Rare Species

Fairfax County is home to over 30 rare plant species. This includes species designated as Critically Imperiled (S1) or Imperiled (S2) by the Virginia Natural Heritage Program, as well as two species classified as Globally Imperiled (G2).

Plant species may be rare for several reasons. Common factors include: (1) specialized habitat requirements, (2) dependence on symbiotic relationships, such as the critical connection between terrestrial orchids and mycorrhizal fungi, (3) alterations in landscape processes like fire exclusion or the loss of key grazing species, such as elk, (4) habitat loss or degradation, and (5) their occurrence at the edge of their geographical range.