Old Dominion University
OP-T2-19: Native Plants

Native plantings have been in use at Old Dominion University since it’s inception as a public institution. A person walking through the more historic locations on campus will find a plethora of native plant species ranging from the tallest trees to beautiful flowering shrubs. As one enters the landscapes of ODU’s more recent additions, they will see the use of native plantings remains an integral part of our landscape designs. With each year that passes ODU is finding more improved and innovative ways to apply our native plantings in the form of rain gardens, water retention areas, and around the footprints educational facilities. Native plantings are no longer being planted solely for their inherent beauty, they are being used for carbon storage, storm water filtration, and various other ways which help ODU further it’s commitment to a sustainable campus. Prioritizing the use of Native Plants Native plants will play a roll a role of varying size in all of our landscape designs. How we arrive at the decision of which plants to use in a given landscape is often a long planning process that is takes many factors into consideration. Some of these factors include economic feasibility, environmental concerns, maintenance concerns, function of the landscape, aesthetic value, and geographic location. The planning process will generally undergo various revisions until arriving at what we feel is the best landscape design we can deliver. Old Dominion University sits between two of Hampton Roads most beautiful estuaries, The Elizabeth River and the Lafayette River. In landscapes along these rivers native plants receive top priority. Having native plants in these riparian zones provides a natural appearance to the landscape. We use native plantings here to help us visually soften well developed shores while providing natural habitat for the many species of fauna who call the rivers home. Along the interior of ODU there is a mixture of many native and non-native species. The bulk of our property at ODU is considered urban. Roadways, sidewalks, and buildings create a network of environmental conditions which can often be harsh and intolerable for many species of plants. Native plants are not always inherently adaptable to such conditions. In these areas we will use the native plants species which have been proven to withstand an oppressive city environment, but sometimes we must look outside of our native plant palette to find species which will grow and flourish. Still, there are many native plants which find a home amongst our city infrastructure. As public awareness of environmental conditions grows, so does ODU’s knowledge of what we can do to contribute towards making the world a better place. One example of this would be our rain gardens. ODU currently has two rain gardens with more on the way. Inside these rain gardens one will find a landscape design dominated by native plants. Yes, there are a few non-native species here, but the vast majority of the plantings are indeed native. The use of native plants in these rain gardens not only enhances the natural attractiveness of campus, but assists ODU in cleaning storm water as it runs off of impervious roof tops and sidewalks. Partnerships with Native Plants Old Dominion University has worked in partnerships on various projects to increase our use of native plantings, both on campus and within the community. In the past year alone ODU has worked with the City of Norfolk, the Elizabeth River Project, Virginia Master Gardeners, Dominion Virginia Power, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Relationships continue to develop and new project ideas are evolving all the time. As ODU works to integrate the natural world with the urban environment, we must also work to incorporate local institutions and organization for the common goal of sustainability. Two of ODU’s most recent examples of native plant projects would be the power line project at 47th st and the future Community Garden site at the far west end of 49th st. In each case ODU paired with the Elizabeth River Project to acquire and install all native plantings. In these two very different ecosystems the use of native plantings helps ODU meet it sustainability goals, while providing a natural background for visitors and residents alike. Native Plants on Campus The following is a list of Native Plantings which can be found at ODU: Trees: Taxodium disticum -- Bald Cypress Quercus phellos -- Willow Oak Quercus laurifolia -- Laurel Oak Quercus alba -- White Oak Quercus bicolor -- Swamp White Oak Quercus falcata -- Southern Red Oak Quercus nigra -- Water Oak Quercus palustris -- Pin Oak Quercus rubra -- Northern Red Oak Tillia americana -- American Basswood Amalanchier spp. -- Serviceberry Cercis canadensis -- Redbud Chionanthus virginicus -- Fringetree Cornus florida -- Flowering Dogwood Ilex opaca -- American Holly Ilex vomitoria -- Yaupon Holly Magnolia virginiana -- Sweet Bay Morus rubra -- Mulberry Ostrya virginiana v. -- Hophornbeam Acer rubrum -- Red Maple Aesculus flava -- Yellow Buckeye Betula nigra -- River Birch Juniperus virginiana -- Red Cedar Liquidambar styraciflua -- Sweetgum Liriodendron tulipfera -- Tulip Poplar Nyssa sylvatica -- Black Tupelo Pinus strobus -- White Pine Pinus taeda -- Loblolly Pine Pinus palustris -- Longleaf Pine Plantanus occidentalis -- American Sycamore Prunus serotina -- Black Cherry Robinia pseudoacacia -- Black Locust Shrubs: Hamamelis virginiana -- Witch Hazel Ilex glabra -- Inkberry Itea virginica -- Virginia Willow Myrica cerifera -- Waxmyrtle Rhododendron spp. -- Azalea Baccharis halmifolia -- Groundsel Tree Rosa rugosa -- Beach Rose Herbaceous: Rudbeckia hirta -- Black-eyed Susan Hibiscus moscheutos -- Eastern Rosemallow Woodwardia virginica -- Virginia Chain Fern Silene virginica -- Fire Pink Veronicstrum virginicum -- Culver’s Root Yucca filimentosa -- Common Yucca Rexia virginica -- Meadow Beauty Mertensia virginica -- Bluebells Chrysogonum virginianum -- Green and Gold