Native plugs at Clarksburg

In May, 2026, about 20,000 native plugs were installed. A plug is a plant that was grown from seed in a greenhouse in trays of 72 or 50 individuals that are 2 inches wide and up to 5 inches deep. Another way to install a meadow is by sowing seeds. But by installing plugs, this meadow has a jump start in establishment and is immediately able to shade out competitors, cool the soil with its shade, and give visitors an eyeful of beautiful texture and color. Some species planted are butterfly weed, coreopsis, phlox, mountain mint, coneflower, goldenrod, milkweed, and various sedges.  

​The CGE team and church volunteers worked for three days placing each plant carefully into the soil. Thankfully, a soaking rain accompanied the installation which gave the plants a nourishing drink and helped them transition into their new home.  

An important part of meadow establishment is monitoring and adaptive management. Not all plants will survive, so the CGE team will be conducting regular site visits to monitor survivability, weeds, watering needs, pest issues, and plant health. It is our goal that 85% of the plants will survive. We support the meadow by managing weeds, preventing pest, and replanting if necessary. 

One cool feature of a meadow is that, like humans, it changes over its lifetime. The plants installed are just a starting point, and in a few years, it will likely transition into something different. Successional species thrive in the first one to three years but then die and make way for species that need more time to germinate and produce seed. This is the natural progression of a meadow, and it is exciting to watch the changes as the years go by.  

The planting is complete, and monitoring in progress. We invite you to come tour the meadow and be a part of the Clarksburg Community.

Find out more information on who makes these grants possible!

Clarksburg Yard

Clarksburg Church

Chesapeake Bay Trust

Gaithersburg

Common Ground Earth