Something special is happening in the yard, and you reach for the camera only to find there’s no remaining memory. So, you quickly delete a few old photos, rush back to the window…and sadly discover the moment has passed.
Has that ever happened to you? I use a digital camera because I’m old-school, you might say, and haven’t yet activated the cell phone. Mea culpa.
But I learned my lesson the last time I tried to catch a fleeting moment. So, I regularly go through the camera’s photos and delete most that already have been stored on the computer. When one of those special moments happens, I’m prepared! (Oh, you thought I was going to say that I had finally activated the cell phone? Some day.)
Two days after a low-ranking tornado and hailstorm blew through Elkin on 4/28/2023, a couple of strange birds showed up at the feeders. They looked like a cross between a cardinal and a towhee. Bold beak, about the same size (8″ long), black with sharply contrasting white patches on the wings, and a bright red bib. Never saw them before.
70+ mph winds gusting to ?? blew this canopy with 200 lbs. of cinderblocks, some still attached, 40′ from its original location.
A Delightful Visit
The triangular red patch is diagnostic for a mature male of this species. It’s the rose-breasted grosbeak (French gros = large), or Pheucticus ludovicianus. No surprise, rose-breasted grosbeaks are related to cardinals in the family Cardinalidae, and also to buntings.
The female is less colorful, resembling a female purple finch but 2″ larger. Her eyebrow stripe (supercilium) is white, her plumage is predominantly rich brown with white bars, and she has a spotted buff-colored chest. Male grosbeaks have a white bill, while the female’s is dull pink.
Two colorful males visited the feeders, apparently unaccompanied by females. Their song resembles that of a robin and the callnote is a sharp pink.
Aiming through the kitchen window, I took a few pictures of these beautiful birds. They hopped from one feeder to the other and to the ground, and sometimes flew into the high branches of a tall oak tree near the edge of the woods. After 15 minutes, they left.
I wonder if the high winds from the storm might have pushed them off course. Regardless, their presence in my garden provided one of the most delightful surprises this bird watcher has ever seen.
Where Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks Live
Their paths of migration in spring and autumn take them through the southeast quadrant of the U.S. Migration routes extend west from Montana to central Texas. After overwintering in Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and northwestern South America, they fly north through this part of North Carolina around early May.
These grosbeaks settle in their summer breeding grounds around deciduous forest edges and suburbs. Their summer range includes the Mid-Atlantic region and New England, west to the Dakotas and as far south as southern Missouri. They also travel farther north to the area around the Great Lakes, along the U.S./Canada border, and into central Canada.
According to the maps, rose-breasted grosbeaks might breed as far as Wilkes County in NC, where I live. The birds are more commonly spotted during the breeding season, however, farther north and in the higher elevations of a narrow strip of habitation extending through the Appalachian Mountains as far south as northern Georgia.
These birds often visit feeding stations as they migrate and throughout the year. Sunflower and safflower seeds, raw peanuts, and clean water might attract them to your garden. They also eat insects, so not spraying pesticides—but letting nature “happen”—might give you that photo op you’ve been hoping for.
Feeding and Breeding Habits of the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Rose-breasted grosbeaks feed on a wide assortment of insects and plant parts. In one study of dead birds, their stomach contents comprised 52% invertebrates (mostly beetles, also caterpillars, grubs, sawflies, bees, moths, ants, snails, and spiders), 20% wild fruits, 16% weed seeds, 6% cultivated plants, and 6% tree buds and flowers. They can catch insects in flight and occasionally sample nectar. For their young, these grosbeaks provide mostly protein-rich insects.
Both male and female rose-breasted grosbeaks select the nest site, usually located in an elevated position in tree crotches or tall shrubs. They prefer nesting and feeding near openings in a woodland.
The nest is a rather flimsy collection of twigs, leaves, roots, and animal hair. These birds lay between 1 and 5 eggs, with 3-4 being the average. Eggs are pale bluish green with reddish brown spots. Although the female does most of the nest-building and incubation, the male does participate and also helps feed the chicks. Chicks hatch after 11-14 days, fledge after 9-13 days, and gain their independence at 3 weeks of age. They have 1, sometimes 2, broods in a season.
Rose-breasted grosbeaks live an average of about 7 years in the wild. In captivity, they’ve been documented to live as long as 24 years.
They don’t winter in the piedmont of North Carolina but will again pass through the area in autumn on their way to southern lowlands and foothills. I hope to catch them on their return route to their winter grounds—with better camera shots, of course.
Two male rose-breasted grosbeaks searching for sunflower seeds.
In this article, I’ll describe how new garden spaces and “Patches for Pollinators” have decreased mowing time, while providing nectar and pollen for pollinators and seeds for songbirds. Also included is information about several insects found in the gardens this summer.
A common theme running through The Farm In My Yard is my goal of replacing much of the lawn with layered gardens, including trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and annuals. Flowers and more natural surroundings attract bees and butterflies, toads and birds.
All the rest of the animal kingdom are showing up as well. Mice, moles, and voles…snakes and rabbits…foxes and deer. Lots of praying mantises, five-lined skinks, ladybugs, fireflies, and many insects I’ve never seen before. Occasionally, a cat sits patiently under the bird feeder until he’s shooed off. And some pests, too, such as…
…Japanese Beetles
Lettuce-leaf basil ‘Tuscany’, with Japanese beetles.
Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica), accidentally imported into the U.S., were first spotted in New Jersey in 1916. They’re present here (northern NC) in enormous numbers this year and demonstrate a particular fondness for my lettuce-leaf basil, marigolds, blueberries, and raspberries. But they will feed on hundreds of species, including linden, cherry, plum, birch, rose, grape, and hollyhock.
To prevent “skeletonized” foliage on farmers’-market-bound basil, I cover the plants with an old sheer curtain to exclude the beetles. Future plans include growing berries and other susceptible plants under insect screening, with allowances made for bumble bees to pollinate the flowers.
Although a few birds eat them, the damage these beetles do to the landscape and to my inventory far outweighs their benefit.
Japanese Beetle Life Cycle
With regular rainstorms, soil stays softer, allowing female beetles to repeatedly lay eggs deeper into the soil in July and August. There, the eggs and young grubs are not stressed by hot, dry soil. White C-shaped grubs feed voraciously on healthy roots (particularly those of lawn grasses), and, in autumn, descend deeper into the ground, protected from severe cold.
In spring, grubs rise closer to the surface to continue feeding. In late spring, well-fed larvae pupate in the ground, and adult beetles emerge in early summer. Moist soil—from rain or irrigation—contributes to this beetle’s success. Where the ground is soft and moist in summer and fall, you can count on large populations of Japanese beetles the following year.
Incidentally, chewed plant tissues emit certain scents which attract even more beetles. That’s why we find them congregating in large numbers in the tops of blueberry bushes or in rose flowers.
Applying Milky Spore powder, a bacterium, to the property (grass and gardens) in early autumn kills grubs feeding on roots. This remedy isn’t 100% effective because beetles fly in from quite a distance—miles, in fact. At the very least, there will be fewer grubs devouring roots in your landscape. If you can encourage the entire neighborhood to apply Milky Spore, everyone will benefit. Except Japanese beetles. Moles, by the way, feed on these grubs. Plenty of those around, as well.
Other than that, I’m not fertilizing the lawn, applying any chemicals, or reseeding. In the future, I might work on a limited amount of presentable lawn close to the house. But for now, since the lawn comprises about 75% weeds and undesirable grasses, I’m just cutting it. Besides, much of that ground will be turned over, amended, and planted with something other than grass.
Less Grass To Mow With Patches For Pollinators
New Gardens
When I bought the house in late 2021, the lawn covered about half the property, taking 5½-6 hours to cut with a walk-behind self-propelled mulching mower. Part of the lawn’s square footage has been taken up by the many plants installed last fall and winter. They’re the beginnings of new gardens, which will expand as I propagate perennials, seed the annuals, and plant drifts of new shrubs. Space taken up by low-maintenance gardens will decrease the time required to cut grass.
Foxglove.
Several white oaks (Quercus alba) tower over the property, providing a high canopy for proposed shady gardens underneath. About 200 tiny foxgloves just began germinating from seeds sown in a pot. Some will be sold at the market, and many will be planted in morning sun or under the trees’ dappled shade.
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is toxic to most warm-blooded animals, including rabbits and deer. (It is a source of pharmaceuticals, but only under a doctor’s care.) The greatest risk to these plants is from dead twigs falling from the old oak trees.
Foxglove is a biennial, and, if happy, drops seeds at the end of its growth cycle for a self-sustaining colony of plants with stately flower spikes, from cream and pink, and rose to purple. It blooms in spring to early summer, then sheds seeds and dies. After those tiny seeds germinate in summer, young plants will remain dormant in winter. They’ll bloom the following spring, thus repeating the cycle. Insects and hummingbirds gain sustenance from the flowers.
From Crape Myrtle To Virginia Sweetspire
‘Red Russian’ kale, komatsuna, and tiny itea, foreground, plus kales, collards, cosmos, and crape myrtle, toward the back, after planting and mulching.
Growing plants from seed is one way to economically fill a large garden bed. I started a new garden last fall, close to the street, where I planted a pink crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) and 2 tiny Virginia sweetspires (Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’) brought from Charlotte.
Early this year, I turned over the ground to a depth of 10″ between the shrubs and beyond, and added leaf mold and black topsoil from the woods. Also incorporated into the soil was a generous portion of chopped oak leaves stored in trash bags since the previous autumn.
All this loosening of the soil and the additional materials created a raised bed about 22′ long and 6-8′ wide. It’s an irregular shape with a curved outline. And, naturally, it will be enlarged over the years.
Purslane and ‘Red Russian’ kale.
This garden is where I’d planned to have a mass of large light pink cosmos. So, I grew ‘Cupcakes Blush’ from seed and planted about 40 of them in 2 groups. Between them, I added dozens of blue-gray ‘Lacinato’ kale, the similar but more purple ‘Dazzling Blue’ dinosaur kale, and the frilly ‘Red Russian’ kale. Behind the crape myrtle, I planted 10 collards, with rounded light grayish-green leaves. On the end, near the itea, I added a few clumps of komatsuna ‘Green Giant’, with broadly rounded dark green leaves. These plants complement each other in both color and form, and all the greens (kale, collards, komatsuna) are edible.
I picked up a purslane at a local roadside stand. It had solid deep pink flowers on a low, spreading plant. But the heat, apparently, turned the new flowers pink and white striped. So, I stuck that into the “pink garden”, and put a few cuttings near it, which are now growing.
Not In the Pink
I won’t grow ‘Cupcakes Blush’ cosmos again because it took too long to grow and fill out. It didn’t have the number of flowers hyped in the catalog, and fewer than half were light pink!
The fast-growing greens are winners in both vegetable and flower gardens. They’ll look even better when paired with blooming violas in fall and winter. The fact that they survived at all during this overheated summer is a marvel. Adding ‘Scarlet Frills’ mustard greens (edible) will echo the burgundy fall color of the iteas and crape myrtle.
Marigolds.
***Update***: Close to 2½-3 months of frost-free weather is just too long to put up with plants that aren’t delivering. So, all the “pink” cosmos were taken out in early August, and replaced with dwarf marigolds (photo, above), dwarf ‘Cosmic Orange’ cosmos, and coppery-leaved coleus. Much better. But the pink purslane will have to move. The crape myrtle bloomed very lightly this first season in the garden. 8/6/2022
Vegetable Gardens
This property includes a sizable fenced garden, partially shaded by the oaks on the east side of the house. As the sun’s arc shifts through the year, the garden receives more or less sun than it did the previous month.
Last autumn, I stuffed oak leaves into large trash bags, and stored them next to the foundation over the winter. In early February, I incorporated a few of those bags of leaves into the top 12″ of this garden’s soil, along with aged cow manure. After planting the greens, a thick layer of oak leaves was applied as a mulch, keeping soil moist, cooler, and weed-free. By late spring, the greatly improved soil was well-populated by earthworms, and the organic matter will continue to break down for months to come.
I’ll dig and amend more of this garden and add cool season greens, such as spinach, Swiss chard, green onions, and leeks. And peas, of course—the edible-podded ‘Sugar Snap’ and a variety of snow pea called ‘Oregon Giant’. It’ll receive more hours of sun after the trees defoliate. The brassicas (arugula, broccoli, miniature broccoli ‘Happy Rich’, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustard greens, pac choi, and others), or cruciferous crops, figure prominently in autumn and winter gardens and in the kitchen.
Hostas brought from Maryland a decade ago grow plump in the composted soil on the shadiest end of the garden. I’ll add more varieties of hostas here, safe from deer, until it’s time to pot them up for the market.
Brassicas (plants in the Brassicaceae family) appreciate moist, well-composted soil, generous portions of aged cow manure, and neutral pH. Here in USDA zone 7, many types of greens can grow in cold weather, even through the winter. I plant several kinds of brassicas every fall. During severely cold periods, a loose covering of clear plastic keeps the foliage in good condition.
Late last winter and in spring, I set out about 30 plants of miniature broccoli ‘Happy Rich’ on the north end of the garden, farthest from the oaks. While the trees were leafless, the plants grew in full sun. Now, in summer, these brassicas enjoy a couple of hours of mid-day shade from the hot sun.
This is one of my all-time favorite vegetables. Maybe even the favorite. I eat this versatile broccoli a few times a week, sell some at the Elkin Farmers’ Market, and donate a bunch when the market hosts cooking demonstrations. Great sweet flavor, and super healthy!
