A successful planting design will match plants with existing site conditions and anticipated site use to achieve an aesthetically pleasing, functional, and long-lived landscape. Species selection must be guided by a comprehensive site analysis of the natural and built environment as well as the maintenance that plantings are anticipated to need and receive. Particular attention must be paid to soils. Plant specification must follow DOT and Parks standards, including Local Law 11 of 2013.
Transportation to the site is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions for plant installation and must be considered when selecting plants during design. Whenever possible, plants should be sourced from a nursery within 100 miles or less of the project site. Additionally, consider the size of plants with a preference for specifying bareroot trees, smaller container sizes, plugs, and seeds where practical to further reduce material weight and associated transportation impacts. Where available, seek out information on nursery growing practices, especially with respect to water, fertilization, chemical usage, and propagation techniques. Consider specifying plants from nurseries with more sustainable growing practices.
Attention should be given to plants’ color, form, foliage, and texture and how those elements can be combined to create year-round interest. Additionally, cultural and historic context should be considered to ensure the significance of certain species to the local community is respected. Be mindful of how plant species may be important as part of various rituals or celebrations. Careful consideration should also be given to the forms and heights plants will reach at maturity and how they interact with other design elements, such as seating, signage, signals, and lighting as well as the built fabric including the sidewalk, roadway, and buildings. Avoid species that NYSDEC or Parks have determined to be invasive or that are susceptible to diseases and pests. Select plants that are known to compete well with invasive species; when feasible, preference should be given to native plantings that mimic plant communities in the native environment most reflective of the site context; review Parks’ Native Species Planting Guide for New York City. Given site conditions, designers should accommodate the collection of stormwater where possible and select plants that can withstand both periodic inundation and drought. All species selection must be approved by the appropriate city agency during the review process.