Native Plant Guide
2018 Native Plants of the Month
March: Willow Oak – Quercus phellos 3 gallon – $38.00
April: Cinnamon Fern – Osmundastrum cinnamomeum 1 gallon – $14.00
**February, March and April native plants will be available for pickup the second week of April. Limited quantities available! Plants will go on sale March 1st and continue until they either sell out or until March 31st**
For more information on these plants click HERE
May: Asclepias incarnata, Swamp Milkweed, 1gal
June: Polygonatum biflorum, Solomon’s Seal
July: Clematis virginiana, Virgin’s Bower
August: Lobelia cardinalis, Cardinal Flower, 1gal
September: Liatris pilosa, Grass-leaf Blazing Star, 1gal
October: Schizachyrium scoparium, Little Bluestem, 1 gal
November: Prunus serotina, Black Cherry, 1gal,3gal 2-3’, 4-6′
December: Aronia melanocarpa, Black Chokeberry (Red Chokeberry is pg.35), 1gal 2-3′,3gal
2016 “Native Plants of the Month”:
January- Ilex glabra, Inkberry
February – Redtwig Dogwood, Cornus sericea
March – Golden Wood Poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum
April – Mountain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia
May – Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis
June – Phlox, Phlox paniculata
July – NE Aster, Aster novae-angeliae
August- Witchhazel, Hamamelis virginiana
September – Pink Muhly Grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris
October – American Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis
November- Fringetree, Chionanthus virginicus
December- Partridgeberry, Mitchella repens
2015 (Archived)
January – Ilex verticillata Winterberry
February – LIndera benzoin Spicebush
March – Dicentra eximia Wild Bleeding Heart
April – Geranium maculatum Wild Geranium
May – Vaccinium ashei Bluberry
June – Passiflora coccinea Passionflower
July – Liatris spicata Coastal/Dense Blazingstar
August – Erogrostis spectablis Purple Love Grass/Sand Love Grass
September – Sambucus canadensis Elderberry
October – Chelone glabra Turtlehead
November – Hydrangea quercifolia Oakleaf Hydrangea
December – Dryopteris marginalis Marginal/Evergreen Wood Fern
2014 (Archived)
April – Cercis canadensis Eastern Redbud
May – Wisteria frutescens American Wisteria
June – Rudbeckia hirta Black-Eyed Susan
July – Itea Virginica Virginia Sweetspire
August – Lonicera sempervirens Trumpet Honeysuckle
September – Asclepias syriaca Milkweed
October – Rhus glabra Sweet or Smooth Sumac
November – Callicarpa americana American Beautyberry
December – Ilex opaca American Holly
Planting natives at home is increasingly important as residential and commercial properties continue to encroach on our woodland and open space–at a rate of 6,000 acres/day in the US! Insects, bugs, birds and reptiles still need to live somewhere, and their options are becoming limited. Monarch butterflies are an alarming example of how quickly a species can suffer when key habitat plants, like milkweed, are lost. As insect and buy larvae are less available, this loss can quickly spread up the food chain to songbirds, raptors, reptiles, and amphibians. Many species, like monarchs, are specialists, and rely heavily or even completely on one sole source of food. When this food source disappears, so do they.
Native plants can be defined in many ways, but for our purposes, they are those that are naturally present (at least since written history), and that have adapted to life in our climate. This means that, in addition to providing habitat to the critters they have co-evolved with, they also tend to be relatively low-maintenance once established, requiring little to no fertilizer or irrigation, and helping to maintain our local water quality. This is in direct contrast to invasives, which are typically introduced (accidentally or intentionally) by humans, and have rapid growth, and spread. Invasives will often overtake native plants because there are no native predators or pests to control their growth and spread. Common invasive plants include: English Ivy, Common Orange Daylilly, Bradford Pear, Burning Bush, Japanese Barberry, Miscanthus, Tree of Heaven, Butterfly Bush, and Liriope.
We are working with several businesses and individuals to be able to provide resources for purchasing appropriate native plants. Please be careful when purchasing plants, as there are many cultivars (cultivated varieties bred to have different colors, foliage shapes, blooms, or size), which most often do not provide the same habitat value as the true native species. Wherever you shop, please help increase the availability of native plants by requesting them!
Some Sources of Native Plants:
Southern Branch Nursery (and landscape design)
Eric Gunderson, 757-373-7763
SBN@SouthernBranchNursery.com
www.SouthernBranchNursery.com
McDonald Garden Center
757-464-5564
1144 Independence Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
www.mcdonaldgardencenter.com
Wild Woods Farm Native Nursery
Vickie Shufer
Plants available at Virginia Garden Organic Grocery
wildfood@cox.net
http://www.ecoimages-us.com/nursery.aspx
For more information, email LRNow or call us at 757-962-5398.