Links
Asteraceae (Composites) of Central NY |
Very detailed photos of diagnostic features for Asters, Goldenrods, Sunflowers, etc. found in the Finger Lakes region of NY. Part of the Botphoto website by Arieh Tal, FLNPS member. |
Buttermilk Gorge Flora |
Flora of Buttermilk Falls Gorge: hundreds of species are accessible by name, location/ecoregion in the gorge, or type of plant. Representative of gorge flora in general, and a good slice for common local plants in general. Previously a part of Arieh Tal's Botphoto website. |
GoBotany - New England Plants |
GoBotany is an online flora for the New England states sponsored by the New England Wildflower Society and NSF. Most of the plants in upstate NY are included in the database. There are photos, simple keys, full keys, ID help (presumably only for plants seen in New England), a glossary, maps and more. The simple key is just that. The full key allows you to choose the characters for which you have data, and the program spits out possible matches. Very useful when you don't have key features (flowers!) but be careful to know the definitions of the features, and don't use more than you must. |
Goldenrods of the Finger Lakes |
A pictorial key designed by Adrianna Hirtler, published in 2018. It isn't a database. It is a poster that guides you twith drawings to identify all 17 species of Solidago found in the Finger Lakes. Available for purchase at Cayuga Nature Center or from the author. (The link is to an announcement - go to page 16.) |
Hardy Fern Library, archive version |
Tom Stuart's Hardy Fern Library covers many species native to the Finger Lakes region, with identification clues, cultivation information, and very helpful photos and drawings. The site itself has been taken down, but an archived version remains on the Internet Archive. There are many versions archived there. To get to the most complete (May 2017), use the arrow key towards the top of the page to move back in time if necessary. Use the genus search at top, not bottom left. |
NY Flora Atlas |
Best source for determining native vs introduced status, current nomenclature, and habitat for New York. Maintained by the NY Flora Association. |
Plants of the Northeastern US |
Mike Hough has put together a very nice collection of photos and information on regional flora "for 700+ native species from the upper Midwest and Northeast. The plants cover a broad range of habitats including savanna, prairie, pine barrens, dunes, eastern deciduous forest and a variety of wetland habitats." Searchable by flower color. The accompanying blog highlights finds from his forays with great photos. Excellent for central NY counties. |
SUNY Cortland Herbarium |
Specimens from the State Univ of NY at Cortland, some with photos. Approximately 5K vascular plants with a central NYS focus, 9.6K fungi, and 250 bryophytes. (Note that a large collection of marine algae is not yet included on the website.) |
USDA PLANTS Database |
The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories. Includes images of most species, which may be copied with appropriate citation. |
Vascular Plants of Cayuga Basin |
An updated list of the flora of the Cayuga quadrant, with indication of frequency and when introduced (if known). A key resource for identifying "native" for at least the eastern Finger Lakes. 2008 F. Robert Wesley, Sana Gardescu, and Peter F. Marks. |
Violets of Central New York |
Excellent photos and identification clues for the Violaceae family members found in central NY state by FLNPS member Arieh Tal. Part of his Botphoto website. |
Woody Plant Database |
A woody plant database with a dichotomous key, plant glossary, and "Plant selector". You can specify search criteria to determine which woody plants are best suited for your yard or garden. |
Woody Plant Seed Manual |
Seed collection, storage, treatment for a large number of species native to the U.S. Details for small-large restoration projects (e.g. seed weights) but also useful for propagation protocols for anyone wanting to grow from seed. |
Botphoto - Finger Lakes keys |
Keys for all Asteraceae in the Finger Lakes region (plus subsets for Tompkins County asters & goldenrods) and violets. Wonderfully detailed diagnostic photos and definitions of botanical terms used in the keys. Material is constantly being added by creator Arieh Tal, a FLNPS member. Flora of Buttermilk Park, which used to reside on Botphoto, is now in FLNPS.org. |
Connecticut Botanical Society |
This site has beautiful images of wildflowers and ferns, and gardening information for many native species. |
Northern Forest Atlas |
The Northern Forest Atlas project has created incredibly detailed images of woody plants, sedges, and mosses from Maine to Minnesota, comprising the northern forest. Central NY adjoins that area & there is lots of overlap. Books, downloadable PDF images, charts, etc. |
Phytoimages |
Broad international species coverage. Photos range from entire plants and closeups to dissected and magnified images to aid identification. |
Leatherstocking Botanical Society |
The Leatherstocking Botanical Society began in 2015 as a forum for botanical interests in the central New York region. They sponsor walks in the southeast part of the Southern Tier of NY. |
NYFA |
For the serious amateur or professional field botanist, NYFA provides in-depth workshops and outings. They produce the most complete record of New York state plants - the NY Flora Atlas. |
The Native Plant Center |
Affiliated with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. An active group with many workshops, a plant sale, and a demonstration garden. In Valhalla NY, a bit of a hike from the Finger Lakes region, but if you are heading that way.... |
