Plant ID and information

WHAT IS THIS PLANT?:
iNaturalist app Great for identifying plants and animals, and also a citizen science tool.  Your observations could be used by scientists to help track plant locations, bloom time, and other information.

WHAT IS THE BEST NATIVE PLANT FOR MY SITE? (size, sun, moisture) and WHICH ARE THE BEST HOST PLANTS FOR MY AREA?
National Wildlife Federation Plant Finder and Butterfly Finder. Gives a list of native plants when you enter your zip code. You can also enter a plant name and find out which caterpillars use it as a host plant. 

WHAT IS THE BEST NATIVE PLANT FOR MY SITE? (size, sun, moisture)
Northern Virginia Wildlife Gardening Database. Filter by size, sun, soil moisture, benefits caterpillars, bloom time and color and more! All plants listed are Virginia native plants. But some might be mountain zone only

IS THIS PLANT NATIVE TO VIRGINIA?:
Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora, aka The Flora. Search by common name, scientific name, genus, and other fields. Also shows non-native plants that are growing wild in Virginia. Make sure you scroll down to the bottom to see if the plant is native or introduced (non-native). The easiest way to look up and see if a plant is native.

IS THIS PLANT NATIVE TO THE US?  WHERE?:
BONAP (The Biota of North America Program). The maps can be very confusing! But will show where a plant is native in the US.  I usually google the plant name and BONAP, rather than navigating the site.

HOW BIG DOES IT GET? HOW DOES IT SPREAD?:
Missouri Botanical Garden is my favorite site for finding information about mature plant size and preferred growing conditions.  

IS THIS PLANT ON AN INVASIVE SPECIES LIST?
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation keeps the official state list.  

IS THIS PLANT ON AN INVASIVE SPECIES LIST?
Invasive.org – This website will show if a plant is on an invasive species list anywhere in the US.  I find it easiest to google "invasive.org" and the name of the plant. If a plant is on an invasive list in nearby states, it’s a good idea to avoid planting it in Virginia!

INVASIVE PLANTS AND NATIVE ALTERNATIVES
Invasive Plants and Better Alternatives – by the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, with various invasive species and native alternatives.  They other great resources, too!

HOW DO I GET RID OF THIS INVASIVE SPECIES?
Blue Ridge PRISM has fabulous fact sheets about invasive species of Virginia.  How to recognize them, and best practices for removal are given for each species.

CAN I GET FUNDING TO PLANT NATIVES AND CONTROL RAIN  WATER AND EROSION? (Yes!)
Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP)
Financial assistance with impervious surface removal, permeable pavement installation, rain barrels, rain garden, conservation landscaping (native plants and mulch), and more!