The RI Native Plant Guide was developed by the University of Rhode Island (URI) Cooperative Extension and the Rhode Island Natural History Survey (RINHS) in 2016 with funding from a Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant. 

The plants featured in this guide were selected from 1,300 species of plants native to Rhode Island listed in the Vascular Flora of Rhode Island, a publication of the RINHS. Plants listed as ‘native’ in the publication were designated as such based on documentation in scientific literature published prior to 1997, and on herbarium records and field data for plants believed to have been here prior to European movement to the area, which began in the 15th century. 

The plants selected for inclusion in the RI Native Plant Guide were chosen based on their ornamental value, potential for use in restoration and ease of propagation. Plant types are defined as follows: 

• Grass: Monocot herbaceous plant with long narrow leaves (includes sedges and rushes).
• Perennial: Herbaceous plant living more than three years.
• Shrub: Woody perennial usually less than 12′ in height with multiple stems produced at the soil line.
• Tree: Long lived woody perennial usually with a single stem and distinct crown exceeding 12′ in height at maturity.
• Vine: Climbing or trailing plant.

Many of the plants on this list are well-known and currently in production, while others can be difficult to source through local growers and distributors. We hope that the use of this list will increase demand for native plants and encourage their growth and distribution in Rhode Island.

A team of reviewers were consulted to validate the authors’ subset of plants selected for inclusion within the RI Native Plant Guide. The reviewers included professionals in the horticulture industry: landscape architects and designers, landscape ecologists, propagators and botanists; their names are listed below. 

Authors 

Hope Leeson, RI Natural History Survey

Kate Venturini Hardesty, Vanessa Venturini, Graham Laird Gardner, URI Cooperative Extension

Reviewers

Karen Beck, Commonwealth Engineers & Consultants, Inc.

Gary Casabona, Natural Resources Conservation Service (pollinator habitat)

Russ Cohen, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (edible)

Kim Falcone, Lily’s Garden Herbals, LLC (medicinal)

Dr. Susan Gordon, URI Department of Plant Sciences

Judy Ireland, Judy Ireland Landscape Architecture

Dr. Scott McWilliams, URI Department of Natural Resources Science (bird habitat)

Dr. Peter Paton, URI Department of Natural Resources Science (bird habitat)

Charlotte Pyle, USDA Natural Resources Conservation

Kate Stafford, New England Wild Flower Society

Gabrielle Torphy, URI Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology

References

• Brand, Mark. 2001. UCONN Plant Database. www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants. University of 

Connecticut.

• Brown, Lauren. 1979. Grasses, an Identification Guide. Boston, Houghton Mifflin.
• Courtenay, Booth, Zimmerman, James H. 1978. Wildflowers and Weeds: A Field Guide 

in Full Color. Simon & Schuster. New York, London, Toronto, Singapore, Sydney, 

Tokyo.

• Cullina, William. 2000. Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and 

Canada. New England Wild Flower Society. Boston.

• Cullina, William. 2002. Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines. New England Wild Flower 

Society. Boston.

• Dirr, Michael A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, 5th ed. University of 

Georgia. Stipes Publishing, L.L.C. Chicago.

• Enser, Richard W. 2007. Rare Native Plants of Rhode Island. RI Natural Heritage 

Program. RI Department of Environmental Management. Providence.

• Gould, Lisa L., Richard W. Enser, Richard E. Champlin, Irene H. Stuckey. 1998. The 

Vascular Flora of Rhode Island; A List of Native and Naturalized Plants. The Rhode Island Natural History Survey. Kingston.

• Jones, Samuel B. Jr. and Foote, Leonard E. 1990. Gardening with Native WildFlowers. 

Timber Press, Portland Oregon.

• Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. 2012. Native Plant Database. 

www.wildflower.org/plants. University of Texas at Austin.

• Leopold, Donald J. 2005. Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and 

Conservation. Timber Press, Portland, Cambridge.

• Novak, Janet. 2005. Gallery of Connecticut’s Wildflowers. 

www.ct-botanical_society.org/about.html. Connecticut Botanical Society.

• Peterson, Lee Allen. 1977. A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Eastern and Central 
  • North America. Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, New York.
• Still, Steven M. 1994. Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants. Stipes Publishing 

Company. Champaign, Illinois.

• Tallamy, Doug. Lepidopteran Use of Native & Alien Ornamental Plants. 

www.bringingnaturehome.net. University of Delaware.

• USDA, NRCS. 2006. The PLANTS Database www.plants.usda.gov. 21 November 2006. 

National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge.

• Wherry, Edgar T. 1995. The Fern Guide, North Eastern and Midland United States. 

Dover Publications, Inc. New York.