Get To Know The Nature Near You

News

NYC Wild Flower Week
May 5th, 2011

Credit: Bjeffway/WikiMedia

NYC has more than 53,000 acres of open space and 778 plant species to discover. Celebrate the 4th annual NYC Wildflower Week May 3–15, 2011 at free cultural events in all 5 boroughs.

Why wildflowers? Indigenous plants, including wildflowers, play a critical role in promoting local biodiversity, supplying food and habitat for native wildlife, and creating a sense of place. NYC has already lost more than 40% of our native flora.

Meet the natives. NYC natives include mosses and ferns; grasses, sedges and rushes; forbs (aka wildflowers); trees, shrubs and woody vines. And you don’t have to go far to see them. Look for natives in our parks and nature preserves, community gardens and windowboxes—even in vacant lots.

Get out and explore. New York has a higher percentage of open space than any major city in the US – 25% or 53,000 acres in city, state and federal parkland—that’s more than Los Angeles and Philadelphia combined. Its natural areas and parklands include towering forests, vibrant wetlands and expansive meadows—and most are easily accessible by public transportation.

Garden greener. Beautiful and varied, NYC natives are a great choice for your garden, terrace or windowbox. Naturally adapted to our local conditions, natives are easy to grow and maintain, attract butterflies and birds, and benefit the environment, too.

Visit nycwildflowerweek.org for more info, event registration, resources and more.

About NYC Wildflower Week

Founded in 2008, NYC Wildflower Week connects New Yorkers to the nature in their own back yard. NYC has more open space than Philadelphia and Los Angeles combined, and more than 778 native plant species. We believe these natural wonders should be as beloved to New Yorkers as the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island Ferry and other NYC icons. NYCWW partners with dozens of organizations, businesses, and individuals to produce events in all five boroughs and provides information and resources to help New Yorkers to explore NYC nature on their own.