For weeks, we have been scurrying about our yards planting plants that are both attractive to us and beneficial to wildlife.  Favorite plants include zinnias, coneflowers, snapdragons, salvias, sunflowers and butterfly bushes.  While you cannot argue with any of these choices, a family of plants that are arguably the most beneficial to wildlife rarely makes it to the top of the list are the oaks.  About now, you are probably scratching your head and wondering if I have lost my mind.

       More than 20 species of oaks are native to Georgia.  Many of them, such as willow, water, white and red, commonly grow in yards across the state. The truth of the matter is, however, few homeowners realize how important oaks are to literally hundreds of species of wildlife including moths, butterflies, mammals and birds.

       Would believe that here in the Peach State 447 species of moths and butterflies utilize oaks as host plants. A few of these lepidopterans include the likes of butterflies such at the great purple hairstreak, Horace’s duskywing, and banded hairstreak. The moths that lay their eggs on oaks includes the underwings, clymene, cecropia, rosy maple, polyphemus, and imperial.

       The pollen generated by oaks is also an important source of food for a large variety of native bees and other insect pollinators.

       The caterpillars found on oaks are principal sources of food for both migrating songbirds such as warblers.  The caterpillars are also the main source of food for songbirds that nest here. The importance of these insects cannot be underestimated when you consider most land-based birds eat insects (primarily caterpillars) sometime during their lives.

       Wild turkeys, waterfowl, white – tailed deer, chipmunks, squirrels, woodpeckers, blue jays eastern towhees, and others gobble up acorns.

       I cannot think of any other groups of plants that benefits such a wide variety of animals. With that in mind, if native oak is not currently growing in yard, set one out this year.  It will be an attractive addition to your home landscape and be a reliable source for wildlife for years to come.

       Before you plant an oak, do a little homework; find which species of oaks do well in your section of Georgia.  Other information that you should consider is the tree’s size, how soon it will produce a crop of acorns, and whether acorns are form annually,

       If you have room enough for a native oak, I recommend that you incorporate it in your landscape design.  An oak, along with a variety of other native and noninvasive ornamental plants, can help you create a true wildlife haven.