Adapting to Changing Climate: A Resilient Plant Palette for the Charlestown Navy Yard

The National Parks of Boston Climate Conservation Corps (NPB CCC) is developing the Climate Resilient Plant Palette for the Charlestown Navy Yard to guide the park as it considers new plants for spring 2024 and beyond. This will provide the Park with a list of species that serve climate mitigation and adaptation purposes. Continue reading to learn more about the project and what the NPB CCC has accomplished.

Two National Parks of Boston Climate Conservation Corps members stop for a photo in front of the Commandant's House in the Navy Yard.

NPS Photo / R. Muller

What is a plant palette?

Similar to an artist's palette that has all the colors they want in their painting, a plant palette is a collection of species that are deemed suitable for planting in a given area. There are many factors to consider when creating a plant palette. Some are ecological, such as which plants will survive where, or how species will interact with local biodiversity. Others include artistic components, like what colors are appropriate for the landscape and which plants will look cohesive together.

Balancing historical integrity with needs of the future

What is now considered the Charlestown Navy Yard of Boston National Historical Park has an extensive history. For thousands of years, Indigenous communities stewarded this site of ecological and cultural importance. The area consisted of tidal flats and were called Mishawum or "Great Springs" by local communities. Upon invasion in the 1700s, European colonists severely altered the landscape, with the British infantry using the flats as a landing for the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The US Navy established Charlestown Navy Yard in 1800 as one of the first navy yards of the recently independent United States. Just a few years later, the Commandant, or the highest-ranking officer of the Yard, organized the construction of the Commandant's House, which still stands today. Sitting on the highest point of the Navy Yard and overlooking the Harbor, the building became an iconic structure. The Commandant's House was used for both hosting guests and housing important members of the Navy. Given its purpose, aesthetic value was especially important, unlike other industrial sites across the Navy Yard. Flowers, trees, and brick pathways are among the ornamental features still maintained by the National Park Service today.

Members of the National Parks of Boston Historic Preservation Corps repair a brick pathway.

NPS Photo

As the demands for new technology grew, so did the Navy Yard. By the 1850s, the Navy built more facilities, including iconic structures of today such as the Ropewalk and Dry Dock 1. The 1880s became known as the New Navy era, and the Navy Yard reflected this by building additional shops, docks, piers, and expanding its railway system. During World War II, the Navy Yard reached the limit of its landscape, and work was outsourced to facilities along the Outer Harbor. The Navy Yard was decommissioned in 1974 and transferred to the National Park Service. While many sites across the Navy Yard have since changed, the park retains historical integrity through the preservation of features that emulate or belong to the Navy Yard’s most culturally important period (1800-1974).

Aerial view of the Charlestown Navy Yard from February 1974.

Boston National Historical Park (BNHP), BOSTS 8627

Supporting historically accurate features is becoming increasingly difficult in the face of climate change. Rising sea level, increasing storm intensity, and hotter days are among many climate effects that impact Boston communities and infrastructure. The National Parks of Boston and the NPB CCC are finding creative solutions to maintain historical integrity while instilling climate resiliency into the park.

One example of this is the NPB CCC's Climate Resilient Plant Palette. When planting in the Navy Yard, the park first must decide whether a species adds historic value to the park. This allows visitors to explore Boston's history through outstanding landmarks in an environment that is authentic to its past. However, the climate in Boston today is much different than it was two hundred years ago, and it is expected to change even more. Plants that are historically appropriate for the Navy Yard may no longer be suitable for Boston's climate.

Through the Climate Resilient Plant Palette, species that meet both historic and climate resiliency standards can be identified. Some historically planted species are no longer viable in the changing climate, or they are found to be ecologically damaging. When replacing "in kind" is no longer an option, alternative species whose key characteristics emulate that of the original can be used. This way, visitors can enjoy a historically accurate park that is also prepared for the future. Modifying planting habits at the Navy Yard is one of many examples of how human behavior can adapt to climate change. We can appropriately plan for the future while still appreciating the past.

