Madison Square Park has added a pop-up native plant garden near the Fountain this year. Here you can learn about seasonal native plants and see them in all their glory. Whether you are interested in incorporating native plants into your space for the first time, or are already a native plant expert—there is something for everyone!

Each season we will highlight a different group of native plants that are best-suited for that time of year. These collections will give you a sense of how you can create your own beautiful landscape, rooftop, or window box while providing a service to our ever-important pollinators. These native plants will help restore the diverse ecosystem that was once here, and provide food sources and habitat for local wildlife.

Included in our current winter garden is Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal,’ a vibrant shrub with red stems that can brighten winter days. Low-growing options include Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Massachusetts,’ which displays evergreen foliage and red berries, and Gaultheria procumbens, a wintergreen that is a favorite of winter displays. Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’ and Tiarella cordifolia ‘Brandywine’ can also be found here, displaying beautiful foliage throughout the winter in shades of red and purple. Another favorite at Madison Square Park is Witch Hazel, one of our five collection species. Hamamelis virginiana is our native species, and one of the first Witch Hazels to show its yellow blooms.

We hope you’ll stop by our winter native plant garden the next time you’re in the park, and join us in our effort to add more native plants to our city. For more information, download our Guide to Restoring Native Plants in NYC.

(Photo Credit: Marc Gallucci)