Native Plants

D&R Greenway Spring 2025 Native Plant Sale!

Friday, May 2nd from 12pm – 3:00 pm
Friday, May 9th from 12pm – 3:00 pm
1 Preservation Place – Princeton, NJ

D&R Greenway Land Trust’s mission is to Preserve and Care for Land and Inspire a Conservation Ethic, Now and Forever. D&R Greenway’s Native Plant Nursery is dedicated to restoring a rich diversity of native flora to the local landscape by providing plants to the public. The nursery also supplies our preserves and restoration projects.

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  • Native Plant Sale Fall 2022 Pink Flower IMG_1047
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Resolutions for 2025:

• Create a pollinator-friendly garden
• Create habitat for birds, butterflies, bees, bats, and moths
• Conserve water
• Improve soil fertility
• Reduce erosion
• Make a lasting impact in your yard and community

We’ve got you covered ~~ Let’s Go Native!

View Our Spring Inventory Below:

Thank you for supporting our native plant nursery.

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Stay in the Loop

Learn More About Native Plants

Check out a recent U.S. 1 News article featuring D&R Greenway and our Director of Land Stewardship, Tina Notas.

(Click below to read the full piece)

“How better to show you care about the future than by planting a tree?” says Tina Notas, director of land stewardship at the D&R Greenway in Princeton

