Native Plants and Calculators

Use Regionally Native Plants

Native plants are species that are indigenous to a specific region, for example, the Chesapeake Bay watershed. They are adapted to the local soil and climate. As people moved from the Old World to the Americas, they brought exotic plants, and frequently changed the landscapes to resemble those that they knew in Europe and elsewhere. The result of the tendency to try to reproduce plants and plant arrangements from other countries is that thousands of acres of turf grass and many alien invasive species have been introduced.

Native plant benefits include:
• Best adapted to local conditions, for example, no need to use chemical fertilizers.
• Water conservation, that is, once plants are established in the right place, no need for supplemental watering.
• Reduced maintenance over the long run. While native plants are not maintenance-free, if they are placed in the landscape based on their preferred conditions, they require less care than non-native species.
• Won't harm natural areas, e.g., won't become invasive.
• High habitat value provides food, shelter, and nesting areas for wildlife.
• Great variety of species for all conditions and create a "sense of place."

Click here for the on-line version of Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Select Plant Type: View All Types Fern Grass, sedge, carex Perennial Rain Garden Plants Shrub Shrub: deciduous Shrub: evergreen Tree Tree: deciduous Tree: evergreen Vine Xeriscape Plants

Botanical Name     Common Name

A

B

C

D

E

F-G

H

I

J-L

M-O

P

Q

R

S

T

U-Z

ALL

Vaccinium angustifolium Common Name: Lowbush Blueberry Clusters of bell-shaped, white flowers tinged with red bloom in spring. Flowers are followed by tasty blue berries, which ripen in summer. The fruit is a favorite among humans as well as birds, small mammals and box turtles. Lowbush blueberry has lus... [ More Info ]

---

Vaccinium corymbosum Common Name: Highbush Blueberry Clusters of dainty, waxy, bell-shaped, white flowers bloom in spring. Flowers are followed by tasty blue berries, which ripen in summer. The fruit is a favorite among humans as well as birds, small mammals and box turtles. Benefits: Flowe... [ More Info ]

---

Vernonia noveboracensis Common Name: New York Ironweed A fluffy haze of deep purple flowers is often covered by a parade of butterflies in late summer. Other beneficial insects feed on the nectar and the pollen. This lovely clumping native adapts well to any moist to normal soil. Benefits: Abu... [ More Info ]

---

Veronicastrum virginicum Common Name: Culver's Root Culver's root is a graceful perennial typically reaching 4-6' tall when in bloom. Slender flower spikes are densely packed with small white flowers that open from the top down in mid-summer. Butterflies and other pollinators visit the flowers for nec... [ More Info ]

---

Viburnum dentatum Common Name: Arrowwood Flat-topped clusters of white flowers, 4" across, bloom in spring. The flowers are a good source of nectar for butterflies, native bees and other pollinators. Flowers give way to blue-black, berries, which are loved by birds and other wildlife. This ... [ More Info ]

---

Viburnum nudum Common Name: Witherod Viburnum nudum has fragrant white flowers arranged in flat-topped clusters April-May. The flowers provide nectar for butterflies, native bees and other pollinators. Flowers are followed by clusters of rounded berries that change color as they ripen f... [ More Info ]

---

Viburnum prunifolium Common Name: Blackhaw Viburnum Blackhaw is a large, upright, multi-stemmed, densely twiggy deciduous shrub that can be pruned to grow as a small tree. Creamy white flowers in flat-topped clusters to 4.5" across appear in spring. Flowers provide nectar for butterflies, native bees ... [ More Info ]