Why Native Plants Make Sense in Our Gardens
- Provide visual beauty year-round. Unique flowers, vibrant fall colors of leaves and stems, fruit shapes and colors, and bark textures are all reasons to purchase native plants.
- Support more wildlife species than non-native plants. Native plants host specific insects and are essential for pollinators. Birds, mammals, and invertebrates rely on these insects to survive.
- As natural habitats are lost; home gardeners more than ever need to landscape with native plants to support the local ecosystem and plant communities to help prevent the extinction of species.
- Native plants show a sense of place. There are many native species unique to this region.
- If the public demands more local native plants, the supply will become greater and native plants will be easier to find for sale.
- Local native plants are adapted to local temperature and rainfall fluctuations. Once established, they require less watering and fertilizing, which saves natural resources, time, and money.
- Native plants are essential for a healthy watershed. They provide oxygen and habitat for the ecosystems of these rivers and their tributaries. Plant roots absorb nutrients and prevent sediment from entering our local waterways, which reduces pollution and improves water quality.
- Spraying pesticides for insects or diseases is generally not necessary for native plants. Insects that feed on native plants rarely eat enough to weaken the plant, as the insects need to come back another time to feed again. One saves time and money not having to spray chemicals. Seeing butterflies, dragonflies, birds and lightning bugs around your plants is much more rewarding than seeing no life at all.
Our Featured Link
Homegrown National Park
Homegrown National Park® (HNP) raises awareness and urgently inspires everyone to address the biodiversity crisis by adding native plants and removing invasive ones where we live, work, learn, pray, and play.
Doug Tallamy is the co-founder of Homegrown National Park. He is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 106 research publications and has taught insect-related courses for 41 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His book Bringing Nature Home was published by Timber Press in 2007, The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, was published in 2014; Nature’s Best Hope, a New York Times bestseller, was released in February 2020, and his latest book, The Nature of Oaks, was released in March 2021.
Resources
NATIVE PLANTS
Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden Using Native Plants
Why native plants are an important part of our environment. A good introduction to native plants.
Audubon at Home Top 10 Native Plant Lists – Deer Resistant Wildflowers
No plant is deer proof, but these tend to be browsed less or tolerate grazing.
Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens , 2nd Edition
An excellent, current guide to native plants in our area. Available to download as a .pdf. “In this guide, Piedmont native plants are defined as plants that evolved before the influences of European settlements began to shape and change the landscape. Plants included in the guide were selected from the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora and occur naturally within the region.”
Piedmont Natives – Plant Database
Containing the same plants as the above guide, this site offers the ability to filter your search for the natives that are ideal for your situation.
Virginia Recommended Native Plants – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
“Commercially available native plant species suitable for planned landscapes in Virginia.”
Native Plant, Seed and Services Directory – Xerces Society
“Native plants are the foundation of diverse habitats that support pollinators, beneficial insects and other wildlife. This searchable database will help you find businesses, organizations, and networks in Canada, the United States, and Mexico that supply native plants, native seeds and related services. Find local native plant nurseries, nearby plant stores, seed retailers, landscapers specializing in native gardens, and more using our filterable tool.”
The Ernst Seed Catalog
This downloadable catalog contains a wealth of information with planting guides and resources.
Virginia Department of Forestry – Common Native Trees Identification Guide
This 71 page .pdf lists the common trees native to Virginia. Each tree listing contains an identifying drawing and extensive information on the tree.
James City County Williamsburg Master Gardener Association, Making a Resilient Drought-Tolerant Garden Part 1: Right Plant Right Place:
Native plants don’t need a lot of water if you plant them where they’re happy!
James City County Williamsburg Master Gardener Association, Making a Resilient Drought-Tolerant Garden Part 2: Techniques and Strategies
Help your native plants find their happy place.
Flora of Virginia
“The Flora of Virginia Project inspires conservation of Virginia’s native flora through education, outreach, and production of the Flora of Virginia in electronic and print formats.” Available as an app or in book form.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation: Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration, and Landscaping
The site contains brochures to download and a link to an interactive native plant finder.
Virginia Native Plant Society
“The Virginia Native Plant Society (VNPS), founded in 1982 as the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society, is a nonprofit organization of individuals who share an interest in Virginia’s native plants and habitats. The Society and its chapters seek to further the appreciation and conservation of this priceless heritage.” The site also contains the Native Plant Site Registry of natural ecosystems is designed to recognize natural areas in Virginia that contain exemplary plant communities.
VDOT Pollinator Efforts: VDOT & Native Plants and Related Efforts
A presentation from VDOT about their efforts to conserve Virginia’s Native Plants while still providing services to the community.