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Virginia Bluebells
Photos: Tim Farmer/
Blandy Experimental Farm
Anyone who has strolled through the Virginia Bluebell trail at Bull Run Regional Park (soon to peak) can’t help but ask themselves, “why don’t I have these in my garden?” Mertensia virginica and many other varieties of native flowers, shrubs and trees are being offered at a series of native plant sales held throughout the region.
By incorporating native plants into your landscape, the gardener is creating biodiversity supporting indigenous insects and birds and with more people propagating them, small gems such as the Buttercup Winterhazel (Corylopsis pauciflora),Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis or the great ground cover, Wild Ginger ( Asarum canadensis) are now available. Making sure you are buying plants that have been propagated and not collected from the wild is an important consideration.
Bloodroot
Sally Anderson, president of the Virginia Native Plant Society says that dividing plants from your yard to sell is legitimate but not a plant obtained from a plant rescue. These plants obtained from sanctioned wild digs on areas slated to be developed, can be used to propagate and selling the offspring is alright.
She says, “At a large nursery, if you see flats of similar looking plants, that seems safe. Dug ones are usually less uniform.
Asclepias
“In the end, there is little we can do except to educate people about the problems brought on by wild collecting, encourage people to ask questions and try to recommend reputable nurseries. Having more regulation is probably no more effective because enforcement would be everything.”
Plant sales continue at Green Spring Gardens Saturdays 9am-1pm through May 9. The American Horticultural Society Spring Plant Sale (April 17 & 18) will also feature native plants and along with Parkfairfax Native Plant Sale on April 25.
Have fun. Go native. Be informed and ask questions about the source of your plants.
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