Dedicated to the conservation and appreciation of West Virginia’s native plants and habitats
What’s so great about native plants?
Native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife, and support critical pollinators. They promote biodiversity and stewardship of our natural heritage.
April 2024 is West Virginia Native Plant Month!
For the second year in a row, Governor Justice has declared April as Native Plant Month!
See updates on the national effort at www.nationalnativeplantmonth.org
Here is a list of common native plants for West Virginia, compiled by Romie Hughart!
Featured Plant -
Trifolium stoloniferum - Trifolium stoloniferum - Running Buffalo Clover was removed from the Federal endangered species list on September 7, 2021. The clover was considered to be extinct, since the last known collection was in 1940 in Webster County, WV. It was rediscovered in West Virginia in 1983 and listed as endangered in 1987. Since then, numerous populations have been found in 6+ states. For more detailed information, see the link below.
Available now! The Checklist and Atlas of the Vascular Flora of West Virginia
The checklist was developed to document in one place the existence and location of all of the known flora in West Virginia This was a monumental work that involved professionals and volunteers from throughout the state.
The checklist provides a “roadmap” to understand and add to the knowledge of vascular flora distribution throughout West Virginia.
Fighting invasive species …
Of the approximately 2,500 species of plants known to occur in the wild in West Virginia, about 72 percent are native or occurred in West Virginia before the time of substantial European settlement. The other 28 percent, over 700 species, are not native to West Virginia, having been introduced from other states or countries.
“A lifetime can be spent in a Magellanic voyage around the trunk of a single tree.”
— Edward O Wilson