Native Plants
Whether you want to put in a flower garden or establish or restore the landscape around your home, there are a great variety of Virginia native plants from which to choose! Native plants not only offer many practical, low cost, and environmental benefits they also offer an appealing display of foliage and flowers. Increasing the amount of native vegetation in Virginia can accomplish many goals: protecting water quality and quantity, increasing carbon dioxide absorption, enhancing wildlife habitat and improving aesthetics and quality of life.
In North America, plant species are generally described as native if they occurred here prior to European settlement. Native plant species have evolved within specific regions and been dispersed throughout their range without known human involvement. These plants form the primary structure of the living landscape and provide food and shelter for native animal species, including migratory birds and pollinators.
Plant Central Rappahannock Natives is a marketing campaign of a coalition of non-profit, governmental, and private partners, all working to reverse the decline of native plants and wildlife in Planning District 16. GWRC oversaw the formation of this campaign, and continues to oversee campaign materials and provide staff support to the campaign steering committee.
For more information, please visit the Plant Central Rapp Natives website.
Cedell Brooks Native Plant Garden in King George
In June 2019, partners in the Plant Central Rapp Natives campaign dedicated a series of native plant demonstration gardens in Cedell Brooks, Jr. Park in King George County.
Five gardens, including over 70 species and over 650 plants, showcase the color, variety and multiple benefits of natives. Visitors will find a meadow garden, pollinator garden, raingarden and gardens demonstrating native plants suitable for difficult to landscape areas like hillsides and streetsides.
“Collaboration was key to installation of the gardens at Cedell Brooks, Jr. Park,” shares Kate Gibson, Deputy Director with the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC). “It has been such a pleasure to work with the various partners that have come together for the campaign and to make the demonstration gardens a reality.”
GWRC received multiple grants from Virginia CZM to develop and implement the campaign and to install the demo gardens.
Cedell Brooks Garden
