Gardening with Native Shrubs
4th in a Series by the ANF
I stared across the farm’s hillside. I could see to the aspen on the back side of the eighty acres from this slight rise. The aspen leaves were bright yellow in the fall. Abandoned pastureland, formerly white pine, hemlock, and black spruce trees over a perched water table, had been logged, grazed heavily, and then abandoned. We had purchased the farm to make a place for retirement and wildlife.
An initial survey of the plants on the farm had identified some ‘things to do’. The hillsides were gullied from erosion. Buckthorn (Rhamas sp.) shrubs were gaining a foothold, and would soon overtake all moist soil places. In the farm’s history, some well-meaning (but unknowing) soul had planted autumn olive, multi-flora rose, and Tartarian honeysuckle shrubs. Our vision of creating a haven for wildlife was going to take hard work, some herbicide, and planting the best native shrubs for wildlife. Our work was cut out for us.
Autumn and Russian olive (Elaegnus sp.) shrubs were widely introduced across the United States after the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Autumn olive roots were able to hold onto the soil and the plants could even be started on bare mineral soils. Again, in the 1950s and 1960s, public agencies encouraged farmers to plant autumn olive as a windbreak, hiding cover for wildlife, and food. Now we know through research that autumn olive becomes ‘too much’ of a windbreak because it prevents native plants from growing, thus depriving small animals of their natural habitat. Now we know that autumn olive berries do not provide the same high energy nutrients as native shrubs. Birds need these nutrients for fall migration flights and winter food supplies. Similarly, do NOT plant multi-flora rose or any of the exotic bush honeysuckles.
What to use instead? Plant gray dogwood, arrowwood, or winterberry shrubs. Gray dogwood is particularly important because birds flock to its nutritious berries, and the understory of gray dogwood shrubs provide excellent nesting habitat for woodcock, now a species of interest in Pennsylvania because of its decline in population. Arrowwood also provides berries for birds in the fall. Arrowwood was so named because the Indians made arrows from the stems.
Japanese barberry (Berberis sp.) has been widely planted because of its red fall foliage and fruits that hang on the stems long into winter. Birds and small mammals easily spread barberry seeds into new areas. Barberry thrives in shady areas and can become so dense in stature as to shade out plants in its understory.
What to use instead? Fortunately, some wonderful native substitute shrubs can be planted. Highbush blueberry, northern bayberry, elderberry, and spicebush all produce a nutritious fruit (berry or drupe). The shrubs can be ordered from most plant and tree nurseries. Early settlers used the fruits of bayberry, also called candleberry, to make candles because of the waxy coating over the fruit. Blueberries and elderberries make jellies. Spicebush delivers an aromatic fragrance when the leaves are crushed. The flowers of the spicebush are important for swallowtail butterflies, particularly for the spicebush swallowtail. We have much to learn about how all the pieces of nature are connected.
Privets, tall hedge (buckthorn) and burning bush are favorites of homeowners to establish borders or edges to lawns. But, as we’ve learned with many other non-native shrubs that once these tenacious shrubs escape they disrupt natural habitats. Burning bush and buckthorn spread by producing hundreds of seedlings below the parent plant or by being distributed by birds or small animals. Buckthorn is especially egregious as it is difficult to eradicate in moist soils and it endangers fall migrations of birds that eat its fruit. The berry of buckthorn does not contain the necessary fats for long-distance migration and the berry also acts as a dessicator to the birds, making them stop more frequently for water and rest. Unfortunately, many nurseries sell privets, buckthorn and burning bush to homeowners that do not realize the detrimental effects to wildlife.
What to use instead? Here again, nature offers many wonderful substitutes, such as red or black chokeberries, shining sumac, or viburnums, such as mapleleaf or nannyberry. The leaves of black chokeberry turn a brilliant red in the fall. Nannyberry, also called wild raisin, produces a berry-like fruit (called a drupe) in the fall that birds relish. All of these plants can be purchased as seedlings from nurseries or by ordering through mail order nurseries.
We owe it to ourselves, society, and wildlife to conserve natural habitats wherever possible. Wildlife can benefit from backyard habitats. The National Wildlife Federation offers information for landowners at nwf.org/backyard. Think of the benefits to wildlife when a homeowner on a ½ acre lot makes a better place for wildlife, which is adjacent to the next homeowner’s lot, which is next to another homeowner’s lot. A community of homeowners can create a maze of habitats that wildlife will use. Do your part; plant some native shrubs in your backyard.
