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in Maine State ParksBringing NatureHomeRestoring native plants and habitats for pollinators and other wildlife

“Bringing Nature Home” in Maine State Parks is a collaborative project between Maine Audubon, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, and Maine State Parks to engage communities in restoring native plants and habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.To learn more about this project, visit maineaudubon.org/pollinatorsinparksLook for demonstration gardens and habitat restoration areas throughout the park during your visit. Scan the QR codes you see or go to maineaudubon.org/plants to learn more about what you can do to restore habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.Illustrations by Jada Fitch

Plants serve as the foundation for most ecosystems, natural communities, and habitats. Insects, birds, and other animals depend on plants for food and shelter. Every species of Maine wildlife has particular plants they have co-adapted with over many generations. Herbivores like moose know which leaves to eat each season. Granivores like sparrows know where to look for particular seeds. Even carnivores like foxes and birds of prey know which plants are best for nesting material or to settle an upset stomach. People—including the Wabanaki, European naturalists, and modern ecologists—have documented these specic relationships, and these historic records guide us as we restore those connections in our parks, neighborhoods, and gardens today.We have chosen species of native plants to grow in Maine State Parks based on documented benets to wildlife and habitat, as well as for their beauty, adaptability, and commercial availability. We have also prioritized species of plants that are rare, threatened, endangered, or even locally extinct. Learn more about the individual species we’re restoring; look for labels near where they are growing in the park or read about them in this booklet.To nd out more about other species Maine Audubon grows, promotes, and sells for gardeners and property managers, visit mainenativeplants.org.What’s so special about native plants?

Growing InformationFull sun, sandy soils, blooms in May, reaches height/width of 6-10 feet.Benets for Wildlifee leaves of this plant are known to host 421 species of moth and buttery caterpillars, which are a critical source of food for baby birds. e owers provide essential sources of nectar for pollinators early in the season, and the fruit are eaten by birds and mammals.Attractive shrub or small tree with abundant owers and edible fruit. Beach Plum can be found occurring naturally in coastal dunes and shorelines. Benets for Peopleis resilient coastline species is drought- and salt-resistant. Its adaptability means it can bring beauty and benets to many tough developed landscapes.Prunus maritimaBEACH PLUMEndangered species in Maine

Growing InformationFull sun to part shade; dry to medium, well-drained soil; blooms in August/September; grows to height of 2-3 feet.Benets for WildlifeSolidago is the most productive herbaceous host plant, with 124 species of caterpillars using it historically. e blooms benet countless pollinators and the seeds are eaten by numerous birds.Clump-forming, non-aggressive growing Goldenrod with arching, purple stems, and small clusters of daisy-like yellow owers. Very attractive to pollinators and deer tolerant!Benets for Peopleis is a non-spreading, shade-tolerant member of the highly benecial goldenrod family. Contrary to popular belief, goldenrods do not cause hay fever.Solidago caesiaBLUE-STEMMED GOLDENROD

Species listed as Potentially Extirpated (locally extinct) in MaineGrowing InformationFull sun, dry to medium-wet, well-drained soils, blooms in July and August, grows to height of 1-3 feet. Benets for WildlifeLeaves of this plant host 10 species of caterpillars, including those of Monarch Butteries. e owers provide midsummer nectar for countless pollinators.This stunning perennial provides a pop of bright orange color and is a host plant for Monarch Butteries. When Buttery Weed occurs naturally, it prefers elds, roadsides, and dry, rocky, open woods. Benets for Peopleis is a beautiful, non-spreading (except by seed) form of milkweed. With its striking blooms of orange, this drought- and deer-resistant plant is a garden winner.Asclepias tuberosaBUTTERFLY WEED

The riots of purple, pink, and white owers produced by this native genus provide late season color and food for pollinators such as adult Monarch Butteries from August into October. Asters are found in a variety of natural habitats such as elds, forest edges, and open woods.Benets for PeopleA great source of late garden color, asters were used medicinally by Wabanaki healers.Symphyotrichum spp.AMERICAN ASTERGrowing InformationAsters grow in varied conditions, but most prefer at least partial sun and medium moisture. Mature height varies from 3-6 feet.Benets for WildlifeLeaves are known to host 10 species of caterpillars, owers are an important source of nectar long after other blooms have faded, and seeds provide an accessible food source for winter birds.

