Archives

WAXMYRTLE – GREAT FOR WILDLIFE AND BIRDS TOO

Jan14

      The southern waxmyrtle (Morella cerifera) is a great evergreen shrub or small tree for Georgia backyards.  The plant is attractive and provides food and cover for birds and other wildlife.

       Since this Georgia native grows 3-5  feet a year and can reach a height of 15 feet or more, it can be used to create an ideal natural privacy fence.  If you use it for this purpose, place the transplants 4-5 feet part at least 5 feet from your property line.

       The shrub’s thick foliage creates super nesting sites for birds as well as a place to escape severe weather and predators.

       Female plants produce  1/8” purplish berries that at least 42 species of birds eat.  Some of the birds that dine on waxmyrtle berries are gray catbirds, eastern bluebirds, ruby-crowned kinglets, eastern towhees and the yellow-rumped warblers.  In fact, before the bird’s name was changed, it was known as the myrtle warbler because it eats lots of waxmyrtle berries in the winter.

       Keep in mind only female plants produce the berries. Consequently, if you want your waxmyrtles to produce berries for birds, you must plant at least one male plant.  One male will pollinate all of the female plants within a 40-foot radius.  The problem is most of the plants you purchase will be females.  As such, make sure the folks that sell you your waxmyrtles are supplying you at with at least one male.

       I hope you will give waxmyrtle a try.  It will grow in a wide range of soil types, requires little maintenance and is attractive. What more can you ask?

FIND A PLACE FOR THE CHICKASAW PLUM

Feb12

       If you are looking for an attractive native wildlife friendly plant that blooms early in the spring, Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia) is a plant you should consider.

       Normally the Chickasaw plum reaches a maximum height of only 15 feet (most I encounter are much shorter).  In March-April, the plant produces a bounty of delicate, fragrant flowers well before the plant’s leaves burst forth.

       Since it is an early bloomer, it is an important source of for pollinators such as butterflies.  Some of the butterflies I find nectaring on the flowers are hairstreaks like the great purple hairstreak, and the eastern tiger swallowtail. However, other pollinators are also drawn to the woody plant’s pollen.

       From May to July, the plant is laden with small drupes.  These tasty plums can be range in color from red to yellow.  If you want to eat your share of these sweet morsels, you had better do so early as they are also relished by a host of birds and mammals such as the red-headed woodpecker, quail, gray catbird, American robin, wood thrush, northern mockingbird, gray fox, raccoon, white-tailed deer and others.

       Insectivorous birds feed the insects drawn to the large shrubs especially when they are in bloom.

       If allowed to form a small thicket, birds such as catbirds, loggerhead shrikes, brown thrashers are others will nest and among this native plum’s thorny branches.

       Butterfly enthusiasts will be happy to know that a number of butterflies such as the eastern tiger swallowtail, coral hairstreak, and spring azure lay their eggs on the Chickasaw plum.

       Chickasaw plums do well in most soil types, are drought tolerant, and grow best in partial shade to full sun.

       Should you decide to transplant this valuable native plant in your yard, set out a couple.  This ensures cross-pollination will occur.

      Also, be aware that Chickasaw plum produces suckers.  This is great if you want to create a thicket.  However, if you prefer to grow the plant as a single tree, simply cut down the suckers.

 

      

A HANDFUL OF NECTAR PLANTS LINGER ON

Nov9

       As I write this column, we are well into the second week of November.  Nowadays when my wife and I walk outside and scan our gardens, it is obvious that most of the wild and ornamental nectar plants that fed untold numbers of wild pollinators this fall are no longer blooming.  Yet, in spite of this, a variety of insects is still hard at work collecting nectar and/or pollen.  Fortunately, for them, they can still find food in some plants that my wife and I have grown in containers on our deck.  These plants are now the primary source of food for a wide variety of pollinators.

       Although some of the plants we grew on our deck have been nipped by a frost a couple of weeks ago, four species of plants are still blooming and attracting most the of butterflies, carpenter bees, bumblebees and other pollinators we are now seeing.

       Globe amaranth has been blooming since last summer.  Currently their blooms seem to be favored by checkered skippers, fiery skippers, whirlabouts, dun skippers, common buckeyes, and fiery skippers.  Occasionally a cloudless sulphur or gulf fritillary we land on the plants’ colorful globe-shaped blooms.  Bumblebees also visit the plants.

       A single Mexican sunflower is still producing blooms that are being visited by bees and butterflies.  It survived the frost because it was growing close to the house.

