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Pathway

How to Choose Plants for Landscaping

Choose from site conditions and intended function before looking for a favorite plant.

A diverse planting border with labeled-looking but unreadable garden tags, dappled light, and mature shrubs around a path
Every project has its own conditions. This pathway organizes the questions before it suggests a choice.

Use these guides in the order that matches your unknowns. Each one ends with the next useful question, not a one-size-fits-all prescription.

03A meadow-like residential planting with native-looking flowers, grasses, pollinators at a distance, and a maintained garden edge

guide

Native Plants by Region

Build a local shortlist from regional sources, local conditions, and invasive-species checks.

Source ledger

What supports this guide

  • USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map informs the planning questions here. Local authorities control site-specific rules.
  • USDA PLANTS informs the planning questions here. Local authorities control site-specific rules.
  • EPA WaterSense informs the planning questions here. Local authorities control site-specific rules.