Native Plant Species
A native plant species is a plant that is considered indigenous and naturally occurring to the region. For purposes of this website, a native plant is one that occurs naturally in eastern Massachusetts. The specific native status of each plant listed above was determined by using Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program’s The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: A County Checklist and Native Plant Trust’s Go Botany online plant identification portal.
Non-Native Plant Species
A non-native plant species is a plant that is non-indigenous and not naturally occurring to the region. (For purposes of this website, the region is eastern Massachusetts with an emphasis on the coastal environments.) When non-native species enter into an ecosystem, they have the potential to disrupt the natural balance, reduce biodiversity, degrade habitats, alter native genetic diversity, and transmit exotic diseases to native species. However, not all non-native plants are invasive. Non-native plants that are not considered invasive are those that generally do not rapidly disperse, become widely established, or create self-sustaining or dominant populations that would be disruptive to the natural ecosystem. CZM recommends the use of natives wherever possible but has included certain non-native species in this website that have specific coastal landscaping advantages and no known environmental impacts. Be sure to check the Coastal Landscaping - Links to Additional Resources page for the most recent sources of invasive species information.