       With each passing day, our scarlet sage plants are  producing fewer new blossoms.  Nevertheless, there are still enough red blossoms to attract their share of the cloudless sulphurs, sleepy oranges, and gulf fritillaries pollinators that are still hanging on in our yard. 

       However, beyond a shadow of a doubt, pineapple sage is the star of the show.  Our pineapple sage plants are still blooming in profusion.  A day ago, I saw seven cloudless sulfurs and a couple of gulf fritillaries nectaring at the same time at a blossoms produced by scarlet sage plants growing in a single large container.  Bumblebees and a few carpenter bees are still feeding on the blossoms  too.

       We hope our plants continue to bloom for some time to come. However, we know eventually we will be left with lots of fond memories of the beauty and pollinators the plants have brought us this year.

       After they cease blooming, we plan on leaving the plants in place, as we know the seeds they have produced will be eaten by cardinals, American goldfinches, house finches and others well into the winter.

       We are already making plans for next year.  We want to continue expanding the number and variety of autumn bloomers.

If we are successful, I am certain our backyard pollinators and birds will benefit from our efforts.

 

NOTE:  If you would like more information regarding pineapple sage, go to the SEARCH feature on the blog and type in, Pineapple Sage Is Great For Late Season Pollinators And More. When you hit the return key, this archived blog will appear on your screen.

BUCKEYES—HANDSOME, SHUNNED BY WILDLIFE, AND STEEPED IN FOLKLORE

Oct23

      In the fall, the seeds of countless plants are more abundant than at any other time of the year.  Some argue that none is more pleasing to the eye than the buckeye.  While it is largely shunned by wildlife, it is coveted my many Georgians.

    I have a red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) growing in my yard.  Each year this small deciduous tree produces a crop of large reddish brown seeds called buckeyes.  Each plum-sized buckeye appears to be hand-polished. The seeds get their name from the round grayish scar (hilum) found on one side of each seed.  To many, this area (where the seed connects to the husk that covers the nut while it is developing) resembles the pupil of a deer’s eye.

       When you gaze at a buckeye, it looks like it should be a great wildlife food. In truth, the vast majority of wildlife species don’t eat buckeyes.  In fact, squirrels are the only native species known to dine on buckeyes on a regular basis. White-tailed deer, for example rarely do more than nibble on them. However, feral hogs are said to eat them.

       Why isn’t it a wildlife favorite?  The answer is the buckeye contains a chemical known as glycoside; a derivative of glycoside is known to be poisonous.  For some reason, this poison does not affect gray squirrels.  However, it is poisonous to livestock and humans.  Deer will usually avoid buckeyes but will occasionally nibble on them.

       On the other hand, many people covet buckeyes.

       According to a number of folktales, buckeyes can do amazing things such as bring good luck and even cure diseases. 

      Consequently, some say that carrying a buckeye will a person good luck only if it is carried in the right pants pocket.

      According to folklore, rubbing a buckeye will cure asthma, headaches, arthritis and rheumatism. However, if you want a buckeye to cure your rheumatism, you must carry it in your left pocket of your pants.

     If you have a buckeye tree that produces a bounty of buckeyes, don’t sell them as good luck charms.  If you do, technically speaking, you might be charged with false advertising.  This is because supposedly, if you sell a one of these magical seeds, it loses its power to provide the buyer with good luck.

BLOGGER REPORTS GOLDFINCHES LOVE ANISE HYSSOP

Jul13

       One of the many things I enjoy about blogging is fellow bloggers are often willing to share their wildlife experiences and gardening tips.  Recently blogger Heather N. graciously revealed one of her wildlife gardening tips.

       Heather wrote that each summer one of the plants that goldfinches are drawn to in her yard is anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum).  She went on to say that these beautiful birds are eating anise hyssop seeds right now.

       Since I am not familiar with the plant, I decided to do a little research on it.  I found that it is native to the northern section of the United States and Canada.  However, this perennial herb is widely planted in many parts of the country, including Georgia.

       The plant produces blooms that attract a number of pollinators such as butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Its leaves produce a pleasant licorice scent.  Its seeds are also consumed by a number of birds, like goldfinches.

       If Heather had not taken the time to share her wildlife gardening tip, I might not have ever learned of anise hyssop’s value to wildlife. Now that I am aware of it, I hope to find a place for it in my yard.

Thanks Heather!