Threatened species in Maine Growing InformationFull sun to part shade, prefers well-drained sandy or rocky soils, blooms in June/July, reaches a height of 2-3 feet.Benets for WildlifeLeaves are host to more than 40 species of caterpillars. Blooms benet many pollinators.Ceanothus americanusNEW JERSEY TEADurable and drought-tolerant plant that produces bright white owers which attract hummingbirds, butteries, and bees. Occurs naturally in dry open woods and meadows.Benets for Peopleis plant can be used as a groundcover or a low hedge for the most dicult areas such as dry rocky slopes and banks. Its deep root system helps the plant recover from res, and makes it tolerant to aggressive pruning or even periodic mowing. Dried leaves were used as a tea substitute.

Gorgeous, full, large shrub with waxy, fragrant leaves and benecial berries that persist into winter. Bayberry can be found occurring naturally in various sunny and exposed areas on the coast and inland.Benets for PeopleBayberry is fragrant, beautiful, and resilient. It can tolerate poor soils, salt, and exposed conditions, and can also be grown and pruned as a hedge or for other ornamental uses.Myrica pensylvanicaNORTHERN BAYBERRYGrowing InformationFull sun, varied soils, reaches height/width of 5-10 feet.Benets for Wildlifee leaves of this plant are known to host 70 species of moth and buttery caterpillars, which are critical food for baby birds. ickets of bayberry provide shelter for birds, rabbits, and other animals in which they can nest and hide.

Growing InformationSunlight sun to shade, moist well-drained soil, blooms in April, reaches height of 6-12 feet.Benets for WildlifeLeaves host caterpillars of three species of butteries including those of the specialist Spicebush Swallowtail. Flowers are a source of nectar for early pollinators. Fruit on female plants benet birds and mammals.Large shrub, often multi-trunked, that produces beautiful owers, fruit, and striking yellow fall foliage. Found occurring naturally in forest wetlands and streambanks. Benets for Peopleis beautiful ornamental shrub has aromatic leaves and fall color. Early blooms can make for a native substitute for exotic forsythias.Lindera benzoinNORTHERN SPICEBUSHSpecies listed as Species of Concern in Maine

Growing InformationShadbush thrive in full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soils. ey bloom in May and reach heights of 20 feet.Benets for Wildlifee leaves of Shadbush host 117 species of caterpillars. e early blooms are the rst available source of spring nectar for many polli-nators, and the midsummer fruit sustains many birds and mammals.Small trees, or multi-trunked shrubs, with delicate white owers in the spring, small red fruit, and orange-red foliage and blue fruit in the fall. Dierent species occur in various open woodlands and edge habitats. Benets for Peopleis beautiful and hardy small ornamental tree is great especially for tough urban settings, under power lines, etc. Striking white or pale pink blooms were a reliable annual cue to Wabanaki people as to when sea run sh such as Alewives and Atlantic Salmon were returning to coastal rivers. Amelanchier spp.SHADBUSHCoastal Species, Amelanchier nantucketensis, is listed as a threatened species in Maine

Growing InformationFull sun, moist to dry soils, blooms in August/September, reaches height of 2-4 feet.Benets for WildlifeSolidago is the most productive herbaceous host plant, with 124 species of caterpillars using it historically. e blooms benet countless pollinators and the seeds are eaten by numerous birds.Unique clumping form of familiar genus. Long, lobed leaves multiply in upright clumps rather than spreading throughout the garden. Produces dense, long-lasting ower clusters that are important for many pollinators.Benets for Peopleis is a non-spreading, shade-tolerant member of the highly benecial goldenrod family. Contrary to popular belief, goldenrods do not cause hay fever.Solidago sempervirensSEASIDE GOLDENROD

Maine Native Plant Findermaineaudubon.org/plantsA stunning perennial with dark pink ower buds that open to pale pink; a pollinator magnet and host plant to Monarch Butteries. This milkweed is found naturally in swamps and wet meadows, but is well adapted to many garden settings.Growing InformationFull sun, medium to wet soils, blooms in midsummer, reaches height of 4-5 feet.Benets for WildlifeMilkweeds are the single larval host plant for Monarch Butteries, and also host another nine species of caterpillars. Swamp Milkweed blooms provide plentiful midsummer nectar for countless pollinators.Benets for Peopleis is a beautiful, non-spreading (except by seed) form of milkweed. Deer-resistant, Swamp Milkweed grows and thrives in widely varied garden settings, even showing some drought tolerance once established. Asclepias incarnataSWAMP MILKWEED

Why native plants are important for wildlife and ecosystems, especially in developed landscapes, visit maineaudubon.org/plantsVolunteering or participating in this project, please email plants@maineaudubon.orgWhich Maine native plants might be right for your garden or community, visit mainenativeplants.orgU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, visit fws.gov/gomcpTo learn more about...