Liatris is a beloved genus of herbaceous wildflowers known as Blazing Stars or Gayfeathers in the family Asteraceae (Asters). These lovely wildflowers occur in prairies, open meadows, along open woodland edges and roadsides and are loved for the tall, slender spikes of feathery purple florets that are unique in that the flowers bloom gradually from top downward along the spike.
Read MoreGolly, Fall is nearly upon us as quite a few of us are taking a breather after the rigors of holding this year’s Native Plant Sale. Special kudos to our co-chairs, Betsy Washington and Carol Martin for their expertise and enthusiasm in making 2026 another successful and fun Sale. Good Luck Cellars is a great location. Thank you, to all 38 of our volunteers:
Read MoreIf you have missed our sale so far you are in luck! We still have a number of beautiful native plants left for the final day of our sale tomorrow. We have quite a few Buttonbushes and are offering one free Buttonbush to each person that becomes a new member tomorrow while supplies last. Come join our fun group! Buttonbushes are native, fragrant, can grow in up to 3’ of standing water as well as in your pollinator garden and are the ultimate native Butterfly ‘bush’.
We have many gorgeous Swamp Rose-Mallows left that are absolutely stunning in bloom and perfect for low areas, upper reaches of tidal streams and rivers, rain gardens, and just regular garden beds. What a summer extravaganza!
Read MoreThe NNVNPS 2026 Native Plant Sale List is now available for the Native Plant Sale on 9/12/2026 Noon-3pm & 9/13/2026 1-3pm. Plants will sell out so the plant you want may not be available.
All Members are invited to the Members-Only NNVNPS 2026 Native Plant Sale on Friday afternoon, 9/11/2026, from 2:30–4:30pm. Usually a large number of plants sell during this afternoon and it is a big membership perk! If you are not a member, you can join at the sale.
Don’t forget to print a copy of the plant list if you need one. Download the NNVNPS 2026 Native Plant Sale List PDF.
Read MoreIn Fall, many of our native Asters literally light up the landscape with their daisy-like flowers that are vivid lavender violet, blue violet, pale blue or even white. These late season bloomers are critical food sources for migrating Monarchs and other late butterflies, as well as pollinators such as Queen Bumblebees as they prepare for winter.
Read MoreIn late summer the vanilla scented flowers of Sweet-scented Joe-pye-weed fill the garden and landscape with billowy clouds of long-lasting blooms covered with bees and butterflies. This gorgeous tall perennial can reach 4 – 7’ high topped with large dome-shaped pink to purple inflorescences up to 12 – 18” across.
Read MoreI am always dazzled by the vibrant, long-lasting blooms of Fall or Garden Phlox as they emerge in July attracting dozens of butterflies, skippers, Clearwing Moths, hummingbirds and other pollinators to their showy blooms. The large, fragrant pink to red-purple, lavender or rarely white flower clusters (actually panicles for which they are named Phlox ‘paniculata’) bloom from July through September above lush green foliage on slender, erect stems that rise from 2 – 4’ high.
Read MoreSAVE THE DATES: September 12th to 13th
Northern Neck Native Plant Society Native Plant Sale
Member Sale Only: Sept 11 - 2:30pm to 4:30pm (Join and Get First Choice)
Public Sale: Sept 12 - 12pm to 3pm
Sept 13 - 1pm to 3pm
No Early Sales
Location:
Good Luck Cellars 1025 Goodluck Rd. Kilmarnock VA 22482
Read MoreMilkweeds are wildly popular in many gardens but most of us grow only 2 or 3 species, including Butterflyweed and Swamp Milkweed and possibly Common Milkweed. There are thirteen species of milkweed in Virginia and one of my favorite blooms in late May and June, Redring or White Milkweed.
Read MoreThe scientific name of the genus, Maianthemum, means May (Mai) and flower (anthemon). How appropriate for our May Plant of the Month as this lovely herbaceous perennial blooms across rich deciduous forests and woodlands of Canada and all the contiguous states from late April to June, peaking in May. Eastern Solomon’s-plume occurs in every county in Virginia and is common throughout in a diverse range of moist to dry upland forests and woodlands, well-drained floodplain forests, and clearings.
Read MoreAre you a Northern Neck senior passionate about native plants, conservation, or sustainability?
The Northern Neck Native Plant Society (NNVNPS.org) wants to support your education!
Who can apply: Graduating seniors residing in the NNK of VA, attending Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, or Westmoreland County public or private schools.
Read MoreThere are several native plant sales around the region and the state, and we want to spread the word. Our Northern Neck Chapter of VNPS annual plant sale will be held on Sept. 12 and 13. Join and come shop on the popular Member-only Sale, Friday Sept 11 from 2:00 – 4:00 at Good Luck Cellars in Kilmarnock. All funds support our mission to educate the public on the value of native plants and conserving them in nature. SAVE THE DATES!
Read MoreThe cheerful flowers of our native Common Blue Violet are one of the most anticipated signs of spring, bringing joy to both gardeners and pollinators alike. Blooming from March to June, with occasional rebloom in fall, our Common Blue Violet reaches only 3 – 8” tall with showy violet-blue flowers with white throats and intricate purple veining.
Read MorePlantain-leaved Pussytoes is one of our most charming perennial groundcovers and begins blooming this month with fuzzy white, tufted flowerheads that resemble the toes or paws of kittens. Other names for this charming groundcover are Pussytoes, Everlasting, Mouse Ears, Ladies’ Tobacco, and even Dog Toes.
Read MoreOur February Plant of the Month, American Hazelnut or Filbert, Corylus americana, is one of our earliest blooming native shrubs, a true harbinger of spring often flaunting its flowers as early as February. As a member of the Birch (Betulaceae) family, American Hazelnut is monoecious, meaning it has separate male and female flowers on the same plant
Read MoreEbony Spleenwort is a charming small, evergreen fern that grows in dense tufts with dark green narrow fronds with a distinctive, wiry dark reddish brown shiny main stem (stipe). In fact, it gets its common name, Ebony, from this very distinctive dark shiny stipe.
Read MoreCommon Tree-clubmoss, often called Princess Pine, is appropriately named as each plant looks like a miniature pine tree and a colony resembles a miniature forest. Club mosses are ancient plants and evolved over 400 million years ago and reproduce by spores produced in “club-like” structures.
Read MoreOne of the earliest and most reliable trees for fall color is our gorgeous Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica. This native deciduous tree reliably ignites into fiery shades of scarlet and occasionally red, orange, even purple in the fall, often by late September. Not only does it color early but its spectacular color often lasts for up to a month or more, outlasting many other trees.
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