The High Line Kicks Off 4-month Native Plant Celebration

New York, NY (June 15, 2023)—The High Line is kicking off a summer-long celebration of its wild past that features tours, educational signage, and special events focused on plants native to NYC. Keep It Wild: Celebrating Native Plants on the High Line draws on the High Line’s history as an abandoned and overgrown rail line, and shows New Yorkers and visitors how many of those same wild plants today make the High Line a more sustainable public park that serves as a refuge for local wildlife.

More than 150 trees, grasses, and wildflowers planted on the High Line are native to the five boroughs of New York City. This summer, visitors will read about each plant’s growth cycle and the animals and insects they support on new illustrated signs posted throughout the park, and will join special tours to identify native species, hosted in partnership with Ruinart Champagne to showcase the intersection of agriculture, nature, and sustainability.

“The High Line’s gardens are a gift to New Yorkers, and our horticulturalists have a passion for plants that draw on our history as a wild, untamed landscape,” said Friends of the High Line Executive Director Alan van Capelle.

“All summer long, New Yorkers and visitors will have a chance to get up close with trees, shrubs and wildflowers native to the five boroughs so they can learn how they grow, when they bloom and what wildlife they support as part of our important urban ecology. It’s a remarkable celebration of what makes the High Line such a special place,” said Friends of the High Line Director of Horticulture Richard Hayden.

Why Native Plants?

Almost 20 years ago, as the High Line looked to transform the once-derelict railway into a public park, the design team took inspiration from the self-seeded landscape that took over when the trains stopped running. “Keep it wild” became an ethos that informed the idea of microclimate-specific gardens and the naturalistic plant selections made by James Corner Field Operations and planting designer Piet Oudolf.

Today, behind the scenes of these wild-inspired gardens is continued work by High Line’s horticulturalists to create sustainable, resilient, and pollinator-friendly landscapes—and native plants are the cornerstone of these efforts. When public spaces like the High Line choose to use native species of plants, they support all the insects, birds, animals, and other plants that rely on them.

Native Plants Celebration Upcoming Tours and Events

“Keep It Wild!” Tours

• In partnership with Ruinart Champagne, the High Line will host two weekly "Keep It Wild!" tours that showcase the park's native plants, its public art program, and Ruinart's own practices from the world of sustainable viticulture.
  • Schedule through June 30:
    • Every Thursday evening from 6 pm to 7 pm, starting at the Spur on 30th Street and 10th Avenue
    • Every Friday morning from 10 am to 11 am, beginning at the Gansevoort and Washington Streets entrance of the High Line
    • All tours are free and open to the public. RSVP at
    thehighline.org/nativeplants

Fantastic Forests: High Line Family Workshops

• Families are invited to explore the role the High Line’s native trees play in New York City’s unique ecosystem through our series of free kid-friendly art workshops. Learn about what makes these native trees unique while creating your own artworks inspired by urban forests.

• Schedule:
  • July 22 and 29, 2023 from 1 pm to 4 pm
  • August 2 and 9, 2023 from 3 pm to 6 pm
  • RSVP at thehighline.org/events/fantastic-forests-high-line-family-workshops

Cast Your Vote: Native Plants in the Spotlight

• The High Line has nominated its butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) as the top NYC wildflower in an official New York City wildflower campaign. To cast a vote in this campaign, visit: wildflowernyc.org
  • Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) This bright orange-flowered perennial is an important food source for insects. While the flowers attract many pollinators, caterpillars of monarch butterflies and adult milkweed bugs feed on the leaves and stems. Milkweed is a critical host plant of globally endangered monarch butterflies, whose caterpillars depend on the leaves of milkweed plants for food.

See a full listing of events and programming at thehighline.org/nativeplants.

ABOUT THE HIGH LINE

The High Line is both a nonprofit organization and a public park on the West Side of Manhattan.

Through our work with communities on and off the High Line, we’re devoted to reimagining

public spaces to create connected, healthy neighborhoods and cities. Built on a historic, elevated rail line, the High Line was always intended to be more than a park. You can walk through the gardens, view art, experience a performance, enjoy food or beverage,

or connect with friends and neighbors—all while enjoying a unique perspective of New York

City. The High Line is owned by the City of New York and we operate under a license agreement with NYC Parks.

SUPPORT

From the Vineyards of Champagne to the High Line: A Joint Initiative to Celebrate Native Plants & Biodiversity

Ruinart is proud to support the High Line’s “Keep It Wild” tours, as part of the park’s 2023 native plants celebration. Ruinart’s interest in supporting these initiatives on the High Line stems from their commitment to promoting biodiversity, sustainable viticulture, and reducing their carbon footprint in the production of its champagnes. In response to the global environmental challenges, Ruinart works hard to implement many practices to create a positive impact on the planet.

Major support from Ruinart Champagne in celebration of biodiversity.

Lead support for Horticulture on the High Line is provided by Amanda M. Burden.

Program support for Horticulture on the High Line is provided by Greenacre Foundation.

High Line Tours and accessibility are supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Council, under the leadership of Speaker Adrienne Adams, with special thanks to New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher.