Greensburg - American Planning Association

Native and Xeric Plantings
Native and Xeric planting are terms referring
to two classification of plants.
Natural plants refer to plants that are
naturally occurring in the area of interest—Greensburg--currently
or in the
past. An example of a Greensburg native
plant would be an oak tree and an
example of a non-native plant would be
a palm tree.
Xeric plants (from the Greek ‘Xeros’,
meaning dry) can be defined simply as
“drought resistant plants.” These
plants do well in arid climates, like
Greensburg, as they require little or no
irrigation.
Native plants are sustainable options,
because they are proven to be well
suited for the climate of the region.
They may also be important to other
natural systems including the local
ecological cycle, and provide food and
habitat for local wildlife. Xeric Plants
are a sustainable option for Greensburg
because they do not require as much
water in an area that receives only 22
inches of precipitation annually. This is
especially important considering
irrigation wastes a great deal of treated
potable water that could be better used
by the residents of Greensburg.
Greensburg has a great opportunity to
make sustainable plant choices in every
parks and openspace project. All it takes
to incorporate native and xeric plants is
a knowledge of plants and making a
choice to favor native or xeric options
over invasive plants and plants that
require excessive irrigation.
The use of these plants will show that
the community is serious about the
overall health of natural systems and of
their community.
Sustainable Materials
The use of sustainable materials is just
as important for the parks and open
spaces of Greensburg as it is for any
other project in the town. Any time
materials are used in a park, from the
trees planted to the mowers that cut
the grass, a decision is made about
which product, out of the many options,
is the most responsible. It should be a
priority of the Parks Department to look
at a variety of options when making
choices about materials to ensure
sustainable products are used whenever
possible. Sustainable material options
include recycled, reclaimed or local
materials. A detailed definition of
sustaianble materials is available in the
Built Enviornment section of this plan.
Sustainable Construction
Sustainable construction techniques are
most often associated with building
construction but are also applicable to
parks and open space projects. In this
application, responsible construction will
mean reducing the impact of
construction practices like the use of
heavy machinery and toxic materials
and protecting existing environments
from being destroyed during the
construction process.
It is recommended that by following
proper phasing the development of the
parks and openspace projects, which
includes various streetscape projects,
seek to minimize the use of heavy
equipment, toxic fertilizers and
materials, and preserve existing
vegetation, ecosystems, and habitat.
Parks & Green Corridors 133