Plants

The Upper Delaware Region is home to a diverse suite of native plants. Native plants play an essential role in preserving the biodiversity and health of the Upper Delaware Region. They supply many different ecosystem services, which are benefits that humans receive from healthy ecosystems. Native plants provide habitat for wildlife, including crucial pollinators like bees and butterflies. They also help keep water clean by minimizing excessive flooding and erosion. Even outside of the park, it’s important to maintain and plant native plants. They’re better adapted to the local climate and require fewer inputs like fertilizer and pesticide. Visit Homegrown National Park to learn more about implementing native gardens into your backyard.

Plants are an essential component of almost every ecosystem on Earth. Through photosynthesis, plants use energy from the sun to create their own food. Since plants take energy from the sun, they are primary producers, meaning they serve as the basis for many food webs. Primary consumers, or herbivores, eat plants and obtain energy. The energy is then passed along the food web to secondary consumers or carnivores. As well, during photosynthesis, plants release oxygen which people and animals need to breathe.

Forests dominate the Upper Delaware Region’s vegetative landscape. Common tree species in the park include Eastern Hemlock, American Beech, Sweet Birch, Chestnut Oak, and Northern Red Oak. When found together, they are referred to as the Hemlock – Beech – Oak Forest , which is the most common forest type found in the park. Visitors may also notice forest communities dominated by oak trees. These are typically associated with thin, rocky, and acidic soils. Downslope from the oak dominated forests, visitors may find northern hardwood forests. On abandoned agricultural land, weedy successional forests also exist. These areas often host both native and nonnative species. Plant succession refers to plant regrowth after disturbance, which can be caused by a variety of events, such as timber and farming practices.

The Upper Delaware Region also hosts vegetation communities other than forests. Blueberry shrub and grass communities can be found on dry ridgetops and rocky outcroppings. Wetland and riparian community types are typically found lower in the river valley or in the river floodplain itself.