Come join the PLT Community Naturalists and learn more about native plants while participating in the 2025 Education Series featuring walks with the experts! See the complete schedule of free events on the News & Events page. Come for one; come for all!
“Nearly all of us get our plants from nurseries, but the plants in most nurseries fall into two very distinct categories: they are either native to your area—that is, they share an evolutionary history with the plant and animal communities in your ecoregion or biome, or they are plants that have developed the traits that make them unique species elsewhere…
If we choose plants to increase the carrying capacity of our yard, geographic origin is the first attribute we must consider. Remember that we are choosing plants to fill particular ecological roles, and plants native to the region are almost always far better at performing local ecological roles than plants introduced from somewhere else.."
Douglas W. Tallamy, Nature’s Best Hope.
Click Here to download a list of local native plants. (PDF)
“What are the natural features which make a township handsome? A river, with its waterfalls and meadows, a lake, a hill, a cliff or individual rocks, a forest, and ancient trees standing singly…If the inhabitants of a town were wise, they would seek to preserve these things, though at a considerable expense; for such things educate far more than any hired teachers or preachers, or any at present recognized system of school education.” – Henry David Thoreau, Journal 3, January 1861
Preservation, Conservation, and Stewardship
Pennsbury Township Municipal Park is 54 acres of open space. Pennsbury Land Trust was granted an easement on 29 acres of the park in 1996. This is just one of 10 easements that PLT volunteers monitor for compliance with restrictions imposed when a conservation easement was originally agreed upon with a landowner. Pennsbury Land Trust is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a public charity enabling donors of land and conservation easements to be eligible for significant tax benefits from their donations. Click on the tab “Easements” for more information.
A Definite Story to Tell
Pennsbury Land Trust continues to watch the restoration of the John Hope House. As this photo shows, an interesting combination of stonework has been uncovered that lends evidence of a detailed past. PLT views the historic house as part of Pennsbury’s local history and also of regional history as increasing focus surrounds the Route 1 corridor, its historic sites, and its key piece in the Brandywine Valley story.
The Demonstration Gardens Are Waking Up!
The PLT Community Naturalists Committee has planted a second Native Plant Demonstration Garden along the fence line of the Park, for sun-loving perennials such as purple coneflower, blazing star, and phlox. This garden shows off these beautiful, carefree native wildflowers, which are excellent pollinator plants, sure to enhance any sunny garden! Visit the Twp. Park often and watch the gardens grow! For more info on PLT’s Community Naturalists and their free events, click on the tab “News and Events.”
If you’re interested in learning more about selecting or identifying native plants; or if you’d like to have an expert come to you to evaluate the plants in your backyard (consultant fee for this), reach out to Karen directly by calling 610-388-7995.
