Allegheny Brambles:
Backyard Habitats & Shrubs
Mary Hosmer
Public Affairs
Allegheny National Forest
Grouse (partridge) eat Japanese barberries in my God’s Little Acre every fall. Japanese barberries (Berberis thunbergii) were introduced to the United States in 1875 and early settlers planted barberries for hedgerows, and to make jams and dyes. I want to ‘go native’ as much as possible in my God’s Little Acre (near the Allegheny National Forest), so I search for an American barberry. I quickly find American barberry (Berberis canadensis) is not common and does not live in Pennsylvania any more; it has been ‘extirpated’ from Pennsylvania.
I’ve already settled on silky dogwoods, highbush blueberries, and sweetspire for their pretty white flowers in spring and flaming red leaves in the fall. I’m now concentrating on finding shrubs that produce foods for wildlife. The search begins through the seed and plant catalogs. I also search http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/Default.html. It is time to add to the list of plants to order.
I find northern bayberry intriguing. Northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), also called candleberry, is now endangered in Pennsylvania. I also find it’s a wetland plant. The west side of my God’s Little Acre is wet in the spring, but will it be wet enough? I keep northern bayberry on my list, but tentatively.
Grouse love to eat berries from spicebushes. Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is native to Pennsylvania, attracts birds, and produces yellow flowers in the spring and bright red berries in the fall. It thrives in moist woodlands, and that I have. I learn that settlers steeped the twigs and bark to make a fragrant tea, hence the name spicebush. I keep spicebush on my list.
I plan to make some wine and jellies next fall. I already have red chokecherries growing on the property, and I think black or red chokeberries would be a good addition. Red and black chokeberries are prized by birds, and are both native to Pennsylvania. I learn that red chokeberries (Aronia arbutifolia) are sweeter than black chokeberries. They are also high in vitamin C and antioxidants. I keep red chokeberries on my list.
I hunt every fall; I notice how attractive gray dogwoods (Cornus racemosa) are to all types of birds, particularly grouse. Woodcock nest in gray dogwood thickets. The white berries on red stems in late summer standout visually across a landscape. I HAVE to add this shrub to my God’s Little Acre. I keep gray dogwood on my list.
I spend another weekend weighing the pros and cons of what shrubs to plant with the conifers to complete my windbreak. I decide to plant spicebush, red chokeberry, and gray dogwood.
Red Chokeberry/Mixed Berry Jam
1. Mix red chokeberries with other berries to make 6 cups.
2. Crush berries.
3. Add Pectin per directions in Pectin package.
4. Bring the berries and pectin to a full boil (should take 5-10 minutes on medium heat). Add ½ cup sugar. Stir.
5. Add 4 cups sugar and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Skim off excess foam and discard.
7. Put into pint jars and seal.
8. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Remove jars and let seal.
Public Affairs
Allegheny National Forest
Grouse (partridge) eat Japanese barberries in my God’s Little Acre every fall. Japanese barberries (Berberis thunbergii) were introduced to the United States in 1875 and early settlers planted barberries for hedgerows, and to make jams and dyes. I want to ‘go native’ as much as possible in my God’s Little Acre (near the Allegheny National Forest), so I search for an American barberry. I quickly find American barberry (Berberis canadensis) is not common and does not live in Pennsylvania any more; it has been ‘extirpated’ from Pennsylvania.
I’ve already settled on silky dogwoods, highbush blueberries, and sweetspire for their pretty white flowers in spring and flaming red leaves in the fall. I’m now concentrating on finding shrubs that produce foods for wildlife. The search begins through the seed and plant catalogs. I also search http://rnrext.cas.psu.edu/Default.html. It is time to add to the list of plants to order.
I find northern bayberry intriguing. Northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), also called candleberry, is now endangered in Pennsylvania. I also find it’s a wetland plant. The west side of my God’s Little Acre is wet in the spring, but will it be wet enough? I keep northern bayberry on my list, but tentatively.
Grouse love to eat berries from spicebushes. Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is native to Pennsylvania, attracts birds, and produces yellow flowers in the spring and bright red berries in the fall. It thrives in moist woodlands, and that I have. I learn that settlers steeped the twigs and bark to make a fragrant tea, hence the name spicebush. I keep spicebush on my list.
I plan to make some wine and jellies next fall. I already have red chokecherries growing on the property, and I think black or red chokeberries would be a good addition. Red and black chokeberries are prized by birds, and are both native to Pennsylvania. I learn that red chokeberries (Aronia arbutifolia) are sweeter than black chokeberries. They are also high in vitamin C and antioxidants. I keep red chokeberries on my list. I hunt every fall; I notice how attractive gray dogwoods (Cornus racemosa) are to all types of birds, particularly grouse. Woodcock nest in gray dogwood thickets. The white berries on red stems in late summer standout visually across a landscape. I HAVE to add this shrub to my God’s Little Acre. I keep gray dogwood on my list.
I spend another weekend weighing the pros and cons of what shrubs to plant with the conifers to complete my windbreak. I decide to plant spicebush, red chokeberry, and gray dogwood.
Red Chokeberry/Mixed Berry Jam
1. Mix red chokeberries with other berries to make 6 cups.
2. Crush berries.
3. Add Pectin per directions in Pectin package.
4. Bring the berries and pectin to a full boil (should take 5-10 minutes on medium heat). Add ½ cup sugar. Stir.
5. Add 4 cups sugar and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Skim off excess foam and discard.
7. Put into pint jars and seal.
8. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Remove jars and let seal.
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