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Plant This, Not That

Home ConservationInitiativesPlant This, Not That

There are so many plants available at nurseries and it can be difficult to decide which are the best for the ecosystem and which ones might cause a problem! Learn about which trees, herbaceous perennials, vines, grasses, and shrubs to plant and which to avoid below. You can also view and download the printable brochure here. Looking for places to buy native plants? Check out some local sources at the bottom of this page.

 

Why Plant Natives?

  • Support pollinators and wildlife
  • Better suited to local climate and growing conditions
  • More disease resistance
  • Deep and varied root systems to provide erosion control
  • Provide biodiversity for the local ecosystem

Trees

Plant This:

  • Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
  • Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis or laevis)
  • River Birch (Betula nigra)
  • Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
  • Dogwood (Cornus florida)
  • Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
  • Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata or virginiana)
  • Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

 

Not That:

  • Norway Maple (Acer plantanoides)
  • Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin)
  • White Mulberry (Morus alba)
  • Princess Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
  • Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana)
  • Korean Evodia or BeeBee Tree (Tetradium daniellii)

Herbaceous Perennials

Plant This:

  • Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
  • Eastern Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana)
  • Milkweed species (Asclepia incarnata, tuberosa, or vericillata)
  • Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
  • Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginanum)
  • Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)
  • Coneflower species (Echinacea sp.)
  • Joe Pye Weed species (Eupatorium sp.)
  • Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
  • Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
  • Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
  • Beebalm or Wild Bergamot (Monarda didyma or fistulosa)
  • Foxglove Beardtonue (Penstemon digitalis)
  • Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera)
  • Mountain Mint species (Pycanthemum sp.)
  • Brown or Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba or fulgida)
  • Goldenrod species (Solidago sp.)
  • Aster species (Symphyotrichum sp.)
  • New York Ironweed (Vernona noveboracensis)

 

Not That:

  • Common Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva)
  • Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
  • Liriope species (Liriope sp.)
  • Purple Loosestrife (Lyrhtum salicaria)
  • Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

Vines

Plant This:

  • Clematis (Clematis virginiana)
  • Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
  • American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens)

 

Not That:

  • English Ivy (Hedera helix)
  • Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
  • Chinese or Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis or floribunda)

Grasses

Plant This:

  • Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
  • Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)
  • Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
  • Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

 

Not That:

  • Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana or jubata)
  • Maidengrass species (Miscanthus sp.)
  • Foundation Grass species (Pennisetum sp.)
  • Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea)

Shrubs

Plant This:

  • Chokeberry species (Aronia sp.)
  • Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
  • Red-twigged Dogwood (Cornus sericia)
  • Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
  • Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
  • Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
  • Winterberry Ilex verticillata)
  • Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
  • Northern Bayberry (Myrica pennsylvanica)
  • Viburnum species (Viburnum acerfolium, dentatum, or prunifolium)

 

Not That:

  • Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergia)
  • Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)
  • Burning Bush (Euonymus alata)
  • Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
  • Privet species (Ligustrum obtusifolium, japonicum, sinense, or vulgare)
  • Bush Honeysuckles (Lonicera mackii or tartarica)
  • Nandina (Nandina domestica)
  • Bamboo species (all genus and species)

Native Plant Local Sources

West Virginia

Birds Nest Natives– 47 Birds Nest Way, Shepherdstown
Colonial Farms– 9008 Tuscarora Pike, Martinsburg
Rocky Ridge Nursery and Landscaping- 13787 Apple Harvest Drive, Martinsburg (no website)
Meadow Farms Nursery– Rt 340, Harpers Ferry
Southern States– Rt. 115, Ranson
Potomac Farms- 789 Potomac Farms Drive, Shepherdstown

Maryland

Sunny Meadows Nursery– 7437 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro
Perennial and Plant Palooza- 4054 Trego Road, Keedysville (no website)
Grasshopper Perennial & Native Plants– 19939 Yarrowsburg Road, Boonsboro
Thanksgiving Farms– 1619 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick
Stadler Nurseries-5504 Mt Zion Road, Frederick
Dutch Plant Farm– 151 Baughmans Lane, Frederick

Virginia-

Seven Bends Nursery– 76 Moose Road, Berryville
Watermark Woods– 16764 Hamilton Station Road, Hamilton

Pennsylvania

The Native Niche– 10 E Walter Avenue, Greencastle

For more information on native and invasive plants, visit the following websites:

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health

Maryland Native Plant Society

National Audubon Society

Potomac Highlands CWP

WV Division of Natural Resources

West Virginia Native Plant Society

Conservation

  • Initiatives
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    • Plant This, Not That
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    • Wildlife Habitat
  • Advocacy
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    • Cool Spring Preserve
    • Yankauer Nature Preserve
    • Eidolon Nature Preserve
    • Stauffer’s Marsh Nature Preserve

Get In Touch

Potomac Valley Audubon Society
P.O. Box 578
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
(681) 252-1387
Info@PotomacAudubon.org

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