Primary source hierarchy
We start with the USDA PLANTS Database for standardized names and broad U.S. distribution. We use the EPA ecoregion framework to avoid treating state borders as ecological borders. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map helps describe cold tolerance, but a hardiness zone does not establish native status.
Regional interpretation
State agencies, university extension services, native plant societies, botanic gardens, and conservation organizations are used to interpret local habitat, landscape behavior, and practical care. We favor sources that identify authorship, revision date, and geographic scope.
Recommendation rules
- A plant must have a plausible Mid-Atlantic fit, but every profile states when the broad range needs local confirmation.
- “Tidy” describes a design use, not ecological superiority. Spreading plants can be valuable when their colony is planned.
- Hardiness, sunlight, and moisture are treated as separate filters.
- Claims about pets, livestock, pesticides, edible use, or medical use are excluded unless separately reviewed by an appropriate authority.
- A drainage-sensitive plan includes a scope warning and does not replace structural or stormwater advice.
Use of automation
Pocket Habitat uses AI-assisted research, drafting and technical checks. The articles synthesize published guidance; they are not reports of our own horticultural trials. Automated checks cannot establish that a plant will thrive on a particular property. Sources and limits are included so readers can verify recommendations with local Extension guidance.
What a measured plan means
Our Garden Plans specify an example footprint and planting-center coordinates. Quantities and positions are editorial design decisions, not spacing trials endorsed by the cited institutions. Mature growth varies by selection and site. Check the listed size assumptions before buying, and reduce quantities or enlarge the planting if those assumptions do not match. On September 12, 2026, we replaced the shared decorative diagrams with plan-specific position diagrams and revised overcrowded recipes.
Editorial illustrations
Field-note illustrations are AI-generated and labeled separately from botanical photographs. They explain an idea, not an observed installation, species-identification feature or guaranteed finished result. Use the credited plant photographs and authoritative botanical records for identification.
Images
Botanical photographs are used only when their reuse terms are known. Each plant field card identifies the photographer or source organization, links to the original record, and states the applicable public-domain or Creative Commons license. Most current photographs use the CC0 public-domain dedication through research-grade iNaturalist observations; selected U.S. federal government images are marked public domain. Images may be cropped responsively by the page layout, but their plant content is not altered.
Corrections
Plant taxonomy, distribution records, and best practices change. Readers can send corrections to hello@pocket-habitat.com or use the editorial contact page. Please include the affected URL and a reliable supporting source. Material corrections are reviewed against the source hierarchy above and reflected on the affected page.
Commercial independence
Pocket Habitat does not sell plants or accept payment for favorable coverage. Advertising and clearly labeled affiliate links support the site, but they do not determine plant selection, regional claims, or editorial conclusions. Affiliate links point only to task-related tool categories and are separated from primary-source citations.
Last editorial review: September 12, 2026