Yes, Long Island has a native cactus! The Prickly Pear Cactus is a mounding, low-growing perennial found closer to the shoreline in sandy patches.  Easy to grow, hard to kill, and great for containers, too.  Be careful of the tiny hairlike spines when handling!  The paddles (nopales) and fruit (tuna) are edible and feature in Mexican cuisine. 

Buttonbush is a shrub that is found on the edges of local ponds, swamps, and lakes.  Its unique 'button-like' flower structure lends to its namesake, and the subsequent 'nutlets' can persist through the winter.  An important source of food for ducks and other waterfowl in addition to being a good pollinator attracter.

A tall, fast growing shrub that has long catkins and toothed leaves.  Males have drooping catkins while females have upright catkins.  Can be found on the shores of rivers, lakes, and swamps.  Its fruit resembles a woody cone.  Also known as Smooth Alder.

An attractive, low maintenance shrub for wet, salty areas. A bushy-branched shrub, with narrowly lance-shaped leaves. Can be pruned and shaped regularly.

An attractive shrub throughout the year with red fruits that are eatn by wildlife. It grows best in damp or wet rich loamy soil, in full sun or partial shade. This species rose is generally not susceptible to the disease and insect pests that attack many hybrid roses.

A large, deciduous shrub or small tree whose leaves turn reddish-purple in the fall.  A winged leaf axis distinguishes this sumac from other species. Makes good ornamental plantings and hedges because of the brilliant red fall foliage. Around 300 bird species include sumac fruit in their diet.