
Essex Chapter Native Plant Fall Garden Tour and Plant Sale!
Saturday September 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m
Plant & Seed Sale, Founders Park with Toadshade Wildflower Farm
Free tour of 6 public & private gardens
For details Click Here
Hudson Chapter Events:
Personal Habitat: The Bird-friendly Backyard Webinar
Tuesday September 21, 7PM
with Julie Zickefoose
Plant sale on Sunday, September 26th from 11:00am - 4:00pm
For details on both activities: Click Here
Jersey Shore Chapter Home Garden Tour!
Saturday Sept. 11th from 9:30am-11:30am in Pine Beach
Join us for this 3-garden tour - 2 home gardens and 1 community garden - all within walking distance, in Pine Beach.
For details Click Here
Souteast Chapter- A Walk Around Dave Parker's Native Grassland Meadow
Monday, September 20th, 2021 4:30 - 8:00PM
For details Click Here
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Legislation: What is happening to our native places?
April 30, 2021 Pipeline in the Pinelands Status. read
NJ Sparta Mountain Devastation See images of the chopped down areas. Read
NJ Legislation threatens New Jersey public forests. Those spring ephemerals that welcome us each year may be disappearing acres at a time. Roaring Rock may not be near you but the DEP keeps advancing! Read
In Maryland, House Bill 322 was just passed that prohibits HOAs from preventing owners from planting native plants and creating wildlife habitat. Read
Celebrating Plant of the Year
Category: 'Native perennials for your backyard habitat'
Wreath Goldenrod Solidago caesia
All goldenrods have their virtues, but for many gardeners wreath goldenrod takes the gold.
Solidago caesia is an herbaceous perennial, from the important family Asteraceae, that is one of New Jersey's most useful and beautiful native plants. Read more about this special plant: Wreath Goldenrod
Celebrating Plant of the Year
Category: Special & Rare Plants of NJ
Pine Barren Gentian - Gentiana autumnalis
Pine barren gentian contrasts with the expected colors of fall, blooming from September to early November in New Jersey. The blue flowers aid insects in finding nectar sources when foliage turns golden, red and orange. Read more about this special plant: Pine Barren Gentian
Young Forests and Mature Forests
Both young forest and mature forest habitats are important.
When we think of a forest habitat, more than the trees have to be considered. These habitats includes the trees, the shrub layer, the ground layer of plants – including herbaceous plants, ferns, mosses, lichens, fungi, the soil layer of bacteria, viruses, nutrients and the moisture in the ground and in the air.
There is currently in NJ a movement to increase young forests by destroying mature forests. Young forests take about 10 years to be established while it takes more than 100 years to establish a mature forest.
So the question is – Why destroy something that takes 100 plus years to create for something that takes only 10 years to create? The controversy is not the value of young forests but the implementation.
A movement to preserve our mature forests has emerged with the concept of 'Proforestration'. Let our forests grow. It not only preserves the fragile ecosystem that takes 100 plus years to develop but it is the best way to maximize carbon sequestration for climate change. This is the most good for the most number of plants & animals including people for the most time!
The "New Jersey Endangered and Threatened Plant Protection Act," was re-introduced in 2020 as NJ Bill # A985, (2019 as NJ BILL 5201). It has many plant protective points but also some very controversial parts.
This bill would prohibit certain actions relative to endangered and threatened plant species, and would direct the Commissioner of Environmental Protection to establish programs for protection of endangered and threatened plant species.
Many listed plants are commercially available since they are not globally rare. Consequently, the following section is controversial:
The bill would prohibit without a permit the transport, export, and import of endangered/threatened plants and the selling or the offering to sell a listed plant species.
To become more informed: NJ Threathened & Endangered Plant Bill
This is a scholarly article documenting the regional changes to forest understories since the mid-twentieth century by Jay F. Kelly Ph.D., Raritan Valley Community College
He looks at changes in species and size of woody plants and the impact of deer on them. Other factors are studied also, however, deer is the overwhelming factor. He compares old data, current data and data from deer exclosures.
From the abstract: "Because deer strongly reduce tree recruitment, shift species composition, and reduce understory cover across large spatial scales, they represent a significant concern for forest managers and an issue that should be effectively addressed."
Average deer population in NJ in 1998 was 38 deer per sq. mi. Update: in 2019, the average count was 120-140 deer per sq. mi. in many areas*. When deer population is higher than 10 deer per sq. mi. then deer impact becomes evident. The highest regional densities of 75 per sq. mi. occurred in northern-central New Jersey
We see the deer impact where ever the land is not covered with buildings, asphalt or grass!
* Ryck Suydam, president of the New Jersey Farm Bureau, April 2019
Please read: Effects of overabundant deer and other factors in northern New Jersey
Read more articles on NJ Native plants: All About Natives
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Find out everything there is to know about the native flora of New Jersey, learn from the experts on native plants, get the latest on interesting activities near you, or join one of the many opportunities to participate in the growing national native plant movement — right here in the Garden State.
The Native Plant Society of New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation, protection, and study of the native flora of New Jersey. Founded in 1985, we have hundreds of members across the state, and are organized into county and regional chapters. Our members include gardeners, horticulturists, naturalists, landscape designers, students, and native plant enthusiasts from all walks of life.
We conduct regular lectures and presentations with featured speakers on topics ranging from introduction to native plants, gardening with natives, identification and appreciation of the beautiful flora and ecosystems of New Jersey, ecological landscaping, and much more. Our annual meeting is a must-attend event for anyone involved in the native plant movement in New Jersey. We organize nature walks and garden tours, dispense advice on design and maintenance of native gardens and landscapes, and have helped establish native plant gardens around the state.