NOT ALL WAX MYTLE PLANTS ARE CREATED EQUAL

Apr5

       Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera) is a native tree/small shrub that produces berries eaten by more than 40 species of birds as well as a number of mammals.  Wax myrtle is also a host plant for the jewel-like red-banded hairstreak.  The plant also provides birds with nesting sites and escape cover.  Unfortunately, many people that plant wax myrtles in hopes the plants will annually bear a bounty of berries are left scratching their heads trying to figure out why their shrubs never produce any berries.

       The reason why they end up with barren wax myrtles is due to the fact that wax myrtles are either male or females. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Native Plant Center, often the wax myrtles grown by wholesale nurseries are cloned.  If you buy a small wax myrtle full of berries, there is a good chance it was cloned from female plants that were pollinated by male plants growing nearby.  Consequently, in future years, unless a male plant is growing in or near your yard, your shrubs will not produce any berries.

       With that in mind, if you want to ensure that wax myrtles planted in your yard will produce berries; explain to the folks where you buy your nursery plants that you want to purchase both female and male plants.  If they cannot guarantee that you are purchasing both male female plants, shop elsewhere. 

      You can begin your search for male and female wax myrtles by checking with nurseries that specialize in native plants. If they stock wax myrtles, they are undoubtedly aware of this situation and probably offer both male and female plants.  A good place to begin this search for a native plant nursery is to check the list of native plant nurseries listed in the Archive section of this blog.

       If you cannot find a source of male wax myrtles there, see if any of your friends and neighbors grow wax myrtles.  If they do, most likely they know the sexes of their wax myrtles.  Since these shrubs send out lots of suckers, I am sure they will let you dig a few of the suckers sprouting beneath a male plant.

       Good luck! 

BACKYARD SECRET–A CHEMICAL IN AMERICAN BEAUTYBERRY CAN HELP REPEL MOSQUITOES

Jan5

       American beautyberry is a native shrub that is gaining popularity among Georgia backyard wildlife enthusiasts.  Sometimes called French mulberry, clusters of round magenta berries festoon the plant from late summer into winter.  The berries are not only beautiful, but also serve as food for hungry gray catbirds, northern mockingbirds, cardinals as well as other birds and mammals.

       Now it seems we have another reason to admire American beautyberry.  Researchers with the United States Department of Agriculture have discovered that the beautyberry’s leaves contain a chemical that repels mosquitoes.

American Beautyberries

       This remarkable finding is due to a conversation Charles Bryson, a botanist that works for the Southern Weed Science Program in Stoneville, had with researchers with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Products Utilization Unit at Oxford, Mississippi.  Bryson told the researchers that his grandfather, John Rives Crumpton, related to him that back in the day farmers in Northeast Mississippi were able to keep worrisome biting insects away from mules and horses by placing crushed beautyberry leaves beneath the leather harnesses of their animals.  This led folks to crumple beautyberry leaves and rub them on their own skin.

       This fascinating story led chemists to attempt to isolate the chemical that seemingly had the remarkable ability to repel pesky insects.  One of the chemicals they were able to isolate was callicarpenal.  When the efficaciousness of the chemical was tested, it was found to be just as effective in repelling mosquitoes as the popular repellent DEET.

       Indeed the American beautyberry is more than an attractive native food plant.

MISTLETOE IS FAR MORE THAN A SYMBOL OF CHRISTMAS

Nov28

       With our preoccupation with attracting backyard wildlife with supplemental foods such as suet and seeds, it is easy to overlook the fact that those backyards that often attract the greatest variety of numbers of backyard wildlife are also home to a variety of native plants.  One of the most underappreciated plants that inhabit the yards of many of us is American mistletoe.

       Whenever the subject of the mistletoe arises, more often than not one thing comes to mind; most people regard the plant as one of the treasured symbols of Christmas.  Supposedly, if a couple passes through a door adorned with a sprig of mistletoe bearing berries, it is permissible for them to share a kiss.  At the end of the kiss, the couple is supposed to remove one of the berries.  However, it is out of place for a couple to steal a kiss beneath a berryless frond of mistletoe.

       Although this popular legend has been around for centuries, few realize that mistletoe is also an important food plant for many forms of wildlife ranging from insects to birds and mammals.  This very different side to the mistletoe should further endear the plant to everyone that shares an interest in wildlife.  Let me explain.

       This widespread parasitic plant is the host for the great purple hairstreak.  This beauty is the only Georgia butterfly that lays its eggs on the mistletoe. 

