The Flora of Virginia: Thinking of the whole state as one big garden.

Keith P. Tomlinson, Virginia Sportsman Garden Column,  spring 2017

The Flora of Virginia: Thinking of the whole state as one big garden.

Thirteen years ago a few guests sat in my office and told me about a bold new project to write a Flora of Virginia. It’s a gargantuan task; to systematically describe every vascular plant found in the state. West Virginia, the Carolina’s and Pennsylvania all had Floras written decades ago. How could the home of Naturalist-President Thomas Jefferson not have its own Flora yet?  The project got underway with three stellar scientists, Alan Weakley, Christopher Ludwig and John Townsend plus veteran editor Bland Crowder. In 2012 the book was published in a single volume at 1554 pages describing 3164 plants. Finally Virginia had its own Flora, very likely the most comprehensive scientific book ever written on the natural history of the state.

So what exactly is a Flora? It’s really a pretty straight forward project; to document in complete botanical detail each vascular plant (no mosses, lichens or liverworts) found growing naturally in the state. This involves exacting collection of plants in the field for herbarium specimens to verify the plants identity and existence in the state.  This process is ongoing and represents the work of many botanists over decades. The science of taxonomy is paramount; what species is it. But the science of floristics is also important; where does it grow and why? With ocean coastlines, wetlands, Piedmont hills and Appalachian highlands, the state is home to many plant habitats. Virginia has a vast and complex geological history that effects the composition and distribution of many plant communities and forest types. Thus the plant diversity is very high for the state’s size.

Ornamental plants growing in gardens are not included in the Flora with one important exception; if they begin to grow naturally on their own in the wild.  So the Flora includes all native and naturalized plants in the state. That means there are a lot of non-native, naturalized plants in the book. This is a particularly important aspect of the Flora for natural resource managers and ecologists. But the most appealing aspect of the Flora is the diversity of Virginia’s native plants, from demur orchids and ancient bald cypress trees to small shrubs clinging to limestone cliffs. The Flora is also a book of botanical art. Beautifully detailed botanical Illustrations accompany nearly 45% of the species descriptions. A work of this magnitude requires taxonomic botanists, artists, ecologists and keen scientific editors

A flora has to be neatly organized into certain sections. Beyond the core botanical descriptions, the book includes a fascinating section on the history of botanical exploration in the state. Given the states location and preeminent role in the founding of the United States, botanical exploration was documented as early as 1588. The age of discovery is often focused on intriguing tales from the tropics and exotic far flung islands, but Virginia was its own hot spot for botanical exploration. Perhaps no other early botanist was as influential as John Clayton who lived most of his life in Virginia. He shared his discoveries and observations with Europe’s most influential botanists of the time. As Virginia’s exceptional university system developed over the next two centuries many notable botanists contributed to the understanding of native plants and ecosystems. William and Mary Professor E.J. Grimes documented many plants in the Williamsburg area in the early nineteen-twenties. VPI Professor A.B Massey is credited with initiating many Virginia botany projects during his prolific career.  Several talented botanists would continue to document new plants in the state through further exploration and documentation.

A flora is frequently referred to as a “Manual” of vascular plants. Indeed it is a prime instructional resource for botanist, horticulturist, natural resource managers, interpretive naturalists and students. If an unidentified plant is found by staff managing urban woodlands, remote swamps or a steep mountain side, they can go right to the Flora. Native plant Horticulturists can use the Flora to create ecologically balanced gardens. Interpretive naturalists creating a nature center bird viewing area will want to use native plants; once again the Flora is the go to resource. Occasionally, a plant is found that might be new in the state and the Flora can be used to verify such an occurrence.  If the plant is not documented in the Flora, it will be a new record for the state, to be included in future editions.

For the student of Virginia native plants there is no other more authoritative resource than the Flora. While it is a technical publication of detailed botanical descriptions, the section on The Nature of the Virginia Flora is wonderful reading for anyone interested in plants and the natural history of the state. This section is written by the State Ecologist, Gary Fleming and includes his remarkable photography. Beautifully described and richly illustrated information on Virginia’s geography is related to differing plant communities. From east to west the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, Allegheny and Cumberland provinces are illustrated in great detail. Tables, maps and photographs make this section of the Flora appealing to amateur and professional alike. Ultimately, the huge natural wealth of Virginia is revealed through Fleming’s ability to bridge science writing and descriptive geology with engaging clarity.  

In addition, Fleming contributes a section on 50 Productive Sites for Field Botany. This is a travelogue of sorts for Virginians wanting to visit some of the state’s most interesting and well conserved natural areas. Most of these sites are open to the public in state, federal or regional parks. Some of the most fascinating are the Virginia Natural Area Preserves spread across the state.

The combination of plant descriptions, the state’s biogeography and history of botanical exploration makes the Flora a one of a kind publication. Clearly, one of the great Floras published in the county if not the world. The natural wealth of Virginia is truly diverse and in need of careful conservation. The Flora of Virginia is an unparalleled resource in the quest to understand and conserve plant diversity at the state level. Surely, Thomas Jefferson would have a well-worn copy on his desk and marvel at aesthetic and ecological bounty of Virginia.