Plant Native: comparing biodiversity benefits, ecosystem services provisioning, and plant performance of native and non-native plants in urban horticulture

June 2025

Second Nature Senior Ecologist and Rutgers professor Myla Aronson and Rutgers ecologist Elena Tartaglia, Ph.D. recently released an important systematic literature review of over 150 studies on the value of native plants in cities.

They found that not only do native plants overwhelmingly support higher faunal abundance and diversity than non-native plants, but they also outperform at providing a diverse range of ecosystem services, such as air quality, pest control, and health and well-being.

The paper also provides some fascinating insights into the specific mechanisms of biodiversity support in cities - the kinds of ecological interactions we seek to catalyze through our design work.

The compelling evidence gathered by this paper underscores the critical role native plants play in improving cities in an urbanizing world. Because non-native plants are still the top choice for urban horticulture, and these landscapes are constantly being planted and replanted, these practices are a huge, relatively achievable opportunity to enhance health and biodiversity in our cities!