- What are Native Plants?<\/a><\/li>
- Native Trees<\/a><\/li>
- Native Vines<\/a><\/li>
- Native Grasses<\/a><\/li>
- Native Shrubs<\/a><\/li>
- Native Flowers<\/a><\/li>
- How to Choose Native Plants for Your Virginia Landscape<\/a><\/li>
- FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
What are Native Plants?<\/h2>
Native plants have evolved and adapted to the local ecosystem over thousands of years, growing in North America way before the Europeans settled in the continent. Planting local Virginia native plants has many environmental benefits:<\/p>
- Support more insects, birds, and animals than non-native plants<\/li>
- Feed native wildlife and help maintain biodiversity<\/li>
- Have adapted to local temperatures and rainfall<\/li> <\/ul>
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Virginia Native Plant Society collaborate on the Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration, and Landscaping Project<\/a>. This project is committed to protecting native plant habitats and species, given their importance to the ecosystem.<\/p>
You can help the local environment as well by planting one (or more) of our selected Virginia native species in your yard. And the best part is that, besides being important for the environment, native plants present benefits<\/a> for you as a homeowner and your lawn. Native plants:<\/p>
- Don\u2019t require as much maintenance as non-native plants<\/li>
- Help save water<\/li>
- Reduce soil erosion <\/li>
- Provide a low-maintenance alternative to turfgrass <\/li>
- Can offer you beauty for the entire year<\/li> <\/ul>
Native Trees<\/h2>
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"closeup](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Cornus_florida_Arkansas-1.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Eric Hunt<\/a> \/ Wikimdedia Commons \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Both the official state tree and the state flower of Virginia, the flowering dogwood can be found across the state. It has pink, yellow, or white flowers, but their beautiful petals are actually bracts: modified leaves that look like petals. <\/p>
The leaves turn red to reddish-purple in the fall, when the bright red fruits mature. Loved by birds and other wildlife, it is one of the best plants for sensory gardens<\/a>. <\/p>
Although a beautiful tree, flowering dogwood is not easy to grow. It is susceptible to anthracnose, a lethal fungal disease. Dogwoods can also be bedeviled by borers, cankers, and powdery mildew.<\/p>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 5-9<\/li>
- Sun:<\/strong> Sun or partial shade<\/li>
- Soil: <\/strong>Well-drained, average, acidic<\/li>
- Duration:<\/strong> Perennial<\/li>
- Foliage: <\/strong>Deciduous<\/li>
- Bloom time:<\/strong> Mid-April or May<\/li>
- Water needs: <\/strong>Medium<\/li>
- Mature size:<\/strong> 15 to 30 feet high, sometimes reaching up to 40 feet; 20 feet wide<\/li>
- Potential hazards:<\/strong> According to the USDA, the berries are poisonous to humans.<\/li> <\/ul>
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis<\/em> var. canadensis<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"eastern](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/eastern-redbud-1.jpg\")
Photo Credit: BETTY<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons \/ CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> One of the first trees to bloom in spring, Eastern redbuds have rosy-purple, 1\/2-inch flowers that bloom directly from the branches before the leaves come out. These flowers form tight clusters that sometimes fuse together, looking like little hummingbirds. The leaves turn yellow in the fall. Early settlers ate redbud blossoms on salads.<\/p>
Native to the mountains and the Piedmont area, the Eastern redbud is easy to grow when transplanted at a smaller size. This tree grows fairly fast, approximately 7 to 10 feet in 5 or 6 years. <\/p>
However, the Eastern redbuds have short lives, possibly living only 20 or so years due to their disease vulnerability. They are susceptible to Botryosphaeria canker and Verticillium wilt, both common types of tree fungus<\/a>.<\/p>
- Plant type: <\/strong>Tree<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 4-9<\/li>
- Sun:<\/strong> Full sun or partial shade<\/li>
- Soil:<\/strong> Any moist, well-draining, nutrient-rich soil<\/li>
- Duration:<\/strong> Perennial<\/li>
- Foliage:<\/strong> Deciduous<\/li>
