Grassland Plants of Northern Virginia

Natural and semi-natural WHAT CAN YOU DO? grasslands are rare in Virginia VIRGINIA WORKING LANDSCAPES Plant native grasses and forbs Native plants are recommended because they are beneficial to other insects and wildlife. For tips on gardening with native plants, visit the Virginia Native Grassland Plants Plant Society’s website at: www.vnps.org

Remove invasive plants from your yard of Northern Virginia Invasive plants are non-native species which have been introduced and cause environmental harm. Invasive plants can crowd out native plant species, Amy Johnson and they often do not provide resources for native With more than 80% of North America’s grasslands wildlife: no nectar for pollinators, no seeds or cover currently residing on private lands, it is imperative that for native birds, no food for native caterpillars and we optimize the potential of these areas to preserve other herbivores. Visit the Virginia Department of declining early successional plant species. Conservation and Recreation’s website for lists of species that are invasive in Virginia: Virginia Working Landscapes is currently monitoring www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage grassland plant populations on both public and pri- Convert part of your property to a native meadow vate properties across 15 Virginia counties in an effort Go beyond adding a few native plants by creating to understand the long-term trends of relative abun- your own meadow with a mixture of native grasses dance and species composition in relation to habitat and forbs. In addition to creating an attractive structure and land management practices. patch of natural habitat, you’ll attract native pollinators and provide foraging habitat for birds. Visit the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Places to see restored grasslands in Northern Virgin- website for information on creating native habitats: ia include: www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/habitat/ Big Meadow in Shenandoah National Park www.nps.gov/shen Become a volunteer Participating in citizen science-based projects is a Blandy Experimental Farm great way to assist in the monitoring of long-term blandy.virginia.edu trends of native grassland plant species. Virginia Manassas National Battlefield Park Working Landscapes is currently monitoring grassland plants on working farms across 15 Virginia coun- www.nps.gov/mana ties in an effort to understand long-term trends and to determine the effects of pasture and hayfield management on relative abundance and species composition. To become a VWL Citizen Scientist, visit us on the web at: www.VAWorkinglandscapes.org Jennifer Davis

www.VAWorkingLandscapes.org www.Facebook.com/VirginiaWorkingLandscapes Charlotte Lorick VIRGINIA WORKING LANDSCAPES Grassland Plants of Northern Virginia

Hoary mountain-mint Purple false foxglove Rose-pink* Little bluestem Pycnanthemum incanum Agalinis purpurea Sabatia angularis Schizachyrium scoparium Common in mountains and piedmont Common throughout the state Frequent throughout the state Common in mountains and peidmont The name “hoary” comes from the A hemi-parasite that can extract A fragrant flowering plant that A widespread, warm-season white hairs that coat the upper leaves. nutrients from the roots of other plants attractsnative bees bunchgrass found in tallgrass prairies

Balsam ragwort* Round-headed bush clover Scaly blazing star Packera paupercula Lespedeza capitata Liatris squarrosa Rare in mountains Rare in mountains, Frequent in piedmont and piedmont infrequent in piedmont A low flowering plant This rare species can be A nitrogen-fixing member which is attractive to difficult to distinguish of the bean family that pollinators from the much more Provides food for birds and common Small’s ragwort. for pollinators

Purple milkwort* Smooth small-leaf tick-trefoil* Indian grass* Polygala sanguinea Desmodium marilandicum Sorghastrum nutans Frequent in mountains Common in piedmont, Common in mountains and and piedmont infrequent in mountains peidmont Prefers dry sandy soil The Velcro-like seeds are A dominant grass in tallgrass and offers a food source spread by large mammals, prairies, found across much for pollinators including humans! of the Continental U.S.