The appropriate use of vegetation in the built environment is a major influence on the quality of human life and in creating a healthy environment. Trees, shrubs, herbaceous, and aquatic plants filter pollutants in the air and water, mitigate wind and reduce solar heat gain, and stabilize soil to prevent or reduce erosion. These plants also create animal habitat, help filter and absorb stormwater runoff, and may help mitigate carbon emissions.

Efficient use of plants can reduce energy needs. Plants provide an effective counterpoint to the built environment and create places of beauty. The cumulative effects of these attributes are essential to balancing the effects of humans on the land. Furthermore, the native plant communities of a region provide some of the strongest cues to the unique identity of a place and generally require less maintenance and irrigation. The collaboration of design and science is critical to the creation of a healthy growing environment.