September 2025 Update

Fall is for planting native shrubs! Please see the article at the bottom of this update and share as widely as possible. 

New and improved version of our plant finder app

Thanks to one of our organizer’s brother who made the original version, our plant finder app has been updated to look more beautiful while still providing the same search function and helpful gardening tips as before. www.plantnovanatives.org/plant-finder-app

Grant opportunity for invasive plant control

Fairfax Tree Rescuers PRISM is offering mini-grants to kickstart invasive plant control work in ten community associations and faith communities. Not-for-profit communities in Fairfax County (including the independent jurisdictions and the City of Falls Church) are eligible. The timing is tight! You will need to work on these things immediately to meet the November 1 application deadline. Zoom for an overview and a chance to ask questions: this Friday, Sept 5, 7 pm. Click here to obtain Zoom link.

• Obtain permission to apply from the president of your Board

• Complete the pre-application form to request a site visit from an expert volunteer to identify a project site

• Obtain an estimate from a contractor

• Complete the application.

Click here for details.

Upcoming events

• Arlington Green Community Tour Sept 14. Homes, gardens, and more! Details here.

• JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary Open House: September 14, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm https://loudounwildlife.org/event/black-oak-open-house/ 

• Large Property Breakfast Club.Sept 29 (Monday) 7:30 am - = Ruthies All Day, 3411 5th St S, Arlington. Discussion group for people who are involved with large properties (such as condos or faith institutions) and want to share ideas and strategies to make communities more sustainable.  In-person.  Sponsored by Arlington Regional Master Naturalists but open to anyone. RSVP or questions to loribowes@gmail.com.  (RSVP is optional.)

• Do I want that in my yard? October 1, 7 pm (virtual). Register here.

Upcoming native plant sales

Details here

• Sept 3 VNPS-Potowmack 

• Sept 6 Prince William Master Gardeners

• Sept 13 Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

• Sept 13 Vienna Conservation and Sustainability Commission

• Sept 21 Earth Sangha

Volunteers needed for tabling events

Please see our Sign-Up Genius if you could staff a table this summer and fall to tell people about native plants.

• 9/20 Providence Day, West Falls Church

• 9/28 NatureFest in Herndon

Report your native tree and shrub plantings

Please help Northern Virginia meet its tree-planting obligations by reporting your tree and shrub plantings here. So far 19,167 have been reported!

Report your tree rescues

Millions of trees in Northern Virginia are at risk from invasive non-native vines. You can help by saving them on your own land or by volunteering on public land. (Plant NOVA Natives/Plant NOVA Trees only does educational outreach, so all this work is done under the auspices of our partnering organizations or other landowners.). So far, 19,226 tree rescues have been reported in Northern Virginia. Please add your report here.  

Next Steering Committee meeting – September 4, 10am-noon via videoconferencing. All are welcome. Check our Event Calendar for future meetings.

This month’s newsletter articles to share. For social media, please use this link . 

Be Very Brave: Plant a New Native Shrub This Fall 

by Eileen Ellsworth

Fall is the perfect time of year to add new plants to your landscapes and gardens, especially shrubs. They anchor a garden or a landscape for many years and are an ideal choice for fall planting. It may seem counterintuitive to invest in any new plants with cooler weather on the way. But the winter to come is what provides the advantage, allowing the roots to get established well before being hit by the next summer’s heat. If you install the plants properly and faithfully water for the first few weeks, they will grow and thrive beyond expectations for years to come.  

Purchasing new native plants, shrubs, and trees has never been easier. Several local nurseries specialize in native plant offerings. Thanks to the grass-root efforts of Plant NOVA Natives and its many partners, traditional sellers and garden centers now offer a far wider array of native plants than ever before. As consumer demand has risen, plant sellers also willingly participate in native plant labeling programs to help their customers more easily identify them..

So, it's the right time of year to plant, and native plants are easier to find than ever before. But…something is still stopping you. Hmm. What could that be?

FEAR! You’re convinced you don’t know enough about native shrubs to pick the right one. You believe there is too much to learn and to decide between now and mid-month, so best to just let it be. You’ve imagined that the life of this shrub, upon which the biodiversity of your entire yard will no doubt depend, is doomed in your neglectful hands. On all counts, you are wrong. 

Remember, we’re talking about native plants here. (It’s all we ever talk about here.) And native plants have lived in Northern Virginia about 100 million years longer than humans have been alive on the planet. They know exactly what they’re doing, even if we don’t. We can trust that just about any native shrub we plant will grow, so long as their light and water requirements are more or less met. These plants are very old and quite resilient. They can adjust and adapt in surprising ways non-natives can’t. They evolved in local soil under local climate conditions. Water them a bit more during very hot or dry spells, and all will be well. They’ve got this. You are three simple decisions away from success.

First decision – Where to plant the shrub. Look for an empty spot, or one that currently contains a non-native species you’ve been meaning to remove. About how many hours of direct sun does the spot get? Does it collect water, or does it drain well? Consider whether there is room for some growth, because native shrubs can grow with considerable vigor. (You can always prune them back, if necessary a lot.) Pick the spot, then say to yourself “New shrub will live here.”  Done. Time for the second decision.

Second decision – What kind of native shrub to buy. Winterberry, Red Chokeberry, Highbush Blueberry, Spicebush, Buttonbush, Arrow-wood Viburnum, Virginia Sweetspire, Wild Hydrangea. These, and many others, are listed and discussed on the Plant NOVA Natives “Native Shrubs” webpage. They are all wildlife powerhouses, and yes, there are many.

But here’s the most important thing to remember when making this decision: It doesn’t matter what species you choose, and you can’t make a wrong choice. Any new native shrub will contribute to biodiversity, strengthen the food web, act as a host for some native insect species, and stabilize the soil. Many species will only set fruit if you plant two of them, in which event you’re also helping to attract and feed the birds. (It’s always best to purchase the second shrub from a different grower or seller so they are genetically divergent and not clones of each other.) Some other resources you can use to choose a shrub include the

1. A free visit from a volunteer from the Wildlife Sanctuary Program of the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance.

2. Plant NOVA Natives newly improved Plant Finder App.

3. Plant NOVA Natives Native Plant Plants for Northern Virginia guide, available in print or as a free download. 

Spend no more than an hour browsing the lists, choose the one you like, then say to yourself: “I will plant this shrub, and I’m not changing my mind.”  Done. Time for the third decision.

Third decision: Where will I buy the shrub. This is the easiest one of all. Plant NOVA Natives lists fall native plant sales, native plant garden centers, and participating conventional garden centers. In the case of the one-day native plant sales, you may want to call the grower or seller a couple of days in advance and ask them to make sure they will be bringing the shrub you are seeking. If not, many folks will work with you directly to make sure you get what you want, even if that means picking it up directly from their native plant nursery. Done. All done.

So let’s be brave. Let’s make these three decisions, buy and plant the shrub, and water it appropriately. Despite our worries, chances are excellent that next spring we will find ourselves chatting up and getting to know a new, glorious, happy, fruitful, flowerful native shrub that is anchored in our soil and smiling at the sun.

We may know nothing about native shrubs, and yet we have everything we need: joy, meaning, commitment, resolve, centeredness, and the support of a like-minded community of earth-loving native plant gardeners.

And, of course, we have the native plants themselves, who figure it all out anyway, with or without us.