(***Update***: These same plants produced small harvests into mid-November. Then, with cooler weather, leaves grew larger. Unusually cold fall weather—up to 20 degrees colder than average—has caused them to decline earlier than expected. However, after the oaks dropped their leaves, the broccoli grew more vigorously, almost until Christmas, 2022. That’s why ‘Happy Rich’ is my favorite vegetable—9 months of harvests!)
‘Happy Rich’ and Insects
Harlequin bugs on cabbage.
‘Happy Rich’ branches out after each cut, producing more stems, leaves, and small heads to harvest. Four species of caterpillars (from 3 species of moths and 1 butterfly) prove quite troublesome all season long, even beyond the first frosts. To prevent them from ruining the brassicas, I spray every 7-10 days with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). This isn’t a chemical, but a naturally occurring bacterium that kills larvae of moths and butterflies.
Bright orange and black harlequin bugs (photo, above) also feed on brassicas, spotting and distorting the heads and leaves. I squish them when I see them.
Broccoli ‘Arcadia’ and a bumble bee in spring.
As the plants finish up their last harvests now and in spring, some of the stems will bloom. Beneficial insects, especially bumble bees, honey bees, sweat bees, and tiny braconid wasps, collect nectar and pollen from the flowers. Heading broccoli has yellow flowers, but ‘Happy Rich’ has pure white flowers on stems up to 5′ tall.
Tomatoes
After warm weather had settled into the area, I planted several tomatoes and peppers among the mini broccoli plants.
A small garden for cherry tomatoes.
Another section, north of the garden, gets sunlight longer into the season. There, I secured posts and strung deer netting between them (photo, above). It’s a narrow space, so deer won’t jump into it. This small area has a few cherry tomatoes, which can lean against the stronger existing fence, where edible-podded peas grew from late winter to early summer. You can see the pea vines growing through the fence.
Tobacco Hornworms
Tomato plant denuded by tobacco hornworm.
If one of your tomato plants seems a lot less leafy than it did yesterday, it might have a tobacco hornworm (slash markings) or a tomato hornworm (V-shaped markings). This very hungry caterpillar is the larval stage of a hawkmoth. A few weeks after a ‘German Johnson’ tomato went into the garden, it suddenly lost all its foliage. I’ve seen this before and knew to search for a 4″-long green caterpillar.
Several hornworms were found munching on the tomatoes this season. Most were carrying the pupae of a parasitic wasp and had stopped feeding. These pupae look like small grains of white rice. A female wasp lays eggs on or in the caterpillar. The eggs hatch into tiny larvae, which eat the inner tissues of the caterpillar, weakening or killing their host. Those should be left alone.
The few that hadn’t been parasitized lived out their lives on old tomato plants tossed behind the gardens. Birds or other animals might eat them.
Two dozen tomato plants that weren’t good enough to sell found homes in a few other areas around the property. Most are surrounded by posts and deer netting, although the deer did find—and destroy—90% of the big sunflowers meant for the winter songbirds… …
Tobacco hornworm.
Hornworm with wasp pupae.
***Tomato Update***:
(This section added 9/4/2022.)
Tomatoes generally are underproducing. Those getting just an hour more sun are yielding fairly well, but not abundantly. Gardeners in this region experienced devastating blights on tomatoes from frequent rainstorms and persistent humidity.
After planting cleaned up not-quite-dead tomato plants, I sprayed them with a solution of dissolved aspirin. Here’s another link. They recovered better than I had any hope of expecting. Although not receiving the recommended biweekly spraying, they’re still producing fruits.
Later in the season, tomatoes had sun scald due to the sparse foliage, so I shaded new fruits with mesh bags, old peat pots, or large cucumber leaves. Sun scald causes tomatoes to rot.
Tomato shaded by old peat pot.
Headings
Page 1: Patches For Pollinators (Japanese Beetles, Japanese Beetle Life Cycle), Less Grass To Mow With Patches For Pollinators (New Gardens, From Crape Myrtle To Virginia Sweetspire, Not In the Pink, Vegetable Gardens, Miniature Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’, ‘Happy Rich’ and Insects, Tomatoes, Tobacco Hornworms, Tomato Update)
Page 2: Long Vines That Might Smother the Grass (Next To the Tree Stumps), Patches For Pollinators: Don’t Mow Here (Weeds To Watch, Early Patches For Pollinators, Late Spring and Summer Patches For Pollinators, Patches For Pollinators: Living Proof, The Saddleback Caterpillar), The Pretty Moths and Butterflies
After reading Part 1 of “Plant Trees to Transform Your Landscape”, you’ve located the best spot where a tree will shade the house from brutal summer sun. Recommendations and practices presented here are based on climate and soil in the eastern part of the United States, where I live and garden, but the basic principles apply everywhere.
If your main objectives are shade, attracting wildlife, and less grass to mow, include masses of shrubs and perennials in the landscape plan as well. This article concentrates on planting trees, the dominant features in the landscape.
Native Plants vs. the Non-Natives
The choices offered in garden centers can be narrowed down to native species and non-native, or exotic, species. Within each of those groups are the original species and the cultivars (cultivated varieties). Developed by plant breeders, cultivars exhibit more ornamental or desirable—or just different—characteristics than the species.
‘Red Filigree Lace’, a delicate cultivar of Japanese maple.
Non-native plants originated in a different country or perhaps only a few hundred miles away. If the plant doesn’t occur naturally in your geographic region, it’s non-native, although some gardeners restrict use of the term to plants evolving in another country.
There are many beautiful plants, exotic to our shores, which we’ve enjoyed in our gardens. Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica), Stewartia pseudocamellia, and the dizzying assortment of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are just too hard to pass up. You can compromise, if you wish, by including both natives and exotics.
To most garden center visitors, none of this matters. We buy plants that solve problems and look pretty in our yards. But, to explain the relevance of native species, I’d like to expand the subject.
The Benefits of Native Species
First, native plants require less pampering to get them established.
Species that evolved locally can tolerate fluctuations in weather patterns. Temperature extremes, rainfall, humidity, soil types, altitude, wind patterns, and local fauna shaped today’s ecosystems.
Second, gardeners concerned about local pollinators choose plants that foster bees, butterflies, and other animals that pollinate farm crops and wild vegetation.
Every third bite of food we consume is attributable to pollinators. But, you might make the case that since most crops are alien to this country, it shouldn’t matter whether we use native or non-native trees. But we need to consider what larval insects consume, and that’s foliage and other plant parts. Thousands of species—not just bees—pollinate our farms, orchards, fields, and forests.
Egg-laying female moths and butterflies, beetles, and other insects are very selective and seek the natives they evolved with to supply sustenance for the following generation.
Incidentally, honey bees are not native to this part of the world. They will, however, forage from plants grown here, many of which are related to the plants they evolved with.
Making a Case For Single Flowers
Amaryllis with yellow pollen and white stigma.
Double amaryllis with no anthers or stigma.
Flowers attract pollinators, which reap the harvest of nectar and pollen. But many double- and triple-petaled flowers have lost their nectaries, stigmas, and/or pollen-tipped stamens. Photos above clearly illustrate the loss of reproductive parts in a double amaryllis cultivar. If these hybridized doubles and triples have lost the ability to reproduce sexually, they can’t make seeds. They must instead be propagated asexually, or vegetatively, by cuttings, division, grafts, or tissue culture.
The anthers, supported by filaments, bear the pollen; the male portion of the flower, collectively, is called the stamen. Female parts comprise the stigma, supported by the style, and the ovary, with its ovules, deeper within the receptacle; the female portion is called the pistil.
Not all dense flower heads are pollinator wastelands, though. Species in the Asteraceae family, for example, have flowers that normally look full. This family includes all the composites, such as aster, coneflower, daisy, dandelion, rudbeckia, and sunflower. Their dense inflorescences are composed of small florets arranged in a head, called a capitulum. But the original species also have the necessary reproductive parts. The composites are one of the most successful groups of plants and are found on every continent except Antarctica.
At a local garden center last year, I watched bumble bees that were quick to land on thickly-petaled hybrid red coneflowers (Echinacea). They were equally hasty in their departure! The bees stayed on the red flowers for a fraction of a second, while they lingered on the less frilly flowers of other cultivars, mining several florets in each flower for their treasure.
Pollinators waste precious energy visiting barren double-flowered hybrids. True, not all doubles lack nectar and pollen. For the pollinators’ sake, though, select more species or varieties with simple flowers. Natural selection favors plants that set seed, of course, which is why most native plants have simpler flowers.
Photos below show examples of single-flowering cultivars. If you see a boss of stamens and pistils in the flowers, those plants can probably supply pollen and nectar to the pollinators. This is a fine point, granted, but one that is critically important to populations of pollinators, given the preponderance of double-flowering hybrids at garden centers.
Bumble bee on perennial aster.
Pollinator on fruit tree.
Purple coneflower (Echinacea) with bumble bee.
Third, planting a multitude of native species helps secure the future of threatened or endangered insects and animals.
In many regions, songbird populations have declined by half due to human intervention. Some have disappeared entirely. Trees and shrubs that provide shelter, nesting sites, berries or seeds, and which host insects, can help bring back the birds. Abundant biodiversity is a valid protection against the domino collapse of interdependent species.
Civilization has claimed much of the insects’ natural environments, so each of us can play a small part in rebuilding habitats. Annual butterfly counts show drastic declines. Monarch butterflies, in particular, now have less territory available in Mexico, a major overwintering site, than in the past, when they migrated by the millions.
Maintaining brush piles for overwintering insects and animals will help repopulate your landscape early in the season. Hauling those materials off to the recycling center, however, is sure death for the insects tucked inside. Fewer insects = fewer birds and other animals.
Fourth, incorporating native plants into the landscape helps keep the entire food chain intact.
A green anole basking in morning sun.
Insects feeding on plants become food for frogs, lizards, birds, and mammals. They, in turn, become food for snakes, hawks, foxes, and other predators. In many ecosystems, insects native to the region are the foundation on which the entire food chain is based.
A rich diversity of plant material supports an enormous number of insect and animal species. Left undisturbed, populations find a balance among themselves. On the other hand, life in monoculture, such as a lawn, is sparse. Unfortunately, countless urban and suburban neighborhoods have become dead zones with all their natural vegetation bulldozed to the ground.
As we spray, mow, burn, or build in natural environments, species will continue their rapid decline. Certainly, we need places to live and work, but we can also “give back” by planting for wildlife instead of continually killing it off.
Check with your state’s native plant society,native plant finders, BeeCity USA, and the local agricultural extension service for information. In addition to these sources, find a knowledgeable salesperson at the garden center for practical advice and sources of plant material. Garden shows might feature vendors specializing in native plants as this branch of horticulture grows.
Native Species and Nativars
Red fall color in a native white oak tree.
Plant breeders have brought to the marketplace many cultivars of our native species. These nativars might have purple or red foliage instead of green, or double flowers instead of single. Perhaps they mature at a shorter height than the original species, making them a better fit for small properties.
Garden centers often stock varieties of native species, although those selling native plants might also stock the original species. By a comfortable margin, though, most of the trees and shrubs in U.S. garden centers are cultivars of non-native species. Many originated in Asia, a treasure trove of tempting horticultural novelties.
Red Leaves and Wildlife
Red fall color and flower buds on native flowering dogwood.
Many trees develop red or burgundy fall foliage. Species native to the eastern U.S. with red fall foliage include sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red oaks (Quercus rubra, Q. coccinea), and white oak (Quercus alba).
Red- or purple-leaved cultivars sporting this color all summer are in high demand at garden centers. But if the point of planting trees and shrubs is for wildlife, we want to be sure the plants we choose will attract them. Each plant species has a particular menu of chemical compounds in their tissues that either attract or repel insects and animals. Organisms evolved a tolerance for these compounds…or they didn’t!
Purple and red leaves often repel insects due to their high levels of anthocyanins, the red pigments in the foliage. So, that defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? Not necessarily; these trees might have had green leaves that hosted insects before leaves turned red. Or insects simply tolerate the red pigments.
Oak trees support huge numbers of insects, birds, and mammals at various times during the year. This one genus, Quercus, hosts hundreds of species of moths and butterflies, although they often turn red in the fall.
Before planting a cultivar that stays red all season, though, find out if insects, such as mature caterpillars, will eat the leaves. This indicates that it could host insects for their entire life cycle. If all the larvae are tiny, however, when some larger individuals are expected, most might have crawled off to greener pastures.
If bees spend time working a flower and don’t fly off immediately after landing, that plant could be a good choice. Similarly, holes in the leaves indicate that the plant can host insects. Resources at the local university’s entomology department or botanical garden might have information that could help you choose plants that support wildlife.
The Untold Story
I’ve been packing the past couple of weeks, preparing to move to a rural location in northern North Carolina. I took a break from the work and sat on the deck, listening to the birds and insects.
One of those sounds was the hum of an approaching ruby-throated hummingbird, the only species summering in this area. Four feet away, and less than 4″ long, this tiny bird landed on a twig of the potted native dogwood tree, sitting right next to me. He then hovered near the flower buds (photo, above, with last year’s fall color), and I could see his tongue working the buds, one after another. These buds are tightly closed, yet he found something worth gathering, despite the presence of other flowers nearby.
Within a minute, another hummingbird arrived for the same reason, apparently. The two tiny birds fought for feeding rights, and the second one flew away after some impressive aerial maneuvering among the twigs. The first hummingbird continued searching for hidden sustenance held inside those buds. I’ve never seen this behavior.
My point is this: there’s much about the natural world that remains unobserved—a mystery to us—perhaps lending more credibility to the importance of using native plants in our gardens. (This section added 10/6/21.)
