The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is home to an array of native plants, ranging from tiny herbaceous plants to large trees.
Native plants provide numerous benefits to the habitats they occupy. Some species are important for their ability to stabilize soil and absorb nutrients. Others provide food and cover for wildlife.
In addition to their ecological importance, many species are beneficial to humans. Some native plants are known for their attractive flowers and foliage. Others produce food or have medicinal benefits. Trees and large shrubs provide shade and windbreaks.
Native Plant Classifications
Ferns
Grasses and Related Plants
Herbaceous Plants
Herbaceous Emergents
Shrubs
Trees
Vines
Native Plant Resources
USFWS Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed (http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapeake/)
EPA Native Plants of the Mid-Atlantic Region (www.epa.gov/reg3esd1/garden/plants.htm)
Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration, and Landscaping Division of Natural Heritage, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/nativeplants.shtml)
Chesapeake Bay Native Plant Center (www.nativeplantcenter.net)
Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (www.vaplantatlas.org)
Maryland Natural Heritage Program (www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/)
Piedmont Virginia Native Plant Database (http://www.albemarle.org/nativeplants/)
National Arboretum (www.ars-grin.gov/ars/Beltsville/na/)
USDA Plants Database (www.plants.usda.gov)
USFS Celebrating Wildflowers(www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/)
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center (www.wildflower.org)
Native Plant Information Network (www.wildflower.org/plants/)
Native Plant Societies
Delaware Native Plant Society (www.delawarenativeplants.org)
Maryland Native Plant Society (www.mdflora.org)
New York Flora Association (www.nyflora.org)
Pennsylvania Native Plant Society (www.panativeplantsociety.org)
Virginia Native Plant Society (www.vnps.org)
Related Information