Friends of Lafayette-Pointer Park

The park

Nature in the park.

Lafayette-Pointer Park is a small but rich habitat for native plants, pollinators, and birds. Here's a starting catalog — we'll keep adding to it as neighbors document more.

Work in progress. We’re building these lists with input from neighborhood naturalists and the DC Master Gardeners. If you’ve spotted a species not on the list, or you can help identify what’s growing in a particular bed, let us know.

Native plants

Over 200 species of native plants grow throughout the park's perennial beds, pollinator gardens, and naturalized areas. A starting list:

  • Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
  • Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
  • Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
  • Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
  • Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
  • Virginia bluebell (Mertensia virginica)
  • Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
  • New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Pollinators and insects

The park's native plantings draw a wide range of pollinators and insects, especially through the warmer months.

  • Monarch butterfly
  • Eastern tiger swallowtail
  • Black swallowtail
  • Common eastern bumblebee
  • Native mason bees
  • Fireflies (Photinus pyralis and related species)
  • Praying mantis

Birds

Mature trees and brushy edges make the park a regular stop for resident and migrating birds.

  • Northern cardinal
  • American robin
  • Carolina chickadee
  • Tufted titmouse
  • House finch
  • Mourning dove
  • Red-bellied woodpecker
  • Eastern bluebird (occasional)

What you can do

Help nature in the park.

  • Plant native species in your own yard — even a few square feet of milkweed or coneflower meaningfully helps pollinators.
  • Skip the pesticides. Many target insects that the park's birds and butterflies depend on.
  • Leave the leaves where you can. Leaf litter shelters overwintering pollinators and firefly larvae.
  • Keep dogs on leash near the perennial beds so ground-nesting bees and migrating birds aren't disturbed.
  • Come help at the spring or fall cleanup — much of the gardening work is plant-care that directly supports nature in the park.

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