Deciduous Trees For the Eastern U.S.
Here’s a partial list of native and non-native trees that support wildlife. Large deciduous shrubs can substitute for trees in smaller spaces. Many other species might suit your purpose, so visit a few nurseries to see what’s available.
Most trees are sold in large plastic nursery pots, although you might also see freshly dug trees with their roots wrapped in burlap (“b&b”, or balled and burlapped).
American hop hornbeam (Ostrya)
basswood (Tilia)
birch (Betula)
black gum (Nyssa)
Carolina silverbell (Halesia)
chaste tree (Vitex)
cherry and plum (Prunus)
crabapple (Malus)
crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia)
dogwood (Cornus)
franklin tree (Franklinia)
fringe tree (Chionanthus)
hornbeam (Carpinus)
magnolia (Magnolia)
maple (Acer)
oak (Quercus)
poplar, cottonwood (Populus)
redbud (Cercis)
serviceberry (Amelanchier)
sourwood (Oxydendrum)
willow (Salix)
winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
witch hazel (Hamamelis)
Native red maple can have yellow, orange, or red fall color.
Most of the trees listed above have small- or medium-sized species or varieties. Compare suitability of native and non-native species within the genus. The familiar weeping willow, for example, is non-native and quite messy in the landscape. But smaller native willows behave better and host a large number of moths and butterflies.
Research disease resistance, flowers for pollinators, fruits for animals, sun or shade preferences, and soil types. Consider planting species that drop excessive amounts of fruit, acorns, or seedpods farther from the house and paved surfaces.
Also look into the tree’s habit of growth. A specimen with horizontal branches softens the strong vertical lines of a house. Pay close attention to utility poles and wires. Don’t plant trees near them that the utility company will butcher in future years.
Trees with invasive surface roots should be reserved for areas far from structures, pipes, and vegetable gardens. Find out from your town how close to the street or the property line you’re permitted to plant trees. Don’t forget to call 8-1-1 to locate underground utilities before digging.
Chionanthus, the fringe tree (photo, below), is a beautiful bloomer for gardens. This multi-stem plant has 2 species commonly available (C. virginicus, C. retusus), one native and the other from Asia. Male plants have larger flowers, but females set deep blue fruits for birds. The plants, however, are rarely sexed at the nursery.
Fringe tree.
The Hollies
Gardeners have used hollies in gardens for centuries. We can choose among deciduous and evergreen species.
The hollies (Ilex spp.) are another genus of primarily dioecious (Latin for “two houses”) plants that fruit on female plants. They ordinarily require a male plant, or pollenizer, to set fruit, although holly pollenizers (the males) themselves do not set fruit. Modern breeding techniques have yielded several cultivars that can make berries without pollination.
Ask your nursery salesperson for specifics regarding the need for pollenizers and how close they should be planted to female hollies. Choose the male hollies carefully; they must be closely related to the female holly and bloom at the same time. Incidentally, holly flowers are often nicely fragrant, and the bees love them! Just don’t shear them off after the buds have formed. Pruning should be minimal if you want flowers and fruits. And bees.
The Curious Case of Crape Myrtle
The Imperial moth.
Lagerstroemia indica is an extremely popular landscape tree or shrub in USDA zones 7-9. Crape myrtle, from China and Korea, was first introduced to the southeastern U.S. over 200 years ago. Adapting readily to our hot, humid summers and sometimes drought, it blooms for months despite the adversity.
What makes this non-native plant peculiar is a native moth’s preference for its leaves even when offered a multitude of its local favorites. Last year, I raised caterpillars of the huge Imperial moth. They went for the crape myrtle every time, ignoring all the others. Unless female moths instinctively target this species to host their young, the caterpillars will not likely eat these trees to the bone any time soon.
Several songbirds, including American goldfinches and juncos, feed on the seedpods.
Evergreens
You might prefer an evergreen specimen instead of a tree that drops its leaves in autumn. Look into arborvitae, chamaecyparis, hemlock, certain holly species, juniper, pine, rhododendron, spruce, and yew. Consider the shade evergreens will cast in winter, and whether sunlight might be blocked from entering windows or melting ice on the driveway.
Although not all evergreens are native to this part of the country, they make suitable nesting places and provide shelter in inclement weather. A dense border of evergreens can block fierce winter wind for a considerable distance downwind.
Soon after moving into the Maryland house in the 1980’s, I planted a chamaecyparis with deep green whorled foliage. Although it was supposed to get only 6′ tall according to the nursery, it grew to about 20′, when it was cut down by the people who bought the house from me. I left it in the front yard because birds raised a few families among its evergreen branches every year. And it looked gorgeous in the snow.
Chamaecyparis on the right, after 2010 blizzard. Sourwood on the left.
Good Looks
If you’re landscaping purely for aesthetics, plant a tree with characteristics that appeal to you. It’s your property, after all. Besides, all trees provide cover and nesting opportunities, even if they’re passed up by caterpillars.
Perhaps elsewhere you could grow perennials that offer food to wildlife. Planting a bed of milkweeds among the shrubs, for example, will help the monarch butterflies (photo, below).
While you might not consider insects important in your landscape, and, in fact, have invested considerable time and expense eradicating them, they are primary links in the food chain. A healthy landscape hosts a complex assortment of insects and animals. And with the rate at which natural habitats are losing out to development, it’s no wonder we see fewer ladybugs, butterflies, and songbirds in our neighborhoods.
Creating welcoming landscapes provides resting places for migrating birds. But they need natural corridors all along their path in order to find food and perching opportunities. We can help by planting at least part of our property with them in mind—every one of us! Provide food, water, and trees to rest in, and you might catch a glimpse of a bird you’ve never seen before.
I urge you to adopt a new attitude toward welcoming wildlife. You don’t need 10 acres to make a difference. A well-planted fraction of an acre will encourage many kinds of insects and animals to reside there. If you let them eat your plants and the sprayer hasn’t been used once this year, well done!
Monarch butterfly on milkweed.
Before Planting Trees
Let’s imagine a 2-story house and an appropriately proportional medium-sized tree. Your landscape plan calls for locating this tree off the southwest corner in the front of the house.
To prevent branches from rubbing against the siding in the future, you’ll want to plant the tree far enough from the house. Divide the mature spread of the tree by 2. Because plants tend to grow larger than the dimensions printed on the label, add a few feet to the measurement. So, a tree with a mature spread of 25-30′ should be planted 15′ or more from the corner.
While that little tree might look lonely out there, it will grow. Maybe that’s the extent of your garden project this fall. Or perhaps you’d like to develop a full garden on that side of the house with an underplanting of shrubs, perennials, and ground covers.
Walking a pathway through the garden to the side yard will feel like a walk through a park. This is a good solution where space is limited between your house and the neighbor’s. Consider your neighbor, though, and don’t plant too close to the property line. Perhaps the two of you could create an appealing garden that fills the space between both houses.
But first, it’s soil prep…please turn to page 2…
Headings:
Page 1: Are You Ready To Plant Trees?, Native Plants vs. the Non-Natives (The Benefits of Native Species, Native Species and Nativars, Red Leaves and Wildlife, The Untold Story), Deciduous Trees For the Eastern U.S. (The Hollies, The Curious Case of Crape Myrtle, Evergreens), Good Looks, and Before Planting Trees
Page 2: Soil Preparation For Trees (Slope, Outline the Bed, Heavy Clay, “How Deep?”, Adding Amendments, Organic Matter, and Time To Plant Trees (Trees In Pots, B&B Trees, Backfill, Edge, Mulch, And Water)
Fall weather has debuted in most regions of the northern temperate zone. And frost has kissed the peaks of the higher elevations in western North Carolina. But, before you gather the tools, the leaf bags, and the kids for the fall cleanup, consider being a little less tidy this year. I’ll explain how to do this when constructing a few brush piles in the garden.
“What? Why?” you might ask. Sure, the gardens always look neat and orderly after the fall cleanup, while the plants remain dormant and bare. But at what cost?
While cooling weather invigorates, it also sends signals to local wildlife that they must prepare for winter, or they will perish. Food and water for those remaining active, shelter from the elements, and protection from predators will become life-or-death issues for these organisms over the coming months.
Plants benefit from a layer of organic matter on the ground below them. It insulates their root systems from severe cold and holds moisture in the soil. A covering over the soil also prevents topsoil from blowing away. As the material decomposes, plants absorb valuable nutrients. This natural mulch also provides nutrients for earthworms and soil microbes, which contribute to the biological health of the soil. “I’m with you so far, Mother Nature.”
“Okay, so I’ll mulch the gardens.” Well…that’s better than nothing, but it’s not quite the same.
And Here’s Why:
This caterpillar mimics a dogwood twig.
In each region, thousands of species of beneficial spiders, insects, and other animals rely on that garden debris over the harsh winter months. It protects them from temperature extremes, icy storms, and desiccation. It protects them from certain death, which is inevitable when that debris is hauled off to the recycling center.
Imagine how many butterfly chrysalises or praying mantis eggs will be carted off to their doom. Or the enormous number of native bees seeking refuge inside and among dead plant stems.
And what’s the buzzword of the decade in gardening circles around the world? Right: Pollinators! But are we doing them a favor by removing them and the debris they’re sheltering in? We are not.
What We Can Do About It
Dormant insects remaining on the property, protected in brush piles all winter, will restock the garden in the spring. Otherwise, the landscape is pretty lifeless, until bees, beetles, butterflies, and moths gradually move back to your garden months later. But there won’t be nearly as many of them if so many were removed with the fall cleanup.
Begin construction of new brush piles by mid- to late summer. Caterpillars crawling around will find them suitable resting places and pupate among the twigs for a long winter nap. Some insects overwinter as adults, briefly emerging on warm winter days to feed. Leaving the shelters in place all year, however, is the best option, and one which benefits many insects and animals.
Consider letting nature behave closer to the way it was intended, the way it evolved over time. Who doesn’t want more butterflies and birds flying around the garden? This complex web of life in your own neighborhood will improve as a result. More insects to pollinate the vegetables, fruit trees, and natural stands of vegetation. And more food for frogs and baby birds. More beauty, more interest, more life!
Brush Piles For the Birds
Carolina wren, a tiny bird with a mighty voice.
Birds (including wrens, cardinals, juncos, thrashers, robins, sparrows, mourning doves, and towhees) often forage close to the ground. All my life, I’ve been fascinated by birds and by all of nature. We’ve watched them search through leaf litter and brush piles for worms, seeds, insects, and other sources of food. They also will find materials for nest-building activities in late winter and spring.
Some birds seek shelter among the piles of twigs when storms blow in. And they’re handy places to hide when predatory hawks are spotted overhead. Wrens are particularly active around these structures, so you might want to construct one within view of the house.
Any Other Benefits?
There are ecological benefits of keeping in place the biomass produced on your property. Considering the “carbon footprint”, nature’s mulch is an improvement on bringing in bagged mulch that had to be processed and transported to your retailer and then to your home.
Truth be told, though, I often used mulch in gardens that I installed for customers. But I also planted a variety of evergreen and deciduous material, flowering plants, and ground covers. These gardens hosted a rich assortment of indigenous insects and animals, even after the fall cleanup.
And, of course, you won’t need as many of those yard bags often seen lining residential curbsides. Imagine the savings in resources by making brush piles on your property: plastic bags, paper bags, and time, gasoline, and money spent picking up mulch or paying the town to recycle garden debris. Recycling is better than the landfill, but not removing debris from the property is even better.
Another bonus is the compost that gathers under the pile as organic materials break down. Scoop it out and use it in the vegetable garden or in potted plants. Replenish with leaves and twigs as the material reduces to compost. You might want to start a separate compost pile for leaves, weeds, twigs, and kitchen vegetable scraps and eggshells. Or simply bury the kitchen scraps in a hole in the garden. If earthworms are active, they’ll consume it within a week or two.
It’s entertaining, for many of us, to watch the birds on a cold winter day. Provide a source of clean water and a bird feeder to attract them to your yard.
Undisturbed environments provide habitat for overwintering insects and animals.
“But what will the neighbors say?”
I realize this requires a leap of tradition to implement. One suggestion is to edge the beds and to keep grass neatly mown. Plant up a few colorful pots for the summer and winter seasons. This will indicate that the gardener living there does care about her property and that her brush piles are intentional. Maybe the neighbors will take a cue and do likewise; mention the pollinators! And the carbon footprint!
If space permits, keep a few brush piles in the back yard, out of public view. If you have space only in the front, perhaps you can hide your Pollinator Palace behind some shrubs.
Suburban Life
Now, if you have a homeowner’s association to deal with, you can keep the front yard looking presentable and still be ecologically correct. Even in the city, constructing attractive twig sculptures as “garden art” can serve several purposes at the same time. I’ve seen twigs and leaves molded into animal shapes and simple mounds.
During the fall cleanup, rake or use a mulching mower and direct the chopped leaves under the trees and shrubs and into flower gardens. Smaller pieces of material decompose faster and are less conspicuous. Then place a 1″-2″ layer of shredded hardwood mulch or pine bark nuggets over the chopped leaves. Nice and tidy. Earthworms will feast on those leafy bits while the worms are still active, and insects will hide in the debris.
Move fallen twigs and dead stems to the piles out of view. If you’re absolutely overwhelmed with too much material, choose which parts will go to the recycling center. But if you notice a mantis egg case or butterfly chrysalises, cut those parts of the stems and add them to your brush pile or tuck them among the shrubs.
