Plant Materials Program “The Plant Materials Program and its cooperators have contributed the bulk of the material and technology now used in ecosystem

restoration and are our foundation for meeting conservation challenges of the future.”

-- D.T. Booth and T.A. Jones, Native Plants Journal

Improving Urban Landscapes 

Urban communities are expanding due to growing 

populations nationwide. More homes, schools, 

shopping centers and roads are connecting people 

to desired services. Urban landscapes have 

different resource concerns than rural landscapes. 

Urban communities experience significantly more 

impervious surfaces. Rooftops, roads, parking lots, 

and compacted areas increase surface runoff and 

deliver more sediment, nutrients, hydrocarbons and 

other pollutants to receiving bodies of water. 

Urban landscapes often experience greater 

populations of invasive species and weeds that 

increase the potential of damaging wildfire. 

One goal of the Natural Resources Conservation 

Service (NRCS) is to maintain and enhance the 

health of plant communities. Using plants in urban 

landscapes can be a valuable component of 

managing storm-water runoff. Plants can be used 

in biofiltration systems including bioswales, 

bioretention cells and rain gardens to capture 

runoff from impervious surfaces such as rooftops, 

driveways, and patios. Bioswales are vegetated 

conveyance systems that provide an alternative to 

storm sewers. Bioswales help store polluted runoff 

and allow it to slowly infiltrate into the vegetative 

filter. Nutrients in the runoff are also taken up by 

the plants. Bioretention cells are shallow 

landscape depressions that often handle large 

volumes of water from nearby impervious surfaces. 

Rain gardens are perennial vegetation strategically 

located to capture runoff from impervious surfaces 

such as rooftops, driveways, and patios. Plant 

materials used in these situations can also provide 

valuable habitat for wildlife and pollinators. 

The Plant Materials Program is helping meet the 

NRCS goal by selecting adapted plants and 

developing plant technology that can be used to 

improve the quality of urban landscapes. 

Arizona golf course with native plant landscaping. 

Urban landscaping at the Bismarck, North Dakota 

Plant Materials Center 

Great Northern Germplasm western yarrow, released 

by the Bridger, Montana Plant Materials Center, is a 

drought tolerant forb. 
The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

August 2007 

About Us 

The USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program consists of a 

network of 27 Plant Materials Centers (PMCs) and Plant 

Materials Specialists located throughout the United States. 

For over 70 years, PMCs and Specialists have provided 

essential and effective plant solutions for critical habitats, 

environmental concerns, management practices, and key 

farm and ranch programs. 

For more information, visit: 

http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov 

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov 

Helping People Help the Land... 

The white flower heads of Morning Mist 

Germplasm hairawn muhly make it valuable as 

a drought tolerant landscape plant.

The Plant Materials Program is involved in native 

landscaping and xeriscaping. Native plants have a 

tremendous root architecture that builds soil quality 

and increases organic matter. Increasing organic 

matter content improves the water holding and 

infiltration capacity of the soil. 

Xeriscaping is designing landscaped areas with low 

water use plants. Plants are grouped according to 

their water needs and irrigation is applied in the 

most effective manner possible. Xeriscaping also 

uses mulches to reduce moisture evaporation and 

limited turf areas. 

Many of the Plant Materials Programs 600+ 

conservation plant releases can and are used to 

create colorful low water-use, drought tolerant, 

sustainable landscapes. Native plants released by 

the Program are often more fire resistant and 

remain green longer than invasive species. 

In addition to plant releases, the Plant Materials 

Program has released several documents which are 

very useful to homeowners in all regions of the 

country. These publications provide solutions or 

guides for improving plant communities for 

homeowners and municipalities. These guides 

provide many ideas on conserving soil and 

improving water quality. 

A rain garden captures roof runoff from a 1⁄2 inch, 

15-minute prairie thunderstorm. Note the drought 

stressed area outside the rain garden. 

This booklet is a product of the Plant 

Materials Center in Bridger, Montana.