       Mistletoe also produces both pollen and nectar that feed countless insects.  Bees frequently avail themselves of the food offered by mistletoes.  Ants, native bees, honeybees, flies, also visit the plant’s tiny flowers.

       Mammals such as white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, and eastern chipmunks eat mistletoe.  Deer are particularly fond of the mistletoe’s protein-rich foliage.

       Many species of birds eat mistletoe’s white almost translucent berries.  Each berry contains two to three seeds that and enveloped in extremely sticky flesh.  Among the birds that gobble up mistletoe berries are cedar waxwings, eastern bluebirds, eastern meadowlarks, American robins, northern flickers, purple finches, blue jays, dark-eyed junco, white-breasted nuthatches, American goldfinches, and eastern towhees.

       Now that you know that mistletoe is a valued wildlife food plant, are you willing to say mistletoe is far more than a magical Christmas plant?  I am.

ADD A TOUCH OF FALL COLOR TO YOUR YARD

Oct24

If you are looking for a plant that will add a touch of fall color to your yard, sassafras (Sassafras albidum) may be the perfect addition to your home landscape.

       This native tree grows throughout the entire state.  Typically, it reaches a height of around 20 feet.  In the fall, the tree’s foliage ranges in color from scarlet and orange to gold.  While all of the leaves are attractive, I personally prefer its scarlet-colored leaves. 

       In addition, every 2-3 years female trees also produce a crop of dark-blue, oval fruits (drupes) perched on showy scarlet pedestals.

       If you look at a sassafras tree’s foliage, you will quickly notice that it is comprised of leaves shaped like mittens, eggs, as well as those displaying three lobes.

       In addition, to providing a flash of fall color, this tree is also a source of food for wildlife.  For example, it is a host plant for a number of butterflies and moths including the spicebush swallowtail as well as promethea and imperial moths.

       For a brief time in the spring, the sassafras also supplies food for wild pollinators.

       Mammals such as rabbits and squirrels consume sassafras fruits.  The list of birds that dine on the fruits includes woodpeckers, eastern kingbirds, gray catbird, eastern kingbird, eastern phoebe, great crested flycatcher, mockingbird, and brown thrasher.

       Indeed sassafras has a lot going for it; the tree is attractive, and provides for a wide range of wildlife.  It does not get much better than that!

THIS PASS-ALONG PLANT IS A SHOWSTOPPER

Oct13

       The plant that is currently putting on the most spectacular show in the Johnson’s backyard is a pass-along plant known as swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolia).  As is the case with many of the pass-along plants growing in our yard, it is not a plant my wife and I had on our list of plants that we wanted to incorporate into our backyard landscape.  However, now that it has established itself, we are glad that it is a member of our plant community.

      This Georgia native is extremely hardy.  The woman that gave me the plant simply pulled a handful plants up by their rhizomes and handed them to me.  When I told her I did not have any way to keep them from drying out until I got home, she told me not to worry about it.

      When I arrived home several hours later, I soaked the rhizomes in a bucket of water and placed them in the ground.  Honestly, I did not think they had any chance of surviving.  Much to our surprise, they did not die and now, several years later have expanded into a patch some 10-feet long.

      Swamp sunflower is a perennial that reaches a height of 8-10′.  This fall-bloomer produces a wealth of 2-3″ golden daisy like blooms.

      One thing that has endeared it to us is the fact that, in addition of adding beauty to our yard, it feeds a wide range of wildlife.  For example, swamp sunflower is a host plant for the gorgeous silvery checkerspot butterfly.  In addition, it is an important source of a food for a wide range of pollinators, including honeybees and bumblebees.  Although it is touted as a butterfly plant, we see far more bees and other pollinators visiting swamp sunflower’s showy yellow blossoms than butterflies.  Despite the fact it has the reputation of providing monarchs with food on their fall migration, we have never seen a monarch on our plants.

      Once frost ends swamp sunflower’s blooming season, its seeds are relished by waxwings and other birds that feed on seeds.

      The plant requires little water and is relatively pest-free.  The only thing that I do to the plants is remove their dead stalks in winter after birds have consumed all of its seeds. 

      Since it will spread via underground rhizomes, I suspect that sometime down the road, to keep the swamp sunflower patch from extending beyond the place we have designated for it, I am going to have to remove some of the underground rhizomes growing extending beyond the fringes of the stand.

      This is one pass-along plant that might be a perfect fit for your yard.  If it is, I hope a friend or neighbor will share it with you.