Area of Study
This project includes plants found in or around Boston, Massachusetts. Boston is home to a diverse population and has been historically a center of immigration, commerce, culture, and learning which has led to plants from all over the world being brought here.
Map of locations where all of the specimens of plants used in this database were found.
The area studied includes northern and eastern Massachusetts, specifically Suffolk, Essex, and Middlesex counties. This is a region which is generally flat with rocky, glacier-formed soils. It has long history of logging and replanting and is characterized by hot, humid summers and long, cold winters with abundant precipitation all year. Boston and many surrounding areas are notable for having been salt marshes throughout most of their history, before being filled in with sediment and trash, creating the characteristic poor, acidic, and pollutant-filled soil. Plants that thrive naturally here are adapted for cold, wind, and overall harsh conditions, as well as abundant moisture and salt.
Map of the native regions of all plants in this database.