- Bloom time:<\/strong> Early spring<\/li>
- Water needs: <\/strong>Keep the soil moist to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. The watering schedule depends on your soil type, but you should water about once per week.<\/li>
- Mature size:<\/strong> 20 to 30 feet tall with a 25- to 35-foot spread<\/li>
- Potential hazards: <\/strong>Contains saponin, a toxin that is generally not absorbed by and passes through the body without issue.<\/li> <\/ul>
White Oak (Quercus alba<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"from](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/White-Oak.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Colin Durfee<\/a> \/ Flickr \/ CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Living an average of 200 to 300 years, white oaks can live up to 600 years. In fact, the largest tree in the Commonwealth is located in Warfield, Virginia, and it\u2019s thought to be 500 years old. White oaks don\u2019t start producing acorns abundantly until they are around 50 years old. The acorns are loved by wildlife and can be eaten by humans, too, after being leached.<\/p>
Young white oaks grow slowly, but they pick up their pace once their roots begin to spread. Because of those roots, which can become deep, the white oak is one of the best drought-tolerant trees<\/a> to have, but only after it becomes well established.<\/p>
- Plant type: <\/strong>Tree<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 3-9<\/li>
- Sun:<\/strong> Full sun or partial sun<\/li>
- Soil: <\/strong>Moist but well-drained clay, loamy, and sandy soils<\/li>
- Duration:<\/strong> Perennial<\/li>
- Foliage:<\/strong> Deciduous<\/li>
- Bloom time:<\/strong> Mid-spring, but don\u2019t forget about the acorns in the fall<\/li>
- Water needs:<\/strong> Low<\/li>
- Mature size: <\/strong>100 feet high, can be just as wide<\/li>
- Potential hazards: <\/strong>Toxic to horses and has a low severity poison if eaten before the leaching process.<\/li> <\/ul>
Native Vines<\/h2>
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"closeup](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Virginia-Creeper.jpg\")
Photo Credit: keith ellwood<\/a> \/ Flickr \/ CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> The Virginia creeper is both a creeper and a climber, using its adhesive \u201cdisks\u201d to cling to trees and structures. It can grow up to 60 feet long, and the adhesive disks can harm painted surfaces when pulled off. When used as a ground cover, Virginia creeper can also aid with erosion control and reaches about a foot high. <\/p>
People sometimes mistake Virginia creeper for poison ivy because of the size of the leaves, but here\u2019s how you can tell them apart: Virginia creeper has five leaflets, whereas poison ivy has only three. Just remember the rhyme: \u201cLeaves of three let it be; leaves of five, let it thrive.\u201d<\/p>
- Plant type:<\/strong> Vine<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 3-9<\/li>
- Sun: <\/strong>Full sun to part shade but will tolerate shade<\/li>
- Soil:<\/strong> Moist, well-drained soils but will grow in drier soils and conditions<\/li>
- Duration:<\/strong> Perennial<\/li>
- Foliage:<\/strong> Deciduous<\/li>
- Bloom time:<\/strong> Leaflets turn bright red in autumn. Inconspicuous green flowers bloom in the spring.<\/li>
- Water needs:<\/strong> Low<\/li>
- Mature size: <\/strong>Plants and sap can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people. It forms a blanket up to 12 inches high but can climb to 60 feet on trees or structures.<\/li>
- Potential hazards: <\/strong>Seeds in the fruit may cause illness or may be lethal if eaten in large quantities.<\/li> <\/ul>
Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"closeup](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Maypop-Passiflora-incarnata.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Robert D Bruce<\/a> \/ Flickr \/ CC BY-ND 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> It\u2019s the flower, as well as the fruit, that makes the purple passionflower unique. The 3-inch flowers have pale lavender leaves with fringe-like segments. The fruits, about the size of a small egg, have yellow-green skin. <\/p>
The fruits are called maypops \u2014 and so is the plant \u2014 because of the loud popping sound made when someone steps on them. You might have heard this sound especially if you live in the counties of Northumberland and Lancaster or the regions of outer Piedmont and the southeastern coastal plain of Virginia.<\/p>
