WHEREAS, native plants are indigenous species that have evolved alongside native wildlife and occur naturally in a particular geographic region, ecosystem, and habitat; and

WHEREAS, native plants are essential for healthy, biodiverse, and sustainable ecosystems, as they often require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides and can often help prevent runoff and improve water quality and are critical for cleaning air, filtering water, and stabilizing soils; and

WHEREAS, native plants are well-adapted to Virginia’s soils, temperatures, precipitation, and environmental conditions, making them the best option for conserving and protecting our environment, and adapting to its changes; and

WHEREAS, native plants provide food and habitat, including nectar, pollen, seeds, and foliage for native birds, caterpillars, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife in ways that non-native plants cannot; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s diverse ecosystems, from sea level to high elevations, are home to more than 3200 native plant species which include trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, grasses, and wildflowers; and

WHEREAS, some of Virginia’s rarest plants are federally listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and include Virginia sneezeweed, Virginia round-leaf birch, shale barren rock cress, and small-anthered bittercress; and

WHEREAS, it is important to encourage public awareness about the benefits of Virginia’s native plants to pollinators and other wildlife, to the economy, and to the health and sustainability of Virginia’s fragile ecosystems; and

WHEREAS, residents are encouraged to observe National Native Plant Month and Virginia Native Plant Month, to recognize the importance of native plants to Virginia’s rich Natural Heritage, to appreciate native plants as an irreplaceable source of food for pollinators and native wildlife, to learn about and enjoy the many benefits of native plants, and to plant native plants;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize April 2023, as NATIVE PLANT MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.