Field Guide

Search Critters

Search term

Filter

Species TypeNativeNonnativeInvasive

Conservation StatusEndangeredThreatenedStable

American Beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

American beautyberry supports rich berries for birds and is native to Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake watershed.

View critter‍

American Chestnut

Castanea dentata

The American chestnut was once an abundant native tree that could grow 100 feet tall. Now, threatened by disease, the tree rarely makes it to maturity.

View critter‍

The American holly is an evergreen tree with stout, stiff branches and spine-tipped leaves. Female trees have small, bright red berries. It grows in moist areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

View critter‍

American Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana

The American persimmon is a native tree that produces bright orange fruits in the fall. The fruits have a long history of use by humans and serves as a critical food source for wildlife at a time when food is scarce.

View critter‍

American Pondweed

Potamogeton nodosus

Also known as longleaf pondweed, American pondweed is considered a nuiance species. It is a rooted, perennial herb that has both submerged and floating leaves.

View critter‍

Arrow Arum

Peltandra virginica

Arrow arum is a native perennial plant with large, arrowhead-shaped leaves. It grows in shallow, tidal fresh waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.

View critter‍

Atlantic White Cedar

Chamaecyparis thyoides

The Atlantic white cedar is a tall evergreen tree with scaly, fan-shaped foliage and a cone-like shape. It grows in swamps, marshes and other wet areas near the coast in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

View critter‍

Bald Cypress

Taxodium distichum

The bald cypress is a tall, deciduous tree with needle-like leaves and distinctive “knees” that rise up from the soil or water around it. It grows in swamps and forests in parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

View critter‍