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Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat Improvement in New Jersey’s New Jersey’s Coastal Plain Region (Cape Atlantic Conservation District)

Organization logo: silhouette of farm and marsh with heron in the foreground

The use of native plant species at a school, in a park, or around your home can be beneficial in many ways. Wildlife use plants for food and shelter, while you benefit from the beauty these plants and wildlife add to the landscape. The native plants are readily accepted by wildlife but also are adapted to our environmental conditions. They are adapted to our soil conditions, resistant to pests and once established require less maintenance.

This guides contains a list of plants that are adapted to the region, and are more pest tolerant, disease resistant and more drought tolerant than non-indigenous plants. It is not a complete list of the native plant species of New Jersey, but rather a list of those that may be best suited to help establish a wildlife habitat on your property. The information in this guide has been collected from various local, state, and federal government agencies, as well as private organizations. All photographs are from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Cape Atlantic Conservation District.