Replacing Grass with Mixed Plantings
Making brush piles is a natural part of the fall cleanup in rural areas. But many of us live where expansive lawns, trees, and HOA’s predominate. By adding shrub borders and undergrowth, though, more birds, mammals, and insects will make your garden their home.
A verdant, layered landscape naturally provides more opportunities for insects and animals to find food and shelter.This kind of environment supports the rich biodiversity that is becoming increasingly rare as suburbs gobble up more territory. We can help by providing conditions that attract wildlife: food and water, shelter, and places to raise offspring. For starters, let the dandelions bloom! If you see a large area of clover, mow around it and let the honey bees collect nectar and pollen. And, of course, avoid using pesticides in the landscape.
Replacing grass with trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and annuals gives me the greatest satisfaction. And, no, it doesn’t have to look like “a jungle out there”. Well-designed and diversified borders are very attractive, and they bring biological activity within view. They also add to the property value!
Being connected to nature is an innate need that benefits us psychologically. And shrub borders afford a measure of privacy in communities where houses line up with little space in between.
You’ll enjoy seasonal blooms, dazzling fall color, winter structure, and the promise of spring in delicately unfolding leaves. While we enjoy the beauty of the garden, the wildlife will have found a welcoming home for generations to come.
Brush Piles: Basic Construction
There’s no formula for building these brush piles. Frankly, anything will work. Make it large enough, though. Several feet on each side will do, and 2′ or 3′ tall to begin with. Smaller lodgings will function well enough for pupating insects.
If you have the space, however, construct something more substantial. A large twiggy brush pile in the old Maryland garden discouraged deer from jumping over the fence in that location. And all kinds of animals found food and shelter there.
Removing all the dead stems and leaves during the fall cleanup severely reduces populations of these little critters. Advancing up the food chain, fewer caterpillars and beetles means less food for larger insects, frogs, and birds…which means less food for snakes, bigger birds, and foxes. So, that means less life overall in the garden.
Several habitats around a spacious yard are better than one big brush pile. Think of a little caterpillar roaming around, looking for a place to pupate in late summer. Close, in his case, is better than far.
Caterpillars are in a race against time when looking for their winter homes. As masters of camouflage, chrysalises often look like dead leaves or sticks, blending in with the surroundings. But caterpillars traveling a greater distance have a higher risk of being consumed by predators.
The gulf fritillary’s chrysalis (photo, above) is difficult to detect on plants that are dying down in autumn. Unfortunately, this one pupated on the door frame, and ended up as dinner for a local lizard.
The Process
Oak leaves keep a more open, airy structure.
First, lay down a bed of fallen leaves. Then pile large branches on the leaves, and add twigs, and more leaves on top. Add some perennial stems from the front yard, and the frosted zinnias and seedy marigolds. Simple!
Add more branches, leaves, and twigs through the season. The shelter doesn’t need to be airtight. Insects and animals will find nooks and crannies to hide in. Adding a layer of evergreen boughs on top and on the windward side will help keep the pile dry for the inhabitants inside.
Keep some openings large enough for birds to enter when they need shelter from a predator. Chipmunks, mice, toads, and reptiles also will enjoy your efforts. Some are likely to hibernate in the soil under the brush pile.
The old potting soil from the summer pots can be used in the gardens, where organic components will continue to break down and improve the soil. Or place it on the windy side of the shelter.
Perennials In Place, Then To the Brush Piles
Purple coneflower (Echinacea) with bumble bee.
Pollinators on goldenrod (Solidago).
Two varieties of tickseed (Coreopsis).
Sedum seedheads.
If possible, let the herbaceous perennials, such as black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta, R. fulgida), coneflower (Echinacea), tickseed (Coreopsis), goldenrod (Solidago), asters, and ornamental grasses remain in place as they go dormant. Bees and other pollinators will busily collect pollen and nectar as long as the flowers produce it. Birds will pick at the seedheads in autumn and winter.
Insects that fed on plants during the summer will shelter or lay eggs on or near them for next year’s generation. A good time to cut back the dead plant stems is in late winter or early spring, just before new growth begins. If you must remove the stems earlier, add them to the brush piles. But leaving the dead plants standing in place distributes the habitats—and the sheltering wildlife—throughout the property.
A green anole basking in morning sun, NC.
Insect on Itea virginica.
An Attitude Adjustment
While the fall cleanup has been the normal practice for generations of homeowners, the consequences include diminished populations of wildlife.Most of the plants that feed us and animal life require insects to pollinate them. Disposing overwintering insects in enormous bags for curbside pickup, however, eliminates huge numbers of beneficial organisms.
And then we wonder why there aren’t as many fireflies and ladybugs, moths and butterflies, frogs, lizards, and birds as there were in generations past.
Fewer caterpillars and beetles will support fewer toads and birds. It’s as simple as that. Bird populations in several types of ecosystems are disappearing at an astonishingly rapid rate. Loss of habitat is part of the cause, but we can start to reverse that trend by simply adopting a fresh attitude toward wildlife. Appreciate it. Encourage it. Nurture it. Where you live.
Watch Douglas W. Tallamy’s videos or pick up a copy of his book, Bringing Nature Home, for inspiration and lists of plants that attract wildlife. Also, there are loads of pictures of insects, and a strong emphasis on using native plants. On the back cover:
“…Douglas Tallamy presents a powerful and compelling illustration of how the choices we make as gardeners can profoundly impact the diversity of life in our yards, towns and on our planet.”
Dorsal view of the Imperial moth on the glass storm door.
Most of us follow some sort of routine after sunset or before retiring for the evening. First, I bring the bird feeder indoors. If I don’t, the raccoons will surely empty it—every last seed. Once, a few years ago, they had removed the feeder from the hook and entirely disassembled it.
Second, I turn on the front porch light, and, later, secure the storm door. If I hadn’t done this a couple of nights ago, I would have missed this visitor. In the few seconds it took to grab the camera, the moth had already slid partway down the glass. I’ve never seen one of these Imperial moths, and it was an impressive sight!
After taking photographs, I gently nudged the moth into a glass bowl for the night. She didn’t seem terribly eager to fly away, and didn’t require much encouragement. The plan included show-and-tell with a couple of neighbors the next morning before releasing the moth to the trees down the block.
This Imperial Moth Is a Big One
This female moth has a 5.5″ wingspan.
This Imperial moth has a wingspan of 5.5″, although adults normally measure from 3″ to 7″ wide. This one is a female. Males have more purplish-brown spotting on their wings. Another distinction involves the antennae on males, which are feathered in order to more easily detect pheromones given off by females.
In formal circles, she is known as Eaclesimperialis imperialis (Drury, 1773). The Imperial moth is found in rural and suburban habitats from Argentina north to New England, and, in the United States, from the Rocky Mountains east to the Atlantic Ocean.
In the northern U.S. and Canada, its populations have been in decline since the mid 1900’s due to artificial lighting, pesticides, and diminishing habitat. This moth is quite common throughout the mid Atlantic region.
Life Cycle of the Imperial Moth: 4 Stages
1. The Egg
A small caterpillar emerges from the yellow egg in 10 to 14 days, consuming its shell (chorion). But the young caterpillars might roam for a few days, I’ve read, before settling down on the branch of choice. (***Update***: Eggs can hatch within a day or two, as documented under “They Hatched!”, below.)
2. The Five Instars
When it emerges from the shell, the larva can puff itself up to about 1/3″ long, appearing larger. The black spines (scoli) at the head and the posterior end might ward off predators.
After feeding for a while, the larva is ready to molt. The caterpillar attaches silk to the main vein of the leaf, and grasps the silk with its legs and prolegs. Each time the caterpillar molts, it expands, and the exoskeleton firms up. Sometimes the larvae eat their exoskeletons for the protein content.
As members of the Saturniidae family (the giant silkworms), Imperial moth larvae undergo 5 instars. During the first instar, the larvae are orange with black crossbands, and have short hairs. They grow darker after each molt, although there are regional variations and subspecies.
By the last instar, the caterpillars are 3.5″ to 5″ long. Color morphs will be dark brown, burgundy, or green, and they have long hairs and shorter spines. In sensitive people, these hairs and bristles can cause a rash.
The dark colored larvae have white spiracle patches, while green caterpillars have yellow spiracle patches. Spiracles are breathing pores, located in a line down each side of the caterpillar.
Larvae of the Imperial moth feed on native oak, maple, sweet gum, sassafras, and pine trees. Some websites indicate the caterpillars’ preference for pine trees. They also feed on eucalyptus, box elder, and Norway spruce. Less commonly, the larvae feed on elm, hickory, persimmon, honey locust, and many others.
This caterpillar is a favorite food source for birds.
3. The Pupa
After the 5th instar has matured, it burrows into the ground to pupate. The Imperial moth does not make a cocoon, as other silk moths do. The overwintering pupa is dark reddish brown to black, and has appendages on the posterior end that help it rise in the soil just before the adult emerges. While buried, it is not vulnerable to birds, although burrowing animals might eat it.
4. The Adult Moth
Adults emerge, usually at dawn, to mate. In the northern part of their range, adults appear in mid-summer (June-August). In the southern part of their range, they emerge over a longer period of time, from April through October.
Imperial moths have only one brood per year. In warm areas where they’re found, some observers have stated that they have 2 broods. But it is believed that the one brood is actually emerging over a prolonged period of time.
Males appear before the females. After mating, female Imperial moths lay eggs on foliage at dusk.
A Mommy Moth!
This is the ventral surface of the moth, and what I saw first. “Oh, wow!”
It appeared that the right hindwing had been damaged. So, I didn’t think she had recently emerged from her pupa. Imperial moths live only a week or two, for the sole purpose of mating and laying eggs. Their mouth parts have been reduced, preventing them from feeding. Neither the male nor the female takes sustenance as an adult.
To make the Imperial moth more comfortable during her overnight accommodations, I added some greenery from the garden. No, not for the purpose of providing food. I just thought she would feel more at home, while being held captive, until she could return to her natural habitat. Incidentally, people also benefit, psychologically, when we’re in the presence of living plants.
There was a surprise the next morning. A dozen eggs had fallen under the greens to the bottom of the bowl. So, dutiful subject that I am, I will place them on the leaves of an appropriate tree.
What fun! (Behemoth or Beshemoth?)
(***Update***: Over the past week or so, I’ve noticed a few more Imperial moths flying through the yard. Two of them were eagerly followed by hungry birds, but I didn’t see the birds catch them. 8/3/2020).
Here are some of the eggs.
They Hatched!
By yesterday morning (7/25), about 2/3 of the dozen eggs had hatched. That was unexpected! So, I took a few leaves from the red maple tree (Acer rubrum) by the mailbox and placed them in the bowl. This morning, it was clear that they had begun eating. The edges of the leaves were nibbled (photo, right), and tiny dark feces fell to the bottom.
(***Update***: When I read that Imperial moths can be raised in captivity, I decided to keep the eggs. I assume that Mommy Moth laid the rest of her clutch after I’d released her. 8/4/2020)
The remaining eggs hatched last night, and those caterpillars were visibly smaller, but only slightly so, than their older siblings. I brought them to the kitchen table to photograph them. If they weren’t eating (the maple leaf, that is), they headed toward the brightly lit patio door, requiring persistent redirection. This reminded me of sea turtle hatchlings scurrying instinctively toward the water.
First Silk For the Imperial Moth
I gathered all but a few of the caterpillars, placing them and a maple leaf in a bag for release. At the maple tree, I placed each one on a leaf, until it “stuck”.
Newly hatched larvae attach themselves to the leaf with a fine silk thread, apparently not just during molting. When I picked up the tiny caterpillars to place them on the leaves, I could feel the resistance of an invisible thread. Smart little caterpillars.
White Hairs
Something else I noticed concerned those hairs on the caterpillar. All caterpillars had the black scoli and many white hairs. Most of those hairs seemed to be somewhat irregularly placed on the caterpillar, although others were extensions of the scoli. And, coincidentally, the maple leaves had fine white trichomes (extensions of the epidermis) on the back of the leaf, mostly along the main veins. The trichomes and many of the hairs on the larvae looked exactly alike.
It looked as though they might have picked up some of those trichomes, because some caterpillars had several hairs around their heads, and others had very few. Most hairs on the segments appeared to have been randomly placed and at odd angles to each other.
One day old. Ruler marks are 1/16″ apart.
Two days old.
Caterpillars and trichomes on maple leaf.
***Update***: The following section was added 9/14/2020.
New Food For the Imperial Moth
This caterpillar has been feeding on crape myrtle. No hairs!
For a few days, I added different types of leaves to see if the caterpillars demonstrated a preference. They were not interested in loropetalum, oak, holly, or passiflora. They did, however, love the crape myrtle—more than they liked the native maple. When offered a buffet of several kinds of freshly picked leaves, including maple, the caterpillars ate only the crape myrtle. How perplexing that the caterpillars preferred this non-native tree (Lagerstroemia indica)! And, surprisingly, they lost all their white hairs (photo, above) after feeding on crape myrtle for a few days.
To attract more wildlife to your property, plant a large number of native plants. As we’ve seen with this imperial moth, our native insects and birds will feed on some non-natives as well. But the best bet is to plant more natives than exotic species of plants. Choose plants that flower at various times of the year to attract more species of insects and animals. And plant them in multiples; a single specimen plant might not get the attention from a female insect looking for a nursery to host her young. Contact your local native plant society for plant species recommendations.
Keep in mind that lawn chemicals and insecticides could kill imperial moths while they’re pupating in the ground.
I released the caterpillars to a 6′ crape myrtle. This plant had volunteered in the front garden from seed and was transplanted into a 5-gallon pot. The larvae regrew those fine white hairs and now all caterpillars are thriving in their new home!
