Flowering Dogwood
Heading Layer

Photo by Catherine Flanagan

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Flowering Dogwood
Heading Layer

Photo by Catherine Flanagan

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Eupatorium at Bull Run

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

Photo by Brigitte Hartke

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NATURE CAMP 2023!

2023_Flyer_Nature_Camp

2023-Joint-Application

 

About the John Clayton Chapter

The John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society was chartered in June of1984 and was named in honor of the colonial botanist, John Clayton. Our membership includes beginners as well as professional botanists, novice and experienced gardeners, and folks who just like to walk and see some wildflowers and trees.

We present educational programs at our meetings, as well as to schools and civic organizations, conduct fieldtrips and workshops, participate in plant rescue and relocation, work on conservation projects, publish a bi-monthly newsletter, and have displays for libraries, schools, and events. We hold a native plant sale in April every year. Proceeds from the sale go towards Nature Camp scholarships.

The John Clayton Chapter includes Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, James City and York Counties, as well as the Cities of Williamsburg, Hampton, Newport News and Poquoson.

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Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod Lights Up Woodlands
By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter At our recent fall native plant sale a number of shoppers requested shade tolerant perennials that bloom in shady woodland gardens in late summer and fall, long after spring bloomers have faded. The October Plant of the Month, Blue-stemmed Goldenrod, Solidago caesia, fits the bill beautifully and like other…... Read more
October 21, 2022
Virginia Native Plant Society
Enchanting Blue Vervain
By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) enhances any landscape in which it grows. It is one of my favorite mid to late summer native perennials for any number of reasons. The beautiful purplish blue flowers atop tall stems provide a striking vertical accent contrasting with more typical mounded plants and flower…... Read more
August 28, 2022
Virginia Native Plant Society
Turk’s-Cap Lily Stuns in Summer
By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter Turk’s-cap Lily (Lilium superbum) is one of our most spectacular wildflowers in eastern North America. Its stunning flowers bloom right now in July and August. Native to wet meadows and rich moist cove forests and bogs from New Hampshire south to Georgia and Alabama, it is found in most…... Read more
July 20, 2022
Virginia Native Plant Society
The Curious Pawpaw
By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter The Pawpaw, Asimina triloba, is a handsome small tree that is as fascinating as it is curious. Pawpaw is a member of the Custard-Apple Family, the Annonaceae, a large family of tropical and subtropical species. Ranging from Florida and Texas north to New York and Southern Ontario, Pawpaw is…... Read more
May 29, 2022
Virginia Native Plant Society
Eastern Redbud March 2021 Plant of the Month
By Betsy Washington Northern Neck Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society   As signs of spring fill the air, I find myself eagerly anticipating the vibrant magenta pink blooms of one of our most beautiful flowering trees, the Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis. This small tree is a common sight along roadsides, woodland edges, and old fields…... Read more
March 18, 2021
John Clayton Chapter
Common Hackberry February 2021 Plant of the Month
                                      By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter   The Common Hackberry is one of our most adaptable native shade trees and is also among the best trees to plant for wildlife. The trunk of hackberries has smooth…... Read more
February 21, 2021
John Clayton Chapter
American Beech January 2021 Plant of the Month
         By Betsy Washington           Northern Neck Chapter, VNPS   American Beeches are one of our most magnificent native trees, beautiful in every season, especially winter. They are also one of the most easily recognized of our eastern deciduous trees, with their silvery gray bark that appears cast…... Read more
February 21, 2021
John Clayton Chapter
Skunk Cabbage December 2020 Wildflower of the Month
                        By Betsy Washington Northern Neck Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society   As the winter solstice approaches, I am already anticipating the blooms of our earliest spring wildflower, Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus. The buds of this winter blooming wildflower begin to appear in our…... Read more
December 30, 2020
John Clayton Chapter