Original plants have significant ecological importance in urban landscaping and enhancing urban biodiversity, yet their application still needs to be improved. This study utilized the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate and analyze original plants collected from field surveys and introductions, constructing an evaluation system for applying native plants in Shanghai’s urban landscaping. The system included four criteria layers and 15 index layers. The results indicated that 70 species (including varieties and variants) belong to 5 families and 32 genera. The comprehensive evaluation results were classified into five levels: Level I included eight plants from the Asteraceae family, the Lamiaceae family, and the Polygonaceae family, all of which had high development and utilization values. Levels II-V include 35, 24, 2, and 1 species. The heatmap analysis was used to identify standout factors among the indicator levels of original plants, providing more plant choices for different application scenarios. This multidimensional evaluation and analysis of the application potential of original plants provides a theoretical foundation for promoting the use of native plants in landscaping. It also serves as a reference for enhancing biodiversity and constructing distinctive plant landscapes in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region.