Imperial moth caterpillar on crape myrtle in the Charlotte garden.
In 2007, the U.S. Senate passed a bill designating one week in June as National Pollinator Week. This legislation recognizes the importance of pollinators, including bees and butterflies, in our food supply and in the health of all ecosystems.
Every third bite of food we consume is directly attributable to pollinators. The global economic value is worth between $300 billion and $600 billion per year. Around 85% of all flowering plants are pollinated by insects, ensuring the regeneration of forests and fields as well as high yielding edible crops.
Our morning coffee beans are primarily self-pollinated, depending on crop species. Introducing bees, however, can increase the yields and lower costs of production.
In tropical regions of South America, Africa, Indonesia, and, more recently Australia, a tiny midge is responsible for pollinating cacao trees, bringing us chocolate. Chocolate contributes, incredibly, $100 billion annually to the global economy.
In the southern hemisphere, pollinator awareness programs take place in November. The Australian Government’s Department of the Environment recognizes November 8-15 as their pollinator week for 2020. Many countries throughout the world observe this initiative, and local organizations sponsor programs to raise awareness.
An outdoor project can be an enjoyable and healthy way to use our time. Having the children participate will teach them valuable skills they will carry with them wherever they live.
And, if there’s one thing we could use more of, it’snature.
A bee house.
What Bees and Butterflies Need
All living creatures need food and water, shelter, and a place to raise their young. By adapting the way we maintain the property around our homes, we can achieve both an attractive landscape and one that fosters populations of wild creatures. Currently, 40% of the insect pollinator species are at risk of extinction. A few of us can make a small difference in our neighborhood; millions of us can really shake it up!
Houses—entire communities—generally have been built after felling all the native trees, bulldozing the rest, and covering the ground with a high maintenance lawn. Streams were diverted to concrete pipes underground, taking habitat from frogs, salamanders, and turtles. Where this tradition is changing, developers are roping off and protecting native stands of trees and understory species.
Maybe the builder spotted in a fast growing silver maple, a row of clipped hollies along the foundation, and a couple of forsythias in the back. Well, that won’t do much for all the bees and butterflies, or for the hummingbirds, bats, moths, and beetles that pollinate our crops and wild plants. And right there, in this yard and in that yard, lie the broken links in the food chain. Our monocultured and unnaturally manicured properties are sold as low maintenance, but there’s little life there.
The Missing Elements
We concentrate instead on creating an “indoor oasis”, untroubled that the quiet stillness outside the door is not what Mother Nature had intended. No birds chirping or warbling…no cicadas or katydids…no lizards leaping for their dinner…nowhere for the dragonfly to land.
Yes, we need more nature in our lives. By cultivating a relationship with the natural world, there’s more than just a pretty sight beyond the living room windows. There’s life. Birds will continue to follow million-year-old migration paths. Mason bees and swallowtail butterflies will secure homes for their young. And there will be less talk of scarcity.
Need to feel better? Try gardening!
1. A Garden of Annuals for Bees and Butterflies
Bumble bees in the marigolds.
Maybe this week’s goal is to carve out a section of the big lawn in the sunny back yard, and plant a flower garden. Mid summer isn’t too late for annuals, either from seeds or from transplants. Or, for now, consider how your family can use the property in the future. It’s always a good time to decrease the amount of lawn space we have to mow, fertilize, and treat for insects and diseases.
Be sure to plant significant drifts of flowers instead of a dot of zinnias here and a couple of marigolds over there. Large blocks of similar colors are more likely to get attention from pollinators. If your space is limited, though, there are some options. Sunny windowbox gardens and pots filled with bright colorful flowers will generate interest from the pollinators. Or perhaps there’s room for hanging baskets.
Each pollinator has its own preferences. Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, but bees can’t see it. Bees are initially attracted to blue, yellow, and white, and then will visit a red flower nearby. Hummingbirds can feed from long tubular flowers, but hover flies need short little flowers.
At night, moths can detect white or pale colored sweet-smelling flowers that are open at that time. Almond flowers are pollinated primarily by honey bees, and tomatoes by bumble bees. Butterflies are especially interested in landing platforms, such as those found on plants with wide, flat flowers.
What Is An Annual?
An annual grows from a seed that germinates, generally, in spring or summer. It grows for several weeks to a few months, matures, and then begins to flower. Many species of annuals bloom all summer, until frost ends their lives in autumn, roots and all. But, by then, the plant will have set seed, with help from the local pollinators. An annual completes its life cycle within one growing season.
Those seeds will remain dormant over the winter, protected by their seed coats. With favorable weather conditions next spring, some of the seeds will germinate. Many, however, will be consumed by small mammals, birds, and insects.
What Do Pollinators Do?
Bumble bees on passion flower vine. Arrangement of flower parts facilitates pollination.
Bees and butterflies, and other pollinators, transfer pollen grains from the male anthers of a flower to the stigma, the female part of a flower. Sometimes male and female flowers grow in separate flowers on the same plant (that’s a monoecious plant). And other plants have either all male or all female flowers (dioecious plants). Some have both male and female reproductive elements within each flower (perfect flowers).
Pollinators don’t do this intentionally. Instead, their goal is to collect the flowers’ pollen and nectar. They inadvertently pick up the pollen on their hairs or wings, after being lured in by the flowers and the sweet nectar. Then the pollinators transfer pollen from flower to flower, from plant to plant, as they forage. Thus, they enable fertilization of the ovules, germ cells in the ovary of the female flower.
The male and the female parents must be the same species in order for their chromosomes to be compatible. However, interspecific and intergeneric hybrids sometimes do occur among closely related individuals.
The end result is a ripe fruit with viable seeds. That could be a zinnia’s seedpod, for example, or a blueberry, a peach, or a tulip poplar’s samara.
Cross Pollination
Ah, the genius of nature. Pollen grains and stigmas in many species mature at different times, preventing self-pollination.
Moving pollen among different plants of the same species permits cross-pollination, resulting in stronger genetics and, potentially, a better future for the species. Apple trees and blueberries are two crops that benefit from cross-pollination.
Single? Double? Triple?
Catharanthus ‘Soiree Double Pink’, an annual vinca. Extra petals replace reproductive parts.
Flowers with single rows of petals usually have more pollen and nectaries than those with a more complicated petal structure. Plant breeders all over the world have brought to market thousands of these kinds of fluffy triple-flowered hybrids, and they are beautiful. That’s fine, for aesthetics.
But, for bees and butterflies, there’s less treasure for them in flowers filled with petals. Reproductive structures that produce nectar and pollen are often reduced and replaced with additional petals (photo, above). Collecting pollen or nectar from these packed doubles is less efficient, and requires extra visits to gather sufficient quantities. So, pollinators will look for more desirable plants elsewhere, to conserve energy, and avoid such anomalies of nature.
When choosing the varieties for your annual garden, keep these details in mind. Gardens loaded with heavy producers of nectar and pollen (in other words, single flowers) will better serve the pollinators that visit them.
Sunflowers
Many varieties of recent sunflower introductions have been hybridized to grow flowers with very little or no viable pollen at all. When looking through catalogs, make note of the ones called “pollenless”. These varieties will make less of a mess on the credenza and won’t cause you to sneeze. But they have little to offer bees and butterflies.
Pollenless sunflowers won’t develop mature seeds filled with sustenance for birds and other animals. If pollinators and full seedpods are what you want, ask the seed supplier for varieties that make edible seeds, not just edible flowers.
These varieties of sunflowers will attract pollinators and make edible seeds: ‘Big Smile’, ‘Black Peredovik’, ‘Chocolate’, ‘Giganteus’, ‘Hopi Black Dye’, and ‘Kong Hybrid’. Also, ‘Mammoth Grey Stripe’, ‘Mammoth Russian’, ‘Paul Bunyan’, ‘Royal’, ‘Royal Hybrid 1121’, ‘Sunzilla’, ‘Super Snack’, and ‘Titan’.
Sunflowers have a row of showy ray florets surrounding the disc florets. Disc florets open slowly over time, from the outer edge to the center, ensuring many visits from different pollinators.
The Asteraceae family is perhaps the largest, with 1900 genera and over 32,000 species. (The orchid family is its main rival, but no one knows exactly how many species are in either family.) Members of this extended family include sunflowers, dianthus, lettuce, coreopsis, marigold, zinnia, coneflower, gerbera daisy, chrysanthemum, and shasta daisy.
Where to Plant?
Thin peduncle (flower stalk) under summer squash flower indicates a male flower. A female flower has a rounded peduncle.
A large bed of color around the patio or the mailbox, a free-standing raised bed, and a border close to the vegetable garden are just some of the possibilities. Farmers often include wide bands of wildflowers alongside their fields of crops for better pollination and heavier yields.
One plant that attracts all sorts of pollinators is ‘African blue’ basil. This is a sterile herb—unable to set seed—so it flowers constantly. Other varieties of sweet or flavored basils customarily are used in the kitchen. Plant an ‘African blue’ basil in early summer, close to tomatoes, peppers, and squash to encourage bees to visit the veggies. And let it flower.
Check with local garden centers to see what they have available. Ask for help choosing annuals—seeds or transplants—that attract pollinators.
Before you do any digging, ask your municipality (call 8-1-1) to mark underground utilities. Whether you’ll be tilling the area or digging it by hand, you’ll certainly want to avoid damaging any of those lines.
Locate the garden where a source of water is easily accessible. New transplants and young seedlings will need consistent moisture until they’re established. During summer drought, water the bed thoroughly every week or so.
Sun or Shade?
Fuchsia flowers.
Find an area that gets full sun if you want lots of flowers. Full sun is at least 6 hours, but annuals will positively thrive in more sun than that. Summer annuals blooming heavily in sun will attract the most pollinators.
But several species prefer shade, such as impatiens. The ‘Imara’ impatiens, resistant to impatiens downy mildew, provides a carpet of color under the trees and shrubs. This plant attracts bees and butterflies, and also hummingbirds.
Where summers aren’t too hot, the fuchsia baskets (photo, above) will entice the hummingbirds to visit every day, like clockwork. This plant does well in dappled shade or early morning sun. And it likes moist soil. As the temperatures climb and fuchsia fails, hummingbirds will flock to the single petunias and salvias, which need lots of sun. They also visit herbs in bloom, including basil and lavender.
How Big Is Big?
Hummingbird.
With proper soil preparation and regular maintenance, a plot that measures 10′ x 6′ can become a magnet for pollinating insects. The flowers will buzz with activity from perhaps dozens of species of bees and butterflies, and moths and hummingbirds, too.
This country is home to over 4,000 species of bees alone! More than 20,000 species live around the globe. Some live in colonies, and many are solitary creatures. Interestingly, the honey bee is not native to the United States. It was brought by European settlers hundreds of years ago and proliferated throughout the country.
To increase the activity and the number of pollinating species lured in, make the bed even larger. And include more variety in the plants selected. Use masses of the same plant, and repeat elsewhere in the garden, if you want. Planting larger blocks of a particular color or flower type will attract more pollinators than scattering them about.
If this is your first gardening effort, keep the garden a manageable size so you’re not overwhelmed. There will be maintenance involved! Weeds, no doubt, will have to be pulled. And your garden will need fertilizer a few times through the growing season for the best results. An inch or two of mulch will help cool the soil, retain moisture, and restrain weeds. You can always expand the area as you gain confidence in your skills.
Container Gardens
Even in a very limited space, some of the local bees and butterflies will find the lovely combination pots on your balcony or the patio. Use bright colors, and have your camera ready—for the flowers and their visitors. Once they find their preferred flowers, pollinators will come back day after day.
Remove seedpods to encourage more flowers to develop, although finches and other birds will feed on seeds remaining on stalks late in the season. Fertilize regularly to keep the plants in prime condition. Plants in containers might need daily watering.
Added Benefits
Vegetables and Fruits
Blueberry flowers.
Insects are on a constant lookout for sources of pollen and nectar. You might discover your fruit trees, blueberries, and vegetable crops yielding heavier harvests since installing a flower garden.
Edible crops and plants growing naturally in or around your property will benefit from complete pollination because of the larger populations of pollinators. Include plants whose flowers attract pollinators early and late in the growing season, as well as during the summer months.
Bumble bee visiting broccoli flowers.
Flowers on mustard greens. This edible plant readily self-seeds.
Red Russian kale in bud.
I grow many kinds of greens (photos, above) in the cool seasons. Before they’re replaced with summer crops, I allow them to go to flower in late winter to early spring. Most are biennials in the Brassicaceae family, including kale, collards, broccoli, arugula, and mustard greens. Although they don’t require pollination for a harvest, the cruciferous flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, braconid wasps, hover flies, and other pollinators at the time of year when little else is available.
Pansies and violas provide sustenance for bees that emerge on pleasant winter days. These colorful cold-tolerant biennials grow in garden beds and in containers.
Braconid Wasps
Braconid wasp.
The tiny non-stinging braconid wasps are hardly noticeable, but they help keep populations of live-bearing aphids in check. A female braconid wasp deposits an egg in or on an aphid. After hatching, the wasp larva consumes the tissues, killing the aphid. One braconid wasp can parasitize 200 aphids in her brief lifetime. Adults emerge to mate, and a new generation of females will begin hunting aphids.
Pollen is an important food source for the braconid wasps, which will feed on some aphids as well. So, even these tiny insects help pollinate plants.
Photo at right shows a wasp about to deposit some eggs. White aphids have been parasitized, and the others are alive. I’ve often seen leaves with a hundred aphid mummies (the aphid’s empty exoskeleton) attached, with no living aphids.
