About

Conventional landscaping often relies on non-native species that demand excessive irrigation, fertilization, and pest control. This tool provides a data-driven approach to ecological restoration at the residential and commercial scale. By selecting flora adapted to specific USDA Hardiness Zones, soil pH, and hydrology, project planners can drastically reduce maintenance overhead and resource consumption.

This application goes beyond simple filtering. It performs a Biodiversity Audit on your selection, analyzing the temporal distribution of bloom cycles to ensure a "continuous nectar flow" - a critical requirement for supporting apiary health and migratory bird populations. Furthermore, the integrated hydrologic calculator uses reference evapotranspiration (ETo) constants to project water savings against varying turfgrass baselines, proving the economic viability of native xeriscaping.

Formulas

To estimate the conservation efficiency of native planting versus conventional turf, we utilize the Landscape Coefficient Method. The potential water savings S (in gallons) is derived from the difference in Evapotranspiration (ET) requirements over a standard growing season.

{

ET_L = ET₀ × K_LET_N = ET₀ × K_NS = (ET_L − ET_N) × A × 0.623

Where ET₀ is the Reference Evapotranspiration (inches), K_L is the Landscape Coefficient for Cool Season Turf (approx 0.8), K_N is the Coefficient for Established Native Plants (approx 0.2), and A is the surface area in ft².

Reference Data

Species (Latin)	Common Name	Hardiness	Height (ft)	Drought Index	Bloom Start	Eco-Function
Quercus alba	White Oak	3-9	50-80	High	Apr	Keystone Host (500+ Larvae)
Echinacea purpurea	Purple Coneflower	3-8	2-4	Mod	Jun	Pollinator Source / Seed Head
Asclepias tuberosa	Butterfly Weed	3-9	1-2	High	May	Monarch Host / Nectar
Lobelia cardinalis	Cardinal Flower	3-9	2-4	Low	Jul	Hummingbird Specialist
Panicum virgatum	Switchgrass	3-9	3-6	High	Aug	Soil Stabilization / Cover
Cercis canadensis	Eastern Redbud	4-9	20-30	Mod	Mar	Early Spring Nectar
Liatris spicata	Blazing Star	3-8	2-4	Mod	Jul	Butterfly Magnet
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae	New England Aster	4-8	3-6	Mod	Aug	Late Season Fuel
Cornus florida	Flowering Dogwood	5-9	15-30	Mod	Apr	Berry Production (Birds)
Schizachyrium scoparium	Little Bluestem	3-9	2-3	High	Aug	Nesting Material / Winter Interest

Frequently Asked Questions

Continuous Nectar Flow refers to the availability of pollen and nectar sources from early spring through late fall without interruption. Gaps in bloom cycles can lead to starvation for local pollinators, particularly specialists with short lifespans or migratory species like Monarchs.

The USDA Hardiness Zones are based on the average annual minimum winter temperature. We recommend selecting plants where your location falls within the middle of the plant's zone range for maximum resilience against extreme weather events.

Keystone species (like Oaks, Cherries, and Willows) support orders of magnitude more biodiversity (specifically Lepidoptera larvae) than other plants. A garden with just 5% keystone biomass can support 75% of the local food web.

Many native perennials (Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan) thrive in containers, but deep-rooted prairie plants (like Baptisia or Compass Plant) require ground soil to accommodate taproots that can exceed 10 feet in depth.

Stratification is a process simulating winter conditions to break seed dormancy. Many native seeds require 30-60 days of cold, moist conditions (Cold Stratification) before they will germinate. This prevents them from sprouting during a warm spell in January only to freeze later.