Time to Get Back to the Garden
and Go Native
By
Dan Aubrey
,
May 13, 2020
~ Princetoninfo.com
“How better to show you care about the future than by planting a tree?”
says Tina Notas, director of land
stewardship at the D&R Greenway in Princeton.
The native plant nursery at the D&R Greenway.
Notas’ talk about planting is connected with the D&R Greenway’
s annual native plant sale pickup set for
Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16. It’s the first of several through the year. Online orders are being
accepted through Wednesday, May 13.
Started in 2007 to introduce native plants to the community, the Greenway’
s nursery stocks more than 50
species of native plants essential for regional wildlife. That includes trees, shrubs, perennial wildflowers,
grasses, sedges, and ferns ranging in cost from $5 to $25.
The nursery also supplies plants for the D&R
land preserv
es
—
open space acquired and maintained by the Greenway.
“I mainly manage the preserves
—
the nursery supplies our preserves with native plants that support birds
and other pollinators,” says Notas. “Managing our 74 preserves is like taking care of a very
large family.
They always need care. We call this stewardship. Stewarding the preserves includes removing non
-
native
species that are slowly destroying the ecosystem
—
and re
-
planting with natives.”
She says that oak and cherry trees are a few important na
tive species because they support hundreds of
other species in our region.
However she can also advise on trees that provide fruit and beauty.
Regarding fruits, she says, “Pawpaw, persimmon, blueberry, and chokeberry (too bad about the name!) are
all edibl
e fruit shrubs or trees we sell from our nursery. We also sell beach plum, which can be made into a
jam.”
In terms of flowers, she has a quick list and what they attract: Milkweed for monarch butterflies, Joe
-
pye to
support more than 30 species of butterflies and moths, and blueberry, a host plant for more than 200
species in our region.
“Milkweed is an obviou
s best seller because we want to help bring back the monarch population,” she
adds. “New England Aster and Goldenrod always sell quickly as well. I believe that is due to the great
color combination of purple and blues, which is also really appealing to ou
r native bees.”
In addition to the preserves, Notas also plants natives in her own yard. “We just purchased our property a
little over a year ago. Last year, I added natives in the mint family like narrowleaf mountain mint, wild
bergamot, and spotted bee b
alm because I love the smell, and they’re deer resistant. This weekend I added
some phlox for early spring color, dogwood shrubs for the birds, and blueberries for my family.”
Asked about the native plant she found the most intriguing, she says, “I really
enjoy Indigo for its seed pods
that make great rattlers in the fall.”
Originally from Greece, where her parents tended gardens, she discovered New Jersey native plants as a
part of a high school field trip to the New Jersey Pine Barrens. “I learned about p
itch pines, pitcher plants,
and sphagnum moss
—
all native plants to the Pine Barrens
—
and I was hooked.”
She adds that she also attended the New Jersey Governor’s School on the Environment and later an
environmental school in New York State, but “the tri
ps to the Pine Barrens were the first time I had seen
such extensive forest in NJ. I grew up mainly in urban North Jersey.”
Notas and the Greenway are not alone in their interest in native species. Rutgers University’s Department
of Agriculture shares info
rmation through a web page called “Incorporating Native Plants in Your
Residential Landscape.”
According site writers Meredith Melendez, agriculture and natural resources agent in Mercer County, and
Deborah Pinto, horticulture consultant, Burlington County
, “The term native plant is fluid and can have
many different meanings. In general, native plants are species that were present at the beginning of the
European settlement of North America. These plants, over time, have evolved to grow in a specific region
.
Native plants have established complex relationships with other native plants, insects, and animals, some
of which are dependent on one another to thrive. Generally, native plants naturally occur within a radius
of 100 miles of your area, and many can do
well with a minimum of care once established.”
Phlox, which blooms in New Jersey from April to June.
They add since native plants have evolved to thrive in a specific region, they “support their ecosystems
more diversel
y than exotic plantings. While many homeowners have incorporated flowering plants in their
landscapes to attract certain birds and butterflies, a habitat to support insect life is greatly needed. Exotic
plants may offer a nectar source for wildlife, but in
many cases their leaves, fruits, pollen, and nectar are
not the preferred food of our vital native insects and wildlife. The lack of proper habitat and food sources
for native birds and insects is one factor in the decline of many of these species in the
United States.”
That is followed by another consideration. “The reliance on standard exotic landscape plants leads to
predictable landscapes regardless of the region. This creates a loss of regional aesthetic identity.
Homeowners who desire for pristine la
ndscapes have created residential properties devoid of leaf and
plant litter. With proper planning you can maintain a more natural landscape using native plants, saving
money on fertilizers and achieving a lower maintenance landscape.”
The Rutgers site als
o helps gardeners explore three elements to successful planting
—
types of soil, sunlight
conditions, and hydration
—
and a guide to assist planning.
You can learn more at
njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1140/
An
other resource is the Native Plant Society of New Jersey that, according to its website, is “dedicated to
the appreciation, protection, and study of the native flora of New Jersey.
Founded in 1985, organizers say the nonprofit has “hundreds of members acro
ss 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.”
The group conducts lectures and presentatio
ns on topics ranging from introduction to native plants,
gardening with natives, identification and appreciation of the beautiful flora and ecosystems of New Jersey,
and ecological landscaping.
A West Central Chapter of the society serving the greater Prin
ceton area meets in Cranbury.
For more information, visit the Native Plant Society’s website at
www.npsnj.org
.
But for those considering planting a native species right away, Notas shares some thoughts. “Any new
planting should be watered the first year for better survival. If you’re getting a tree, you should probably put
a cage around it to protect it from the overabundant deer in our region. But, first and foremost, check out
our plant catalog. Volunteers help
ed put together descriptions in the catalog that include sun and soil
requirements of each plant. Give your plant what it needs to survive by putting it in the correct habitat.”
Thinking beyond this year, she says, “Consider it a gift to the next generatio
n. By planting native plants,
you’re helping rebuild our ecosystem and the services it provides. The immediate benefit is you’ll have this
beautiful plant in your yard to enjoy and it will attract pollinators that aren’t too bad to look at either.”
And wit
h the future on everyone’s mind during our current health crisis, this year’s spring planting can take
on more significance.
For details on the D&R Greenway’s plant sales:
www.drgreenway.org/shop/nati
ve
-
plants
.
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Thank You for Supporting Native Plants

By planting native species, you’re helping restore vital ecosystems and leaving a legacy for the next generation.

Our Mission: To Preserve & Care for Land and Inspire a Conservation Ethic, Now and Forever

Land Preserved
331 stories of preservation and 22,322+ protected Acres
Upcoming Events
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May 02

Spring 2025 Native Plant Sale – SAVE THE DATE!!

Friday, May 2nd from 12pm – 3:00 pm. Friday, May 9th from 12pm – 3:00 pm
D&R Greenway, Native Plant Nursery, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton
Save the Dates for our Spring 2025 Native Plant

> Read More
May 04

Lenape Medicinal Plant Talk

11:00am – 12:30pm
The Discovery Center at Point Breeze, 101 E. Park Street, Bordentown, NJ

Chief Bluejay Presents Indigenous Plants Chief Bluejay, aka Barbara

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May 18

The Value of the Wetlands

2:00pm
 The Discovery Center at Point Breeze, 101 E. Park Street, Bordentown, NJ
with NJ Watershed Ambassador Jessie Lisanti Water is both

> Read More

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