Planting a wide variety of flowers helps these beneficial insects. Self sustaining populations of beneficials contribute to the overall health of your garden, reducing or eliminating the need for pesticides.
For the Birds
Let’s not forget about the birds! Although most species, other than hummingbirds, don’t play a major role in pollinating plants, songbirds certainly have a place in any natural ecosystem. We can play an important part, in our own yards, by maintaining an environment that fosters healthy populations of native animals.
The tiny ruby-crowned kinglet at a winter feeder.
The numbers of many species of birds are declining, due primarily to human interference. We’ve removed their habitat in favor of expansive lawns and non-native trees and shrubs. And we’ve killed off their food sources by spraying pesticides every time a “bug” shows up. Can we please adopt a new attitude?
After all, birds help by consuming huge numbers of insect pests that otherwise could destroy crops or damage potted plants. Birds and bats keep mosquitoes and moths in check. More insects in the garden will support more avian activity.
Restoring healthy populations of all native animals and insects will return balance to the ecosystem. Sometimes, though, the songbirds fall prey to foxes, snakes, or hawks. Predator and prey: yes, folks, that’s how it works.
There are many benefits to living in modern society, but loss of habitat for wild creatures is not one of them. Letting nature be is a crucial step in re-establishing native populations and preventing extinctions.
Let ‘Em Seed About
Finches, sparrows, and chickadees feast on seeds that develop after the flowers fade. So, don’t be too hasty to deadhead the last round of flowers. Allow them to remain in place through the fall and winter, so the birds have another food source available when they need it. Birds will soon recognize your property as a wellspring of year-round sustenance.
Bright yellow and black American goldfinches are fond of zinnias, cosmos, salvias, and asters that have gone to seed. In late summer and autumn, the finches, northern cardinals, thrashers, blue jays, and other animals eagerly consume seeds atop the black-eyed Susans and tall sunflowers. And you might notice plants germinating next spring from seeds the birds overlooked.
Water
Include a source of clean water for the birds. A birdbath in the garden is fine, or you could keep a large plant saucer on the deck. Change the water frequently to prevent mosquito wrigglers from reaching adulthood.
The bees and butterflies also will appreciate a small saucer of water on a hot summer day. Place a flat rock island in the water for safe sipping. A mud puddle, just a bare patch of wet sandy clay, provides moisture and minerals for butterflies.
Cut Flowers
Another benefit of growing a garden of annuals is the almost endless supply of cut flowers for indoor arrangements. Include plans to expand the garden next year, to keep the pollinators happy, too. Check with your agricultural extension service to see which flowers last longest in a vase.
Try Some Of These For the Bees and Butterflies
Ageratum, alyssum, bachelor’s button, cleome, cosmos, fuchsia (hummingbirds), herbs, impatiens, lantana, marigold, and pentas. Rudbeckia (annual and perennial varieties of black-eyed Susan), salvia (annual and perennial types, a hummingbird favorite), some of the sunflowers, tithonia, verbena, and zinnia.
Page 1: National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, 2020, What Pollinators Need (The Missing Elements), and A Garden of Annuals for Bees and Butterflies (What Is An Annual?, What Do Pollinators Do?, Cross Pollination, Single-Double-Triple?, Sunflowers, Where To Plant?, Sun or Shade?, How Big Is Big?, Added Benefits, Vegetables and Fruits, Braconid Wasps, For the Birds, Cut Flowers)
Page 2: Perennial Favorites For Bees and Butterflies, Lavender, Herbs, Brush Piles, Go Native, A Comprehensive Garden Plan (Dream, Plan, and Implement, On the Right Path, Stone, Diversify, Some Native Woody Plants, Asking for Help, Dig In!, Small Is Beautiful), and Links
Whose heart is not warmed by the sight of brilliant red cardinals feasting at backyard feeders? Add a fresh snowfall and the birds’ familiar calls as they defend their territory, and you’ve got some delightful moments on a cold winter day. I almost wrote a “dreary winter day”, but living close to nature precludes this dismal perception; every day is a lovely day.
This commonly seen favorite songbird normally remains in the area, both winter and summer, as long as food is plentiful. Now doesn’t that just lift your spirits!
A male northern cardinal.
Where Cardinals Live
Other species of cardinals live in Central and South America, and there are many subspecies within their range. This article is about the northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, whose name derives from the red vestments worn by Catholic cardinals.
Cardinals are abundant throughout most of the United States: in the area from the Atlantic coast west to eastern Montana and eastern New Mexico, including all of Texas and parts of the deep southwest. They also live in Mexico, but not commonly in higher elevations.
Fortunately, the cardinal’s population has remained stable while the numbers of many other songbirds have decreased dramatically. Some songbirds no longer live in areas where they used to be abundant.
Female and male cardinals.
The cardinal’s range, in fact, has expanded northward, to include areas in Canada north and east of the Great Lakes. Although the cardinal has been seen in Canada for many years, it’s only since about 1980 that proof of nesting activity has taken place there. The prevalence of well-stocked feeders is considered the primary explanation for this expansion.
Border regions close to their usual ranges see cardinals settling into those areas. They’re not yet commonly found in those border regions, but populations are increasing.
Habitat
Part of the cardinal’s success lies in the species’ adaptability to various environments. They reside in woodlands, shrubby thickets, swamps, and forest edges and clearings. Northern cardinals in the desert southwest live near streams and washes, in tall brushy growth and mesquite groves.
City parks and suburban residential gardens often host these beautiful birds, as long as it’s fairly quiet. They retreat to the security of thick undergrowth if disturbed but will return soon afterward. Cardinals are usually the first to arrive and the last to leave the backyard bird feeders. When I rise, before it’s light, inevitably it is the cardinal that comes first to the feeder, unless the opossum is having a late night out.
Northern cardinal and wren on back fence.
Plant a Garden for the Birds
You can encourage birds and other wildlife to make your property their home. Contact the local Audubon Society or other birding experts and find out which plants attract birds. One option is to have a landscape plan drawn up, incorporating features that will bring in the wildlife.
The garden depicted in the blueprint below shows the hardscape for a water garden I planted in the 1990’s: paths, stonework, pond, footbridges, and the underground wiring and plumbing. This new garden replaced all the lawn on the slope with a series of 5 waterfalls and a 35′ pond, stone steps, and layered plantings all around. Over time, my clients asked me to expand the gardens and remove more lawn, incorporating plants that offered berries, seeds, perches, and protection for birds.
The year-round availability of water attracted all sorts of wildlife, including dragonflies, frogs and toads, turtles, songbirds and birds of prey, and snakes. Occasionally, the owners added inexpensive feeder goldfish, after the great blue herons had picked off the ones that couldn’t hide fast enough.
Plant a lush landscape—less grass to mow!—that provides food, water, shelter, and nesting options. Include trees (small ones if your space is limited), evergreen and deciduous shrubs, and flowers that produce edible seeds or berries. Trees planted where they can shade the house and windows from hot afternoon sun will lower your energy bills.
Native Plants
Native plant species attract insects and offer food for birds and much of the rest of the food chain. Caterpillars will eat the leaves, and that’s a good thing. Resist the temptation to spray the “bugs”, which will feed many kinds of birds, lizards, and frogs. Although adult cardinals consume primarily seeds and fruits, they feed mostly insects to their nestlings. Pesticides will harm not only the insects but also the birds and other animals that feed on them.
Group together several trees and shrubs in the landscape. Birds prefer density of growth rather than a tree here and a couple of shrubs over there. If they can quickly retreat to dense undergrowth, they’ll feel more secure in your garden.
Walk through a local botanical garden and note the native species you might be able to use in your garden. Observe how the taller species are underplanted with masses of shrubs and perennials, giving a layered and full appearance. Keep these principles in mind when landscaping your property.
State Bird
This beloved bird has achieved state bird status in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina (Mother’s favorite!), Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. In some areas, they’re called “redbirds”.
Headings
Page 1: Welcome the Northern Cardinals, Where Cardinals Live, Habitat, Plant a Garden for the Birds (Native Plants), and State Bird
Page 2: The Cardinal’s Diet (The Problem with Seed Husks), Live Cam (links), The Yellow Northern Cardinal, Water, Growing Sunflowers, Nesting Cardinals (Sexual Dimorphism, Courtship, Longevity, The Nest and Eggs), Predators, and Bird Watching
There’s been considerable excitement, lately, around the old basil plants on the deck. Flashy yellow American goldfinches have been flitting around the plants, landing near the tops of 4′ tall stems.
Normally, I would have cut the stems to prevent flowering, but the herb has had basil downy mildew. So I just let it go, curious to see who would show up. What a pleasant surprise to see the goldfinches move in for a feast of seeds!
Before the seedpods ripened, though, ruby-throated hummingbirds came for the white flowers’ sweet nectar. Almost like clockwork, these tiny marvels stopped by for their daily visits late in the afternoon.
Recently, I moved the big pot of basil to a sunnier place less than 10′ away. But the hummingbirds continued looking for the flowers in the old location. They hovered for a few seconds, and then flew away. The birds repeated this pattern for a few days until they rediscovered their treasure.
Memories From Childhood
Sparrows.
We’ve been feeding birds all our lives, through the generations. I vividly remember my grandmother feeding the sparrows outside her kitchen door, and can recall the fevered chirps as they jockeyed for position and pleaded for more.
When my parents were dating, my mother’s green parrot bit right through my father’s fingernail.
Growing up, we always had a caged canary singing in the kitchen. And his name was always Tammy.
Before and after our own children were born, we kept various tiny chirpy finches, pairs of parakeets, and, for 20 years, a cockatiel named Narcissus. Narcissus was a rescue, and like my mother’s parrot 80 years ago, he never really warmed up to anyone else. For me, though—kisses, conversations, and a few bars of “We’re In the Army Now”. He sat on my shoulder, chuckling in my ear, between flights to the window for a peek outside.
Yes, we have an affinity for birds. Whether it’s bread crumbs, suet, pieces of fruit, peanut butter/seed pinecones, or bird seed from a bag…and water…our birds can count on us.
To The Rescue!
While growing up in Oradell, New Jersey, I often took in nestlings that fell from the neighbors’ trees. First I tried placing them back into their nests. At times there was nothing I could do; they were beyond help. And who knows? Maybe the parents pushed small or sickly birds out of the nests so they could concentrate on raising the rest of the brood.
Although not all the rescued chicks survived, I did my best to raise them to independence. Today, there are several organizations nationwide which will take orphaned animals.
Cedar Waxwings
Cedar waxwing.
One year, I raised a beautiful cedar waxwing, which returned year after year, coming much closer than the rest of the flock. They fed on insects and berries, timing their migratory visits to coincide with the harvests.
Decades later, I occasionally witnessed a rare moment in the Rockville, Maryland back yard. A flock of perhaps 50 cedar waxwings gathered around and hovered over the small goldfish pond, chattering and dipping their beaks into the water. After only a few minutes of this hasty business, they were gone, off to warmer climes!
If I hadn’t peered out the kitchen window at just the right time, I would have missed it. We lived in that house for about 30 years, but I saw this activity only 3 or 4 times.
American Goldfinches
Migrations
The American goldfinch (Spinus tristus) spends its summer breeding season from North Carolina to Washington state, and north to parts of Canada. Its winter range shifts farther south, across the United States, except for the coldest regions of the northern states, and to parts of Mexico.
Populations will remain near stocked feeders in northern parts of their range if temperatures are above 0°F. Many migratory birds will hang around for the winter, and not head for warmer habitats, if food is readily and consistently available.
This sociable little finch travels in flocks, often in association with pine siskins and common redpolls. Peak migration seasons are mid-fall and early spring.
Its flight pattern is an undulating wave. The bird flaps its wings a few times, and then glides. It often chirps during flight while it flaps its wings, and is silent when gliding.
The American goldfinch is the state bird in New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington.
Habitat
American goldfinches are common in weedy fields, meadows, floodplains, and in open woods. They’re found among shrubbery, along roadsides, and around suburban residential properties. All season, they seek semi-open areas, trees, and dense evergreens for shelter and nesting.
The National Audubon Society reports that songbird populations are declining in most areas around the country. Habitat loss, the use of harsh chemicals, exotics displacing native species…these are some of the factors that take their toll. One practice that would help all seed-eaters is simply letting plants remain in the garden after they’ve gone to seed.
Median Strips
When traveling several hundred miles north a couple of months ago, I noticed that miles and miles of the median strips, in Virginia and Pennsylvania, had been allowed to go “natural”. There were mature stands of wild “weeds” including milkweed, Queen Anne’s lace (wild carrot), goldenrod, ironweed, chicory, black-eyed Susan, grasses, and various asters. And, there were lots of moths and butterflies, including monarchs, and American goldfinches, of course, feeding on the seeds.
It was quite a shock to see this about-face in management style. Where mowers and machines previously had kept the near-sterile ground cover at a mere inch or two, these long stretches boasted complex systems of flowers and seedheads, saplings, and greenery in various stages of development...in other words, life!
Although this style of landscaping won’t appeal to everyone, I was happy to see nature catch a break. Maybe it’s time to adopt a new attitude…one that takes into consideration all organisms within an ecological system, seen and unseen. It’s time to look beyond aestheticism, and incorporate principles of sustainability if we’re ever to see a decline in population loss and extinction.
Food Sources
Perennials
A smorgasbord for goldfinches: pink coneflower, orange sunflower, blue globe thistle, white yarrow.
