Support a Healthy James: Plant Native This Spring!
Springtime is upon us and April is Native Plant Month in Virginia! Adding regionally native plants to gardens and landscapes in your yard is an easy river-friendly conservation practice that can be implemented at home. Regionally native plants incorporated into rain gardens and conservation landscaping projects reduce stormwater runoff leaving your yard.
Many plant species prevalent in landscapes are not native and even invasive to our part of the world. Non-native and invasive plant species generally offer little ecological value and can outcompete native plant species. Regionally native plant species are adapted to our local climate and provide habitat for wildlife that make gardening a joy.
If you are interested in learning about regionally native plants and how to incorporate them in your planting plans this spring, join us at one of the following native plant workshops offered by the James River Association.
Native Plants Workshop at Madison Heights Public Library in Amherst County
Date & Time: Monday, April 6, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Location: Madison Heights Public Library, 200 River James Shopping Ctr, Madison Heights, VA
Fee: Free to Residents of Amherst County
Join the James River Association at Madison Heights Public Library on Monday, April 6, 2026 at 7:00 pm for a workshop about native plants. Participants will learn about the benefits of native plants, how they support local wildlife, and where to source them. Registration for this workshop is free to residents of Amherst County and each registration comes with a regionally native plant.
This workshop is full.
Native Plants Workshop at Westover Hills Branch Library
Date & Time: Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 12:00 pm
Location: Westover Hills Branch Library, 1408 Westover Hills Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia
Fee: Free
Join the James River Association for a native plant workshop at Richmond’s Westover Hills Branch Library on Saturday, April 18, at 12:00 pm. Workshop participants will learn about the benefits of native plants, how they support local wildlife, and where to source them. Registration for this workshop is free and each registration comes with a regionally native plant courtesy of Local Ecotype Richmond Natives (LERN).
This workshop is full.
Native Plants Workshop at North Avenue Branch Library
Date & Time: Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Location: North Avenue Branch Library, 2901 North Avenue, Richmond, Virginia
Fee: Free
Join the James River Association for a native plant workshop at Richmond’s North Avenue Branch Library on Wednesday, May 6, at 7:00 pm. Workshop participants will learn about the benefits of native plants, how they support local wildlife, and where to source them. Registration for this workshop is free and each registration comes with a regionally native plant courtesy of Local Ecotype Richmond Natives (LERN).
This workshop is full.
Native Plants Workshop at Petersburg Public Library
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Location: Petersburg Public Library, 201 W. Washington Street, Petersburg, Virginia
Fee: Free to residents of the City of Petersburg
Join the James River Association for a native plant workshop at the Petersburg Public Library on Tuesday, April 7, at 6:00 pm. Workshop participants will learn about the benefits of native plants, how they support local wildlife, and where to source them. Registration for this workshop is free and each registration comes with a regionally native plant courtesy of Local Ecotype Richmond Natives (LERN). Click here for more information.
Did you know using regionally native plants and removing invasive plants from gardens and landscapes could qualify you for the James River Association’s River Hero Homes program!
River Hero Homes is a community of stewards that realize the first step to a cleaner James River starts at home. Residents of the James River’s 10,000 square-mile watershed take a pledge and commit to adopting a minimum of three of the five following river-friendly conservation actions that reduce stormwater runoff.
- Properly dispose of waste. Pick up trash in your community and properly dispose of waste, including pet waste, to reduce pollution.
- Use native plants. Use regionally native plants and remove invasive plants in gardens and landscapes, including riparian buffers and living shorelines.
- Reduce herbicide and pesticide use. Reduce or eliminate herbicide and pesticide use to promote a healthy ecosystem.
- Reduce fertilizer use. Reduce or eliminate the use of lawn fertilizers to reduce nutrient pollution entering our waterways and encourage healthy soil by using compost.
- Conserve water. Reduce household water use and consider installing a rain barrel to harvest rainwater for watering.
River Hero Homes would not be possible without generous support from Altria and DuPont Clear into the Future. Their support allows the James River Association to promote conservation and stewardship practices that support a healthy James River.