Native American tribes used the purple passionflower as food, in drinks, and as medicine. Captain John Smith even remarked on this in his 1612 diary.<\/p>
- Plant type:<\/strong> Vine<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone: <\/strong>5-9<\/li>
- Sun:<\/strong> Full sun or partial shade<\/li>
- Soil:<\/strong> Fertile, well-drained soils but will grow in heavier clay soils<\/li>
- Duration:<\/strong> Perennial<\/li>
- Foliage:<\/strong> Deciduous<\/li>
- Bloom time:<\/strong> The beautiful flowers bloom from late May to August. The fruits ripen from July to October.<\/li>
- Water needs:<\/strong> Low to moderate<\/li>
- Mature size: <\/strong>Up to 25 feet long<\/li>
- Potential hazards:<\/strong> None<\/li> <\/ul>
Native Grasses<\/h2>
Bottlebrush (Elymus hystrix<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"Bottlebrush](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Elymus_hystrix_inflorescences_001.jpg\")
Photo Credit: SB_Johnny<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons \/ CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> Green during the summer, bottlebrush grass turns tan, or rather the seed heads do. The seed head conveys this grass\u2019s name; it looks like a baby bottle brush that is 2 to 6 inches long.<\/p>
Bottlebrush grass remains green during the coldest of winters, making this native grass<\/a> just right for your lawn if you live in the Piedmont area. It grows mostly in the spring under shade, even under deciduous trees. It provides cover for insects, birds, and small mammals.<\/p>
- Plant type:<\/strong> Cool-season grass<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 5-9<\/li>
- Sun:<\/strong> Sun, partial shade, shade. It is the most shade-tolerant native grass, making it one of the best grass seeds for Virginia<\/a>.<\/li>
- Soil:<\/strong> Well-drained clay, loam, or sand<\/li>
- Duration:<\/strong> Perennial<\/li>
- Foliage: <\/strong>Deciduous<\/li>
- Season of interest:<\/strong> Summer and fall<\/li>
- Water needs:<\/strong> Low to medium<\/li>
- Mature size:<\/strong> 2-4 feet high with a spread of 1 to 1 \u00bd feet<\/li>
- Potential hazards:<\/strong> None<\/li> <\/ul>
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"Switchgrass](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1280px-Panicum_virgatum_JdP.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Jebulon<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons \/ CC0 1.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Resistant to disease and pests, switchgrass is a native perennial that can be planted on slopes to control soil erosion. And if you like peacefulness, switchgrass is also a great tall ornamental grass to offer you some privacy<\/a>.<\/p>
Growing during the warm months, switchgrass becomes dormant during the colder months and can be cultivated in Southside and other parts of the state for grazing. Just be mindful that there are two switchgrass types: lowland varieties developed in more moist conditions and upland varieties suited to drought.<\/p>
- Plant type:<\/strong> Warm-season grass<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 5a-9b <\/li>
- Sun:<\/strong> Full sun, partial shade<\/li>
- Soil:<\/strong> Sandy, loamy, clay, limestone-based<\/li>
- Duration:<\/strong> Perennial<\/li>
- Foliage:<\/strong> Deciduous<\/li>
- Season of interest:<\/strong> Summer and fall, but it also has winter interest<\/li>
- Water needs:<\/strong> Medium<\/li>
- Mature size:<\/strong> 3 to 6 feet<\/li>
- Potential hazards:<\/strong> None<\/li> <\/ul>
Native Shrubs<\/h2>
Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"round](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/rsz_5849383481_49bf5bed7d_c.jpg\")
Photo Credit: WIDTTF<\/a> \/ Flickr \/ CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> - USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 5a-9b <\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 5-9<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone: <\/strong>5-9<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 3-9<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 3-9<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 4-9<\/li>
- Sun:<\/strong> Sun or partial shade<\/li>
- USDA Hardiness Zone:<\/strong> 5-9<\/li>
- Native Trees<\/a><\/li>