American goldfinches forage in flocks, except while breeding. They prefer habitats we consider weedy, feeding on many plants in the Asteraceae family, or the composites. That includes native perennials such as:
globe thistle (Echinops)
flodman’s thistle (Cirsium flodmanii)
field thistle (C. discolor)
cobweb thistle (C. occidentale)
wayleaf thistle (C. undulatum). Thistle is their first choice. Check with your cooperative extension service to see if any of these native American species are considered invasive in your region.
goldenrod (Solidago)
ragweed (Ambrosia). This one, not goldenrod, causes late season hay fever.
purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
New England asters (Symphiotrichum [formerly Aster] novae-angliae)
cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium, formerly Eupatorium)
yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.)
Thistle and European goldfinches.
More Perennials
bee balm (Monarda)
anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). A patch of lemon balm grew outside the kitchen window when I lived in Maryland. In late summer, I let it go to seed for the American goldfinch. These agile acrobats grasped the 2′ stems, bobbing up and down while feeding on the seeds. American goldfinches apparently enjoy several plants in this family (Lamiaceae)—the balms, hyssop, basil, catnip, sage…
Goldfinches also feed on young twig bark, maple sap, and tree leaf buds.
Deadheading your plants—removing the aging seedpods—results in a tidier garden, but one that is devoid of goldfinches. So, if you enjoy watching these sprightly birds, allow at least some of your plants to go to seed. Other insects and animals also will benefit from a more casual approach to gardening.
A flock of goldfinches feeding on salvia seeds.
Annuals
Zinnia angustifolia, the Star series.
Annuals that goldfinches feed on include zinnia, cosmos, daisies, salvia, marigold, poppies, and black-oil sunflowers. The American goldfinches are granivores, feeding almost exclusively on seeds. Consumption of insects is more accidental than it is intentional.
If you have an abundance of zinnia, cosmos, or sunflower seedheads, but prefer cleaning up the garden before planting the autumn pansies and violas, consider harvesting them after the seeds ripen. Save them in a cool dry place, where mice can’t reach them, for the autumn and winter feeders.
But don’t wait too long to first offer the seeds. You want to invite American goldfinches to stay before they migrate from the area. And, once you start, continue feeding them through winter.
Nyjer (Guizotia abyssinia, an herb of Ethiopian origin) and black oil sunflower seeds can be purchased from garden centers, hardware stores, warehouse clubs, and from specialty wildlife centers. Nyjer is grown in Ethiopia and Kenya, and is sterilized before importation. Often called “thistle”, this is an unrelated plant.
Trees and Shrubs
Ask your local Audubon chapter and other bird specialists for specific advice about native trees and shrubs that support populations of the American goldfinch. Some species that offer seeds and shelter include:
elm (Ulmus americana). Look for varieties that are resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.
American basswood (Tilia americana)
hazelnut (Corylus cornuta)
American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
American sycamore (Platanusoccidentalis)
common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
river birch, and other species (Betula spp.)
western red cedar (Thuja plicata), and other arborvitae species
white alder (Alnus rhombifolia)
western redbud (Cercis occidentalis)
common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
island mallow (Lavatera assurgentiflora)
Greens
Goldfinches have been seen feeding on beet greens and on foliage of sunflowers and zinnias. Those evenly-spaced V-shaped bites on the edges of Sedum leaves are due to birds seeking moisture and maybe nutrients. But I can’t yet definitively accuse the goldfinches of this practice.
Male American goldfinch.
Headings
Page 1: American Goldfinches and Basil, Memories From Childhood (To the Rescue!, Cedar Waxwings), Migrations, Habitat (Median Strips), Food Sources (Perennials, Annuals, Trees and Shrubs, Greens)
Page 2: Feeding American Goldfinches: To Feed Or Not To Feed (On the Menu, Feeders, On Sunflowers), Weeds and Water, Nesting, Cowbirds, Other Goldfinches, a New Perspective In Gardening (Some Simple Fixes To Help American Goldfinches)
Yesterday, US 64/US 74-Alt/NC 9 delivered me to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. The weather forecast predicted a hot Saturday here in Charlotte. So I decided to take another trip to the mountains of western North Carolina. There’s rarely a plan or an itinerary of any sort, but I always end up somewhere.
I have been there before, once a couple of years ago to walk the length of the bridge, and many times as a drive-by viewer on my way to…somewhere. If I had stayed home, I would have felt compelled to plant the potted vegetables that were quietly pleading, “Plant us…Plant us!”
View from the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.
A Little History
This “Gateway to Somewhere Beautiful”, it’s called, opened in 2013, after a new bridge had been built 2 years earlier, right next to it. The original 1925 bridge and now this pedestrian walkway span the Rocky Broad River, which feeds Lake Lure, an easy stroll along the Town Center Walkway. (Parts of the movie “Dirty Dancing” and other movies were filmed here.) Stunning stone backdrops surround the lake, where you can enjoy water sports, dine, or simply sit back and take it all in.
The Visitor Center, between the lake and the garden, houses a small museum with artifacts and informative historical displays. You can trace the history of the Hickory Nut Gorge from the time of the Cherokee and Catawba Indians. Read about the area’s involvement in the Civil War and the Gold Rush, to today’s economy, centered around agriculture, industry, and tourism.
The garden has been designated a Monarch Way Station by Monarch Watch. And the National Wildlife Federation includes it in its Certified Wildlife Habitat program. It is known as “Historic Bridge Seven” in the Register of Historic Places.
Path through the gardens, with scenic backdrop.
A short drive down the road is Chimney Rock State Park (“The Last of the Mohicans”) and the always bustling Chimney Rock Village. Here you can enjoy shopping and outdoor dining while being mesmerized by the sound of rushing water cascading down the rocky incline. Did I mention how scenic this area is? Spectacular!
The beautiful Rocky Broad River.
Back to the Garden
A paved pathway takes visitors through a succession of gardens.There’s an herb garden, a fragrance garden, and one that highlights tropicals. And a miniature train garden, succulents, and roses. Annuals are planted here and there, providing vibrant color and nectar for the bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
Perennials and woody plants are the backbone of this garden, and each section has a plant list to help identify individual specimens. This garden is open all year, inviting opportunities for new experiences every time I visit.
Expanding gardens spill out over the ends of the bridge span, offering more potential garden space. The parking lot is at one end, near the huge maple tree (2019—now a stump!). Planted near the other end of the garden is a Franklin tree, which no longer exists in the wild. You can stay on the level curvy paved path or explore several side pathways.
There is no charge to visit, but do leave a donation in the box near the lake end of the walk. Contribute $200 (today=?) and have an engraved brick placed along the path. This garden is planted and maintained entirely by a group of hard-working volunteers.
Everywhere you go, you will see whimsical additions to the landscape. There are bird baths with good-luck coins (cameras are watching, the signs say), and repurposed painted doors. That’s a nice touch along a path as the garden transitions into another style or simply to add a splash of color.
You’ll see metal sculptures from inconspicuous to the can’t-miss Opuntia, houses for birds and bees, and an old chair with the seat replaced with a sack of soil and succulents.
Wildlife
Gulf fritillary butterfly.
Chrysalis on elephant ear.
Red-spotted purple butterfly.
The bright orange butterfly is a Gulf Fritillary. Males are bright orange, and females are slightly browner. The caterpillars feed on passion flowers (Passiflora), and adults take nectar from butterfly bush (Buddleia), lantana, zinnia, and other flowers.
Where water drained from one of the raised beds, a butterfly called the Red-Spotted Purple paused for a mineral drink. The larvae of this butterfly feed on several species of trees, including amelanchier, aspen, birch, poplar, and wild cherry. Adults find sustenance from dripping tree sap, rotten fruit, carrion…and dung. Sometimes they sip nectar from spirea, viburnum, and privet flowers. Birds avoid the red-spotted purple because it mimics the poisonous pipevine swallowtail butterfly. But I wonder if that’s the only reason.
This chrysalis (photo, above) clings to the back of an elephant ear leaf. Tropical Colocasia plants add dramatic presence to a garden, with huge green or purplish-black arrowhead leaves.
Another butterfly skipping around the lantana and the basil flowers was the Clouded Sulfur butterfly. Small lizards (green anoles) scurried off when disturbed.
A tall perennial sunflower, Helianthus, for late blooms and bumble bees.
A cultivar of the perennial native sunflower (Helianthus) was a favorite of the bees. This stately plant grows to 7′ tall and offers bright color in sun to partial shade when little else flowers there at this time of year.
A water hose thoughtfully left on the edge of the sidewalk filled a bowl for thirsty dogs. It was a hot day! Heading back to the parking lot, the metal archway misted cool water on visitors who chose to take this route. That felt great.
So, What’s Blooming Now?
Perennials
Pollinators at work on the goldenrod, Solidago. This is not the plant responsible for hay fever.
Camera in hand, I clicked away as others smiled hello or asked “What’s that?” There were visitors from New York, and several from other countries. A lovely woman from Hickory commented on the turquoise-winged wasps all over the goldenrods (Solidago), and was curious to know the name of another yellow flower. It was listed on the nearby clipboard as Rudbeckia fulgida, a small-leaved black-eyed Susan. It’s native to the eastern U.S.
Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida.
A popular seller at the Maryland markets where I sold plants was Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida, a better choice, in my opinion, than the ubiquitous ‘Goldsturm’. I’m not sure if the specimens on the bridge were R. fulgida, as indicated on the plant list, or R. fulgida var. fulgida. The latter black-eyed Susan, a slightly glossy-leaved variety of the species, starts blooming a week or two later than ‘Goldsturm’, but it continues non-stop until frost.
And it is not susceptible to that unsightly black mildew that often covers leaves of ‘Goldsturm’. Sure, the flowers are smaller, but, to me, it is the superior variety.
Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’.
Reblooming bearded irises (“Update”, below) were budding up for an encore presentation, and chrysanthemums filled in the gaps. Tall, white Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ lit up the partly shaded recesses of the metal archway.
Burgundy chrysanthemum echoes similar color in glass bead sculpture.
More Perennials
New England asters, Gaura, pink turtlehead (Chelone obliqua), garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ were finishing up their blooms. Ripening seedheads of coneflowers (Echinacea) and black-eyed Susans attract hungry birds, especially the finches. Now there’s a lesson for visitors to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge—keep the seedpods on the plants for the birds!
Heuchera, also called alumroot or coral bells, is bulking up foliage for what I’m sure will be an impressive display next year. Cooler temperatures bring out a vibrancy in the foliage that rivals fall tree color. Hummingbirds visit the airy flowers for their sweet nectar.
Also growing in part shade was toad lily (Tricyrtus), with orchid-like purple spotted flowers. It won’t grab your attention as other brightly colored flowers will, but, viewed up close, it has its charms. The fact that it blooms at the end of the growing season and in mostly shady conditions merits placement along a woodland path.
Annuals
Ruellia, sometimes called Mexican petunia.
There’s great botanical diversity on the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. The brochure states there are over 700 species of plants in this garden!
A few heat-loving annuals are blooming overtime, such as lantana, scaevola (fanflower), ruellia, cuphea, and zinnia, attracting butterflies and bees. Coleus varieties, partly shaded by the maple tree, will stay in leaf until cold weather or frost claims them.
While perennial gardening offers many benefits, the annuals deliver an abundance of color and the opportunity to grow something different every year.
Violas in our front yard flower through the winter.
In our front garden, near the sidewalk, I planted biennial violas a few weeks ago. Smaller cousins of the pansy, violas bloom all winter and spring in this USDA zone 7b location. They will succumb to late spring’s high temperatures.
The deer are fond of violas, so I spray the plants with a deer repellent every 3 or 4 weeks. I wonder if these plants will “bridge the gap” in this garden between fall and spring.
Shrubs
Many of the plants on the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge have noteworthy features in the fall. When landscaping your property, look for not only flowers, but also ornamental bark, attractive twigginess or structure, fragrance, fall color, fruits, and benefits to wildlife.
Beautyberry
White Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, overhanging Rudbeckia fulgida.
Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), with branches gracefully bending under the weight of their fruits, is an easy shrub to grow. The birds feed on the ripe berries, distributing their seeds. Robins, mockingbirds, and thrashers will eat the berries when their favorite foods are no longer available.
There are both purple- and white-berried Callicarpa americana shrubs on the bridge. This beautyberry is a multi-stemmed shrub growing 4′ to 6′ tall. It’s native to the southeastern U.S., from Texas to Virginia, in USDA zones 6 to 10. Cultivars of Callicarpa dichotoma and other Asian species range from 3′ to 10′ tall.
Purple beautyberry, Callicarpa americana.
I used to cut back the purple beautyberry (C. dichotoma) in our Maryland garden to only 6″ or 12″. Because flowers, and therefore berries, form on new growth, this approach keeps it more manageable in the landscape. In fact, delaying the pruning until mid spring (instead of late winter to early spring) will cause it to leaf out a bit later, keeping the plant even shorter and less “wild” looking.
Beautyberry is undemanding in a casual mixed border. This plant vigorously self-seeds, although birds consume many of the fruits.
Colchicum autumnale ‘Waterlily’.
Planted near purple beautyberry in the Maryland garden, a fall-blooming bulb calledColchicum autumnale ‘Waterlily’perfectly echoed the berries of the shrub. It is poisonous, so use with caution.
Mosquito Repellent
Fresh leaves of American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, contain a substance that is said to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects.
I haven’t tried the beautyberry, but catnip (Nepeta cataria) always did an excellent job keeping mosquitoes away from me. Simply crush several leaves and rub it on your skin, adding a few drops of water to help distribute the natural repellent.
Strawberry Bush
Native strawberry bush, Euonymus americanus.
