Temperatures are dipping and leaves are falling, but autumn is still an opportune time to plant native plants in North Hempstead and elsewhere on Long Island, experts say, because of the steady climate and fertile soil.

This time of year "is the best time for planting," said Frank Piccininni, CEO of Spadefoot Designs and Construction, a Huntington company with services including invasive species removal and native landscaping.

"You still have growing season left, but it's milder," he said in an interview. "It's not a drought, it's not summer, so you have a calm, relatively cool, but still-growing season for the plants to get rooted."

North Hempstead stands out in the area for its efforts to promote native planting: It administers a native plant rebate program on behalf of the Nass

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