Gardenlife Pro glossary |
Contains many horticultural terms in addition to botanical definitions. |
GoBotany Glossary of Botanical Terms |
From abaxial to zygomorphic! The definitions try to use non-technical language, and many have clickable explanatory drawings to help. |
USA-NPN Education & Engagement Series 2015-0011 April 2015 |
A very clear description of plant parts, their function, their growth and decline. Intended to help "citizen scientists" monitor the timing of events (e.g. first bloom) for phenology databases. Thus it is a great source for beginning plant lovers to learn both terminology and how/when to observe plants for fun, phenology, or identification. Lots of diagrams!! Reference: Guertin, P., Barnett, L., Denny, E.G., Schaffer, S.N. 2015.USA National Phenology Network Botany Primer. USA-NPN Education and Engagement Series 2015-001. www.usanpn.org. |
Invasive Worm Fact Sheet |
Prepared by Cornell, this is a homeowners guide to the Asian Jumping Worms, with ID and ways to reduce their spread. |
NY Prohibited & Regulated Invasive Plants |
Designed for the public, this pamplet style document has photos of the offenders to help ID. |
Covid Guidelines & Protocols for meetings |
Criteria for meeting in-person during Covid times. |
Creating a Pollinator Garden for Specialist Bees in New York |
While most pollinator garden planting guides talk about generalist bees, such as honey bees, this new guide provides detailed information on gardening for the native, solitary bees that are critical to biological diversity and that depend on specific plants to raise their young. Published by the Pollinator Network @Cornell. |
Define Native |
Terminology for the native plant lover. |
Ferns from Spores |
Basic info on spore propagation. |
Native Plant Sources, FLNPS list Introduction |
Where and Why - Background on choices in FLNPS Native Plant Source List. |
Plant Sale: Criteria for Acceptable Plants |
A statement of source, condition, and type of plant that FLNPS will include in the spring plant sale. Please read prior to donating plants. |
Planting local genotype by ecoregion |
Guidelines from Wild Ones on determining and using local ecotypes in plantings, applicable to gardens as well as restoration. See alsohttps://wildones.org/position-statements/guidelines-for-selecting-native-plants/ |
Responsible Sourcing for Your Native Plants |
Below is a list of nearby nurseries that focus on native plants and responsible propagation. Please read this background on questions to ask and how to be sure you are ethical in your purchases of native plants. To request inclusion on this list, please use the info contact. |
Amanda’s Garden. Ellen Folts, owner |
Amanda's Garden Native Perennial Nursery specializes in propagating and growing native perennial wildflowers, ferns, grasses and sedges. They grow over 150 kinds of native perennials, mostly from seeds or spores from plants in Western NY. They are 100% native to the northeastern US. |
Go Native! Perennials, Janice Wiles, owner |
Go Native! Perennials (GNP) started in 2020. The GNP team is growing their knowledge while building stock of forbs, grasses, shrubs, and trees. Seeds are collected regionally and plants and seeds from FLNPS/Mundy Wildflower garden serve as "mother plants" for an extensive field propagation effort. |
Grow Wild!, Deanna English & Guy Mott, owners |
A small nursery in Brooktondale offering exclusively native plant species found in and around the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions of New York State. Plants are mostly grown from locally collected seed. Available at Brooktondale Farmer's Market in addition to the nursery itself. |
The Plantsmen, Dan Segal, owner |
The Plantsmen is one of the few nurseries in NY State that collects local seed for their native plant production, but also sells to retail customers. Not all plants are grown from local seed source, but more species are added each year. In the nursery, these are marked by yellow plant tags. The Plantsmen grows native perennials, ferns, vines, sedges, shrubs, and trees for virtually every habitat type in our area—all without the use of pesticides and herbicides. They also offer a wide range of landscape services from basic maintenance to design, installation and quality natural stonework. |
Twisted Tree Farm, Akiva Silver, owner |
Twisted Tree Farm is located back in the hills of Spencer, NY. Ecologically beneficial nut trees, fruit trees, berry bushes, and perennials are grown without any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Most plants are raised and sold as high quality bare root, though there is a selection of potted plants. Twisted Tree Farm grows virtually all of their own plants and collects most of their seed from local sources. Roughly half of the plants are native. Creating food and habitat for people and wildlife is the primary focus. |
White Oak Nursery. Jim Engel, owner |
White Oak Nursery (WON) propagates over 80 species of native shade trees and native flowering shrubs, i.e. the majority of woody species that are native to the northeastern United States. This choice of species allows you to design complete landscapes entirely with native plants and to establish complete plant communities that benefit native wildlife. WON's philosophy is that plants in our landscapes should serve a dual purpose; to delight and beautify our lives and yards and serve their age-old function of providing food and shelter for native wildlife. White Oak also offers consultations, invasive plant control, treatments for HWA, plant installations and a little landscaping. |