An initial survey of the plants on the farm had identified some ‘things to do’. The hillsides were gullied from erosion. Buckthorn (Rhamas sp.) shrubs were gaining a foothold, and would soon overtake all moist soil places. In the farm’s history, some well-meaning (but unknowing) soul had planted autumn olive, multi-flora rose, and Tartarian honeysuckle shrubs. Our vision of creating a haven for wildlife was going to take hard work, some herbicide, and planting the best native shrubs for wildlife. Our work was cut out for us.
Autumn and Russian olive (Elaegnus sp.) shrubs were widely introduced across the United States after the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Autumn olive roots were able to hold onto the soil and the plants could even be started on bare mineral soils. Again, in the 1950s and 1960s, public agencies encouraged farmers to plant autumn olive as a windbreak, hiding cover for wildlife, and food. Now we know through research that autumn olive becomes ‘too much’ of a windbreak because it prevents native plants from growing, thus depriving small animals of their natural habitat. Now we know that autumn olive berries do not provide the same high energy nutrients as native shrubs. Birds need these nutrients for fall migration flights and winter food supplies. Similarly, do NOT plant multi-flora rose or any of the exotic bush honeysuckles.
What to use instead? Plant gray dogwood, arrowwood, or winterberry shrubs. Gray dogwood is particularly important because birds flock to its nutritious berries, and the understory of gray dogwood shrubs provide excellent nesting habitat for woodcock, now a species of interest in Pennsylvania because of its decline in population. Arrowwood also provides berries for birds in the fall. Arrowwood was so named because the Indians made arrows from the stems.Japanese barberry (Berberis sp.) has been widely planted because of its red fall foliage and fruits that hang on the stems long into winter. Birds and small mammals easily spread barberry seeds into new areas. Barberry thrives in shady areas and can become so dense in stature as to shade out plants in its understory.
What to use instead? Fortunately, some wonderful native substitute shrubs can be planted. Highbush blueberry, northern bayberry, elderberry, and spicebush all produce a nutritious fruit (berry or drupe). The shrubs can be ordered from most plant and tree nurseries. Early settlers used the fruits of bayberry, also called candleberry, to make candles because of the waxy coating over the fruit. Blueberries and elderberries make jellies. Spicebush delivers an aromatic fragrance when the leaves are crushed. The flowers of the spicebush are important for swallowtail butterflies, particularly for the spicebush swallowtail. We have much to learn about how all the pieces of nature are connected.Privets, tall hedge (buckthorn) and burning bush are favorites of homeowners to establish borders or edges to lawns. But, as we’ve learned with many other non-native shrubs that once these tenacious shrubs escape they disrupt natural habitats. Burning bush and buckthorn spread by producing hundreds of seedlings below the parent plant or by being distributed by birds or small animals. Buckthorn is especially egregious as it is difficult to eradicate in moist soils and it endangers fall migrations of birds that eat its fruit. The berry of buckthorn does not contain the necessary fats for long-distance migration and the berry also acts as a dessicator to the birds, making them stop more frequently for water and rest. Unfortunately, many nurseries sell privets, buckthorn and burning bush to homeowners that do not realize the detrimental effects to wildlife.
What to use instead? Here again, nature offers many wonderful substitutes, such as red or black chokeberries, shining sumac, or viburnums, such as mapleleaf or nannyberry. The leaves of black chokeberry turn a brilliant red in the fall. Nannyberry, also called wild raisin, produces a berry-like fruit (called a drupe) in the fall that birds relish. All of these plants can be purchased as seedlings from nurseries or by ordering through mail order nurseries.We owe it to ourselves, society, and wildlife to conserve natural habitats wherever possible. Wildlife can benefit from backyard habitats. The National Wildlife Federation offers information for landowners at nwf.org/backyard. Think of the benefits to wildlife when a homeowner on a ½ acre lot makes a better place for wildlife, which is adjacent to the next homeowner’s lot, which is next to another homeowner’s lot. A community of homeowners can create a maze of habitats that wildlife will use. Do your part; plant some native shrubs in your backyard.
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