Another shrub sporting curious-looking fruits is “hearts-a-bustin”, or strawberry bush. Euonymus americanus, native to the eastern U.S. (zones 6 to 9), is a suckering shrub, growing eventually to about 6′ by 6′. Inconspicuous flowers develop dark orange-red fruits in autumn, providing food for birds, but they’re toxic to us.
The untamed nature of this shrub is well suited to a wild native garden or on wooded slopes. Deer feed on the foliage and twigs.
This plant is susceptible to crown gall and, like other Euonymus species, to euonymus scale. But it does have interesting characteristics if you’re looking for a native plant to add to a woodland garden. Strawberry bush tolerates clay or sandy soil, and growing near black walnut trees.
The Franklin Tree
The Franklin tree, Franklinia alatamaha.
A Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) grows near the lake end of the path. This medium sized tree is related to Camellia and Stewartia, in the family Theaceae. It has late season white flowers, vibrant red fall color, and ornamental striated bark. It needs well-drained, acidic soil, and dislikes compacted clay and wet conditions. Don’t plant it where cotton has been grown.
Franklinia has the reputation for being difficult to grow, but if you live within zones 5 to 8 and welcome a challenge…
Pennsylvania botanists John Bartram (1699-1777) and his son, William (1739-1823), “discovered” this plant in 1765. They collected specimens, saving the species from extinction, and named it in honor of their friend, Benjamin Franklin. All existing Franklin trees originated from specimens collected over 200 years ago, near the Alatamaha River in Georgia. Unfortunately, it disappeared from the wild at about that time.
Styrax Japonica
Japanese snowbell, Styrax japonica.
Another tree, one of my favorites, is the smooth-barked Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica). This is a finely branched medium sized tree with fragrant dangling delicate white flowers that appear after the spring rush is over. Some of the seedpods can be seen splitting open (photo taken Nov. 3), revealing brown seeds inside.
The species has a lovely broad umbrella-shaped canopy, but newer cultivars tend to be more upright. It grows in zones 5 to 8. A pink-flowering cultivar is available.
Time To Go
On the road again, Route 64 climbs to a cool 2500′ elevation as it continues winding through small towns and apple fields toward Hendersonville, where I sometimes have a hefty tuna sandwich on marbled rye before heading home.
I’d like to see the garden’s winter light display, so I might return to see that. But the fall color in the mountains of western North Carolina will probably draw me back in a month or two. Most likely, the trip will include a stop at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.
***Update: November 3, 2018***
A pair of painted gourds.
On a quest for pictures of fall foliage in the foothills and lower elevation mountains of western North Carolina, I was reminded instead of the consequences of recent storms: broken limbs, toppled trees, and some rock slides…but no photo ops of fiery maples or golden hickories. The power of nature!
Today’s trip to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge presented a few new subjects…
The rich purple reblooming irises didn’t disappoint. Several plants were in full flower, and some had more buds yet to unfurl. Blue fall-blooming asters welcomed busy honey bees, and purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) still had some flowers. Clusters of yellow quilled petals crowned a robust Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’.
Reblooming iris.
Fall-blooming aster.
Late blooms of Rudbeckia s. ‘Henry Eilers’.
Throughout the garden, seasonal decorations nestled in among the plants and structures. Pumpkins of various shapes and colors, painted squashes, sequined straw-stuffed figures… Soon these undoubtedly will give way to wintry themes and holiday lights.
A local company called Mark of Excellence, Inc., had just completed building this new information kiosk (photo, below). Mark, like all other contributors to this garden, volunteered his services for the enjoyment of all visitors.
Even though it’s November, you can see that the growing season is hardly at an end! Visiting public gardens, parks, farmers’ markets, and garden centers during off-peak times of the year will tempt you with some of these season-extenders.
It doesn’t take much to get me outdoors, but give me some plants to fuss over, admire, or photograph…and, well…dinner will be a little late.
Trips to the garden center and articles about landscaping and edible gardening. Radio garden programs and school field trips. What do they have in common?
The subject of Pollinators will come up!
And for good reason: we rely on pollinators for more than a third of our entire food supply! Without the bees, butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds, we would not be able to feed our growing populations. Apple, peach, and nut trees, tomatoes and peppers. Zucchini, cucumbers, berry bushes, and farm animal feed. These are just a few crops that depend on these little critters. Trees, grasses, shrubs, and wildflowers also rely on pollinators for procreation.
Pollinators are attracted to the flowers’ sweet nectar, for carbohydrates, and to pollen for proteins and lipids. Insects and other pollinators gather nectar and pollen from the flowers they visit. During this beneficial arrangement, called mutualism, they unintentionally transfer pollen grains from one flower to the next.
The Fruits of Pollination
Pollen (the male component) deposited onto a receptive stigma (female) in a flower belonging to the same species initiates the fruiting process. The half set of haploid chromosomes in ovules and sperm are recombined during fertilization. (This is not the kind of fertilization that involves nutrients). This restores the full diploid chromosome count. The ovary (fruit) grows and toughens, protecting the seeds until the fruits are harvested or the seeds dispersed.
Fruits, though, aren’t limited to the recognizable apples, peaches, and pears on a grocery store shelf. Botanically, a fruit is any seed- or spore-bearing structure in flowering plants and other organisms. This includes wheat, a kernel of corn, a plump blueberry, a sweet cherry, or an heirloom tomato. Even fungi, including mushrooms, have “fruiting bodies”.
Animals attracted to these nutritious fruits aid in seed dispersal, although in many cases, the seeds themselves are consumed and digested.
And there are some anomalies in Mother Nature’s kingdom that permit us to call strawberries “fruits” or “berries”, although they are neither! The luscious little strawberry is the swollen receptacle, the part that connects the flower to the stem. The actual fruits, or achenes, are those little brown things on the outside. And there’s a seed inside each achene.
No pollination means no fruit in up to 80% of our edible crops!
Honey Bees
A honeycomb.
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are not native to the Americas. They originated in Africa and migrated to Indonesia, Europe, and Asia. The early colonists brought them here, where they proliferated throughout the frontier, preceding the settlers’ expansion into new territory. Before this species was imported, thousands of other types of insects and animals pollinated flowers. And they still do!
As the nation’s population grew, more crops entered cultivation. Agriculture became even more dependent upon these easily domesticated pollinators.
Almonds.
California’s almond harvest relies entirely on bee activity for nut production. In fact, beekeepers ship 75% of the country’s “beehives for hire” to flowering almond orchards to ensure a good crop.
Of the many thousands of bee species found worldwide, the honey bee is the only one that makes honey. Forager bees returning to the hive with nectar give this bounty to the processor bees. Processors pass the nectar among themselves, helping to lower the water content. Then they deposit the liquid into cells and fan it with their wings to concentrate the honey. After that, they cap the cells with wax to seal the compartment.
Forager bees mix their saliva with the pollen they collected, which the processors place in the cells. Once they’re capped, the mixture begins fermenting, resulting in a substance called bee bread. Both types of cells, with pollen and nectar, also contain enzymes from the bees. Nurse bees feed this bee bread to all larvae, and the colony can access it for sustenance during winter. Enriched bee bread, called royal jelly, is reserved for queen larvae. Not all the honey is harvested by beekeepers; most is kept in the hives.
Why All the Fuss About Pollinators?
A syndrome known as Colony Collapse Disorder has raised the alarm to protect the honey bees. It is not precisely known what prevents most of the bees from returning to the hives. However, it is known that the queen, the larvae, and the honey have been abandoned. Without help from the drones and worker bees, the colony fails.
This is not a new phenomenon, though. Farmers a hundred years ago reported losing up to 90% of their bees to this “disappearing disease”.
CCD was named around 2006, when sudden losses affected increasingly larger proportions of total hive counts. By then, some honey bee operations had lost 50 to 90% of their hives. For the next 8 years, farmers reported hive losses averaging 33% per year.
Current Research
Research has pointed to several possible explanations, although combinations of factors are probably in play. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency joined forces to monitor CCD.
Various avenues of research are being pursued involving mites, fungi, loss of habitat, and lack of genetic diversity. Additional issues include chemical contamination of food sources and agricultural pesticides, notably the controversial neonicotinoids and fungicides. The Varroa mite and phorid flies are being researched for diseases that they could be vectoring into the hives.
Another question centers on pollen’s nutritional content from our crops, which might be weakening immunity.
In 2006, the honey bee’s genetic code was sequenced, opening up molecular approaches to treating CCD. Continuing research projects, through surveys, samples, and mitigation techniques overseen by the USDA, are getting closer to solutions. Unfortunately, there are no definitive answers for now.
Courses of action currently being followed include using antibiotics, fumigants, and genetic stock showing immunity to disease.
Honey bee on aster.
So, What Can We Do About It?
To Spray Or Not to Spray
We can manage our properties in ways that are less harmful to the bees’ health. First, consider whether or not we really need to spray every insect that shows up in our landscape. No, of course we don’t!
Maybe you’ve been using a certain product for the last 30 years because it has delivered a 100% kill rate. Overkill? Okay, then, now might be a good time to reassess the need for it. By the way, most municipal recycling stations take old or unwanted containers of chemicals. Please don’t throw them in the trash or pour them down the drain or in the yard!
Make some changes today that help restore ecological health and predator/prey balance to your landscape.
If there are only a few pests damaging your plants, hand-pick them. Cutting them in half or squashing them is more humane than salting them or dropping them in a bucket of soapy water. Never use salt in the garden. A strong spray of water from the hose will wash away most of the aphids.
It’s unrealistic to be entirely free of insect life. And no one wants to live in that world.
Try Using These
In my gardens, I rarely use anything stronger than horticultural oil, organic Sluggo, or Bt. All of them are available in garden centers. See if you can tolerate less than perfect foliage or fruit in return for a cleaner environment. As I grow older, imperfection becomes increasingly acceptable.
Investigate some of the organic options, which are gaining favor throughout the gardening world. The products I mentioned are available from some manufacturers that have been licensed to print the “OMRI” logo (Organic Materials Review Institute) on their labels. Some companies choose not to pay the licensing fee, but their products are “just as organic” as the OMRI products.
Most importantly, don’t spray plants when pollinators are actively visiting them. The products mentioned above do not harm honey bees if used according to label instructions. Follow them carefully, paying special attention to dilution rates and time of application.
Bt
Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a naturally occurring bacterium that paralyzes the digestive system of moth and butterfly larvae by changing the pH in their gut. After ingesting some of the Bt, the caterpillar stops feeding and dies a day or two later. It is more effective on younger caterpillars.
Dinosaur kale with caterpillar holes.
I use it on the brassicas (broccoli, kale, etc.) to prevent utter devastation by caterpillars. Not using it at all means more than just a few holes in the leaves. The leaves disappear!
It works on gypsy moths, canker worms, cabbage worms, cutworms, squash vine borers, tent caterpillars, and the “very hungry caterpillar” known as the tobacco hornworm, among others.
The tomato hornworm looks similar to the tobacco hornworm (photo, below), except it has V-shaped lines and a black “horn” instead of a red one. But, again, if you see entire tomato stems denuded of their leaves, look for that hornworm first before filling the sprayer. There might be only one or two on a large plant. (Tip: if you see their poop pellets, look above them.)
Different strains of Bt also control fungus gnats, potato beetles, mosquitoes, and nematodes.
Tobacco hornworm with parasitic wasp pupae.
Braconid Wasps
This species of Braconid wasp, Cotesia congregata, will kill or severely weaken the tobacco hornworm (photo, above). First, a female wasp lays eggs on or in the caterpillar. After hatching, the wasp larvae feed on the caterpillar’s internal tissues, and then pupate in the white cocoons.
Although it looks menacing, there’s really no need to spray this one. Simply remove the weakened caterpillar to the shrubs. The adult wasps will emerge, and then a bird or a lizard might finish off the caterpillar. The adult form of the hornworm is a type of hawk moth.
Headings
Page 1: What’s All the Buzz About Pollinators? (The Fruits of Pollination), Honey Bees (Why All the Fuss About Pollinators?, Current Research), and So, What Can We Do About It? (To Spray Or Not To Spray, Try Using These, Bt, Braconid Wasps)
Page 2: Planting for Pollinators (For Bees, For Butterflies and Moths, For Hummingbirds), Pollinators In the Landscape (Plant Selection, Host Plants and Nectar Plants, The Importance of Native Plants for Pollinators, Water and Minerals, Shelter), Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden, and National Pollinator Week
The hollies (Ilex spp.) are another genus of primarily dioecious (Latin for “two houses”) plants that fruit on female plants. They ordinarily require a male plant, or pollenizer, to set fruit, although holly pollenizers (the males) themselves do not set fruit. Modern breeding techniques have yielded several cultivars that can make berries without pollination.
Many varieties of recent sunflower introductions have been hybridized to grow flowers with very little or no viable pollen at all. When looking through catalogs, make note of the ones called “pollenless”. These varieties will make less of a mess on the credenza and won’t cause you to sneeze. But they have little to offer bees and butterflies.
A paved pathway takes visitors through a succession of gardens. There’s an herb garden, a fragrance garden, and one that highlights tropicals. And a miniature train garden, succulents, and roses. Annuals are planted here and there, providing vibrant color and nectar for the 
And for good reason: we rely on pollinators for more than a third of our entire food supply! Without the bees, butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds, we would not be able to feed our growing populations. Apple, peach, and nut trees, tomatoes and peppers. Zucchini, cucumbers, berry bushes, and farm animal feed. These are just a few crops that depend on these little critters. Trees, grasses, shrubs, and wildflowers also rely on pollinators for procreation.
