Native plant selection

You have decided you would like less lawn and more native plants. Now what?

What are the best native plants to replace what you have? I like to start from the beginning. Let nature tell us what naturally grows there. First, find out which natural ecosystems your land naturally hosts. For example, a lot of us in Great Falls live on what use to be a mesic (basic soils instead of acidic) mixed-hardwood forest dominated by beeches, tulip poplar, American hollies, and white oaks. Within that larger ecosystem, determine which micro-climate naturally occurs. For example, a lot of folks in Great Falls live near runs (creeks) where riparian plant communities protect the water edges, Now, we have determined a riparian zone in a mesic, mixed-hardwood forest is what would grow naturally.

Now let’s asses the current conditions. Often times the current conditions of sun exposure and soil moisture in a lawn or conventional landscape are not what nature tends to do in that area (which is probably why you are ready for a change!) A sunny spot that has soggy soil probably naturally would be shaded and with moist soil. So, now we can plan in phases. Initially planting native trees like oaks that will grow slowly is key. Also, in the first phase, would be to plant native shrubs that tolerate sun and soggy soil, but are not typical of the natural understory of the forest. (Silky dog wood, Cornus amomum, is a great native shrub for this purpose.) These are the transitional plant species. They can re-establish the extensive roots to absorb stormwater and shade the ground. The second phase would be once the shrubs have restored some natural balance. Now is when native shade-tolerant ground covers could be planted that are typical to the naturally occurring mesic, mixed-hardwood forest.

Once you have determined the naturally occurring ecosystem on your land, I recommend you visit the Earth Sangha website online to read their native plant compendium https://www.earthsangha.org/compendium

You will find a list of specific native plants species for the most common naturally occurring ecosystems in northern VA. For example, the native ground cover plant species in a mesic, mixed-hardwood forest are Polystichum acrosticoides, Polygonatum biflorum, Maianthemum racemosa, Carex rosea and Eurybia divaricata among many others.