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Plant Selections
Plant Categories
Landscape Master Plans show a concept or scheme for how to develop a landscape without getting into all the details. Instead of showing specific plants, a master plan will show plants or groups with labels that indicate what category of plant to use there, such as a Large Deciduous Tree (LDT) or Medium Evergreen Shrub (MES).
That leaves the task of selecting specific plants to the property owner, but then what? How do you pick which LET or SDS or LHP to use? That's where these lists come into play.
The first two letters indicate the size and type, but start with the 3rd letter. It indicates the broad category:
- T = Tree
- S = Shrub
- V = Vine
- C = groundCover
- P = Perennial
- G = Grass
Plant Selections
Strong selections for each category follow, and any category may have many other good selections. Each of the plants on these lists share most of these traits.
- They are native to southwest Virginia, except of course for the ones labeled “popular non-natives”.
- They thrive here reliably if given the proper conditions and care, which are not hard to give. They also tend to be well behaved and stay within their niche, usually with minimal management.
- They serve useful landscape functions such as ornamental flowering or fall color.
- They serve valuable ecosystem functions, such as providing pollen, nectar, nesting sites, or food, like acorns.
- They are commercially available from Virginia wholesale growers and should not be hard to find in retail.
Tiers in each category
Each category is divided into four tiers:
- Excellent choices are natives in this region and will serve very well for most landscapes in SW VA. These are the best in their category and serve many ecosystem functions.
- Good alternatives also are regional natives that will do well in most landscapes. They will serve several ecosystem functions and might fill some specialized niches.
- Popular non-natives are well liked by many and have landscape value not generally provided by native plants. BUT they usually serve limited ecosystem functions (if any), and just because they are not known as invasive does not mean that they cannot escape cultivation and become a problem.
- Exotics to avoid tend to escape cultivation and disrupt local ecosystems by outcompeting native plants, often because our ecosystems do not have the natural controls that limit them in their native territories.
FAIR WARNING
Growers have hybridized many plants for size, shape, and other traits for particular situations. These cultivars (cultivated varieties) might not fit into the same category as the species, usually being larger or smaller.
Believe the grower’s tags about their ultimate size and form!
People value some of these cultivars for unusual flower colors or other features, but those special features might limit their value for ecosystem functions. The birds, bees, and butterflies which love the species might not recognize the cultivars.
Plant Lists
Trees
Shrubs
Shrubs
Trees are like the bones of the landscape. They are the largest, most obvious pieces, and the hardest to rearrange.
Shrubs
Shrubs
Shrubs
Shrubs can help define spaces and add foliage color, flower color, and winter interest with berries and twigs.
Vines
Shrubs
Groundcovers
Vines might behave like groundcovers sometimes, but most will climb when given the opportunity, and often they can go where other greenery cannot.
Groundcovers
Groundcovers
Groundcovers
Groundcovers cover the ground. Okay, that's obvious, but if you don't want to stare at mulch, bare dirt, or more turf, groundcovers can bring extra depths of color and texture as the visual base of the entire composition.
Perennials
Groundcovers
Perennials
Perennials bring flash to the garden. They add layers of color and a variety of textures throughout the year. Perennials also are invaluable to pollinators at different stages of their life cycles.
Grasses
Groundcovers
Perennials
Grasses and ferns bring unique form and line that add texture and nuance to the landscape.
And of course ...
If you aren't sure which plants to get, or you want help narrowing it down, I'm here to help. Call, text or email, and we will get together to nail things down.