Garden Design
This landscape was planned to ensure that existing large trees on the site would be preserved as part of the final garden design.
Large trees provide essential habitat for wildlife, including insects, birds, and mammals. They also perform essential ecosystem services by sequestering carbon and stabilizing soil. Some of the large native trees that anchor this garden include a 29” American sycamore, a triple-stemmed American holly, and multiple black tupelo, eastern redcedar, and magnolia trees.
Large trees often have a proportionally large influence on microclimates in a landscape. Unique sun, shade, soil moisture, and drainage regimes around the trees lent themselves to different types of plantings. Planting areas in this garden are accessible via mulch pathways.
They include:
- Woodland deciduous azalea and viburnum plantings
- Woods’-edge plants
- Native meadow
- Native shrubs and edible garden
- Native shade garden
Donors and Sponsors
This tremendous garden was made possible through the generous contributions of time, expertise, and resources of landscaping and nursery companies from across the region. Learn more about our generous donors.
Ruppert Landscaping • KT Enterprises • South Riding Nurseries • Jordan Honeyman Landscape Architecture
Babikow Nursery • David’s Nursery • Hanover Farms Nursery • Ingleside Nurseries • Kurt Bluemel Nursery
Riverbend Nursery • Sandy’s Plants • Saunders Brothers Nursery • The Perennial Farm • White House Farm Foundation • Willoway Nurseries
Plant List
This is the full list of plants which were installed in the Clara B. Plein Memorial Garden in 2023. Visit trusted plant resource banks, such as the Digital Atlas of Virginia Flora, United States Department of Agriculture, Missouri Botanical Garden Plantfinder, and Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center to learn more about each plant’s characteristics, growing requirements, and identification details.
Trees
Amalanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’ – Apple Serviceberry (cultivar)
Asimina triloba – Common Pawpaw
Cercis canadensis – Eastern Redbud
Cornus alternifolia – Pagoda dogwood
Ilex opaca – American Holly
Magnolia grandiflora “Little Gem” – Little Gem Magnolia (cultivar)
Quercus alba – White Oak
Quercus muehlenbergii – Chinquapin Oak
Shrubs
Aesculus parviflora – Bottlebrush buckeye
Aronia melanocarpa – Black chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa ‘UCONNAM165’ Low Scape Mound – Dwarf Black Chokeberry (cultivar)
Cephalanthus occidentalis – Buttonbush
Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’ – Sweet pepperbush (cultivar)
Hydrangea arborescens “Annabelle” – Annabelle hydrangea (cultivar)
Hydrangea paniculata “Little Lime” – Little Lime Hydrangea (cultivar)
Hydrangea quercifolia “Pee Wee” – ‘Pee Wee’ Oakleaf hydrangea (cultivar)
Hydrangea quercifolia “Ruby Slippers” – ‘ Ruby Slippers’ Oakleaf hydrangea (cultivar)
Hydrangea quercifolia – Oakleaf hydrangea
Ilex glabra “Shamrock” – Inkberry holly (cultivar)
Ilex verticillata ‘Nana’ Red Sprite/“Jim Dandy” – Dwarf Winterberry (cultivar)
Lindera benzoin – Spice bush
Rhododendron calendulaceum – Flame Azalea
Rhododendron catawbiense – Catawba rhododendron
Rhododendron periclymenoides – Pinxter Azalea
Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Climax’ – Highbush blueberry (cultivar)
Viburnum acerifolium – Mapleleaf Viburnum
Viburnum trilobum – American cranberry bush viburnum
Viburnum dentatum – Arrowwood viburnum
Perennials, Ground Covers, and Grasses
Amsonia tabernaemontana – Blue star
Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly weed
Athyrium filix-femima – Lady fern
Baptisia australis – False Indigo
Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’ – Tickseed (cultivar)
Dryopteris marginalis – Marginal Wood Fern
Echinacea purpurea – Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ – White coneflower (cultivar)
Eragrostis spectabilis – Purple lovegrass
Eupatorium dubium “Little Joe” – Joe Pye Weed (cultivar)
Fragaria virginiana – Wild strawberry
Helianthus angustifolius – Narrow leaved sunflower
Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’ – Hairy Alum Root (cultivar)
Liatris spicata – Blazing star
Nepeta racemosa ‘Walkers Low’ – catmint (cultivar)
Packera aurea – Golden ragwort
Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ – Switch grass (cultivar)
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ – Beardtongue (cultivar)
Phlox divaricata – Wood phlox
Phlox paniculata “Blue Paradise” – Garden Phlox – Blue Paradise (cultivar)
Phlox paniculata “David” – Garden Phlox – David (cultivar)
Pycnanthemum muticum – Blunt mountainmint
Schizachyrium scoparium – Little Blue Stem
Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ – Rough goldenrod (cultivar)
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii – New York Aster
Tiarella cordifolia – Foam Flower
Vernonia noveboracensis – Ironweed