LEARN | DIY Nature

Each of us can support the wildlife of Northern Virginia by planting native plants, even in tiny patches as small as a balcony. But we help the natural world much more when we can connect those patches together. Many species need lots of room to safely move around in search of food and shelter.

Be the stepping stone

Nowhere near a park? You can still help! Native plants on even small properties can support significant amounts of wildlife. But if a neighbor joins you, all of a sudden you have twice as much. Inspire a few more neighbors, and now you have a full acre. As our movement grows, the ability of threatened species to survive will grow accordingly.

How To Check if Your Plant is a Northern Virginia Native (Coastal/Piedmont)

Digital Atlas of Virginia Flora

Flora of Virginia Project

What is a weed?

Let's talk green thumb gossip. Weeds. They're the uninvited guests at the garden party who just so happen to bring something to the table. They may crash the crop, orchard, and garden scenes, but they know how to keep biodiversity on the beat in our concrete jungles.

Now, some of those high-and-mighty horticulturalists might turn up their noses at these wildflower wallflowers, but the permaculture peeps and flower fanatics know better. In the weed world, it's all about location, location, location. A misplaced marigold could be a weed, but does that make it less marvellous?

Picture this: when the colonizers brought along their Eurocentric English gardens, they started calling some of the native plants "weeds," like a bad nickname that just stuck. Now we've got milkweed, ironweed, ragweed, smartweed, pokeweed, horseweed, bindweed, sneezeweed, and so many others. And guess what? These 'weeds' are the life of the party for local wildlife. So maybe it's time we started inviting them on purpose, huh?