A Tulip Tree was planted next to the Commandant’s house in the early 1900s. Its growth threatened the building’s structure, so the Park removed it in 2023. The NPB CCC used the Climate Resilient Plant Palette to identify a replacement species that was both historically relevant & climate resilient.

NPS Photo

Designing a Climate Resilient Plant Palette

To identify which plants are appropriate for the Charlestown Navy Yard Climate Resilient Plant Palette, the NPB CCC scored species on a scale of 1-5 (1 being not true and 5 being very true) according to five criteria:

• Wildlife – Provides food and/or shelter to local fauna
• Ornamental Value – Visually appealing or interesting
• Historical Value – Species or taxa have been historically utilized at proposed site
• Conservation – Plant is native to the region, of high local conservation concern, and/or contributes to local biodiversity
• Climate Resiliency Score – Calculated from additional scoring matrix (see details below)

Since there are many factors to consider regarding climate resiliency, the NPB CCC developed a secondary scoring matrix. The scores (1-5 scale, 1 being not true and 5 being very true) of six climate-relevant criteria were averaged to determine the "Climate Resiliency Score." The NPB CCC used this value in the final plant palette scoring sheet. The criteria, relevant to the Charlestown Navy Yard specifically were:

• Drought – Able to withstand long dry periods
• Salt Tolerance – Can withstand salty spray/seaside habitats
• Heat – Can survive temperatures of up to at least 95°F
• Water Table Rise – Root system can withstand wet soils
• Pest & Disease – Not highly susceptible to common/potential pests and diseases
• Storm – Able to withstand high winds and rain

The Climate Resilient Plant Palette created for the Charlestown Navy Yard is being utilized in landscaping decisions and planting plans for the Park. While the plant palette is specific to sites in the Navy Yard, the scoring matrix developed by the NPB CCC can be easily used by others and applied to locations throughout the National Parks of Boston.

Climate Resilient Plant Palette: Species Highlights

Leaves of a Black Gum tree.

Steven Severinghaus via iNaturalist CC BY-NC-SA

Black Gum

This tree has a high Climate Resiliency Score, due to its ability to grow in both wet and dry sites, moderate salt tolerance, and resistance to storms. While Black Gum have not historically existed in the Charlestown Navy Yard before, its height, canopy, and fall foliage resemble trees that have been planted previously.

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Virginia Rose flower.

Alicia Penney via iNaturalist CC BY 4.0 DEED

Virginia Rose

This shrub is tolerant to salt, drought, and wet soil, and is often utilized in pollinator gardens. The rose family has a historical presence at the Commandant's House of the Navy Yard, including the invasive Multiflora Rose. Replacing a historically planted invasive with a climate-tolerant native is a great way to balance the past with the future.

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Common Hackberry tree on a lawn.

Chhe via Wikimedia Commons

Common Hackberry

This fast-growing tree is tolerant to drought and flooding, which increases its likelihood of survival in Boston’s future climate. Hackberry have been recommended to the park by landscape preservation experts, striking an excellent balance between historical accuracy and climate resiliency.

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Create your own plant palette

Use the downloadable template to score species to guide the creation of your own climate resilient plant palette. Reach out to the NPB CCC with questions or comments: e-mail us.

Contributed by: Olivia Smith, National Parks of Boston Climate Conservation Corps Crew Member

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Sources

• Stevens, Christopher, Margie Coffin Brown, Ryan Reedy, and Patrick Eleey. Cultural Landscape Report for Charlestown Navy Yard. Olmstead Center for Landscape Preservation, Boston National Historical Park, National Park Service, 2005.
• Charlestown Navy Yard - A Brief History. Boston, Massachusetts: Boston National Historical Park, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, January 2024.
• "We Are The Massachusett." The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag. Accessed February 2024. https://massachusetttribe.org/we-are-the-massachusett.