Awesome, thank you for sharing! I also see bare root plants and seeds available from private sellers, on Etsy for example. (Always good to double check they’re sourcing ethically)
Pollinator/bird gardening is an all important subject. If everyone could plant just a few native species or cultivars in their spaces, collectively it would be a game changer for our ecosystem. Thanks for being part of the solution in bringing important information to gardeners everywhere.
This is great information as a retired landscaper I forget these beautiful plants do such great things for birds. And insects. I'm going to make a list of these particular shrubs and send it to my senators and representatives as a major plantings for our highways.
That’s a wonderful idea - adding more natives into the landscaper’s pallette would make a huge difference! I’ve been noticing more inkberry holly, penstemon and little bluestem in some large landscaping projects near me - looks beautiful!
I collected a few spicebush berries from an established stand in our area and when I got home I threw them near our persimmon tree among liatris and golden rod. I forgot about them until two years later when I recognized its beautiful leaves. This past year I noticed 4 spicebush caterpillars and a few berries showing it is a female. Another option for propagation. Sometimes I call myself the lazy gardener. 😁
Wow, what an amazing story! The spicebush swallowtail caterpillars are so cool - they are patterned to mimic a snake, and can even stick out a false tongue when they feel threatened! Just found this video that shows an example, and the video says they even absorb chemicals from the spicebush leaves that they can use to emit a "foul odor" when threatened! So cool! ruclips.net/video/uQhWDBzlLCM/видео.html
Thank you!! I have been trying to research this but made slow progress. I grew up in Europe and now live in the states. We have a large. 1970s yard, largely just grass, and I want to make it more bird and pollinator friendly with native trees and shrubbery- your video is hugely helpful!! 😊
I’m so glad it’s useful! And excited you are planning a habitat garden - I’ve found mine amazingly rewarding, and I’m still new at it! It’s amazing how fast life fills up the garden when it’s planted with them in mind!
Hollies are also great for pollinators and any native holly seems to be loved by wildlife. An often overlooked plant is sabal minor which is a native dwarf palm shrub hardy throughout zone 7b. The can be grown in colder areas just by planting against a sunny warm wall. They are a favorite for pollinators and birds. They often eat the fruits as soon as or before they are fully ripe.
Hollies never cease to amaze me with the number of pollinators they attract! I’ll check out sabal minor, I’ve never heard of that one before - thank you for the suggestion!
Thank you for the great information. I have been working to transform our yard into “healthy.” I just ordered 59 bushes in gallon containers from Prairie Nursery in Wisconsin. 🎉
Holy Cow! 😅 I hope you have some help getting all those in the ground! Prairie Nursery has a nice diversity of shrubs - would be curious to hear what you picked out!
You asked, so here goes: button bushes, serviceberry, pussy willow, elderberry,, pagoda Dogwood, Blackhaw viburnum, Downey arrowwood, red osier Dogwood, and highbush cranberry. I’m thinking about adding some snowberries to the order. What’s your experience with them? I would describe this area as on the dry and partial sun. Yes, I’ve reached out for help. We planted 1800 plants this past spring and I learned my lesson.
Awesome choices! 1800 plants - I’m speechless 😂 . I want to convert our front lawn and have thought about doing a massive planting event like you’re describing. With a front garden it can’t be in disarray too long without angering the neighbors! I’ve not planted snowberry yet myself but definitely have it on my short list! Prairie Nursery describes it at adaptable, so it might be a pretty forgiving species! “This adaptable native shrub tolerates a variety of conditions and soil types, including clay, but the best flowering and fruiting will occur in full sun.”
Hello from New York! My husband and I bought a piece of an old farmers field last year and are working to restore habitat. We bought native shrubs from our county’s water and conservation department (spicebush, serviceberry and American hazelnuts), which may be another place for your viewers to check for reasonably priced rooted cuttings. I’m excited to look for northern bayberry and American burning bush to add to the mix. Great video!
I'm excited to read what you're doing! Great suggestion for how to source plants! And those are all awesome species - I would love to plant both spicebush and hazelnut soon! Thank you for the lovely comment! - also, I noticed yesterday that Direct Native Plants has added one species of American burning bush for sale: directnativeplants.com/product/bursting-heart/
Here are a few other suggestions someone listed in a separate comment for where to find American burning bush: "Arbor Day Foundation, Chief River Nursery, TyTy Nursery for strawberrybush."
Yesterday January 13, bluebirds came to our front yard and were eating berries from American holly, red chokeberry and Virginia creeper. It happened in 5 minutes or less. They apparently have other options as they come infrequently, but of course, maybe they’re here when I’m not looking. In a park within walking distance I see bluebirds eating hackberry throughout winter and earlier in fall Pokeberry. Unfortunately there are winter creeper berries invasive in park that many birds love and are spreading everywhere. Great video! Shrubs are a fun way to go for attracting birds.
That’s a lot of action - love it! I’ve been seeing 2 pairs of bluebirds on our property but a bit further from our house, maybe going after some of the Virginia creeper if there are any berries left. I’m just starting to plant fruiting shrubs but very excited for them to get going and to plant more!
I find it all too fascinating! I actually enjoy a bit of weather, as long as I’m dressed warm, but I did get pretty soggy on this run 😅 Thank you for watching!
Well done. You've listed several to study up on. We were out and about on a country ride a few years ago and noticed a couple Pileated Woodpeckers feeding on Staghorn Sumac. They were fun to watch and allowed us to grab a short video clip.
Thank you! Oh wow, that sounds like quite something to watch! I’ve never seen Pileateds go after fruit, very cool - they’re stunning to watch! Love their calls too, such cool birds!
@@gardenforbirds It was nice! Of course, I now have some Staghorn Sumac planted in my front yard. We have a pair that nest in some big Sycamore Trees. Something else I saw a Pileated feeding on while sitting in my deer stand one season was berries from - believe it or not - a Poison Ivy Vine.
@@outdoorztime2923 I’ve read about this! Only a few species of primates (like us 😅) apparently have an allergic reaction, and I’ve read lots of species use the berries! I’ve not seen it yet for myself, but I do let a vine grow in one area where the kids don’t go, so I’ve got a shot at witnessing one day!
Wow good info on highbush cranberry! I went on a cruise to SE Alaska and that was everywhere growing in the understory under Sitka spruce. I wonder then if the berries are best in late winter/very early spring in the time that would coincide with Sitka spruce pollen being available? I have a snowberry, reading about them I got the impression that the saponins are somewhat toxic, so the birds would only eat them as a famine food. Or maybe they become more edible as the winer progresses and the saponins break down? This is my first year with berries so I'm watching to see when they get eaten! It's a great caterpillar host plant too and bees really like the flowers.
Very interesting! That’s a great question - I’ve been really impressed with how different plants coordinate like that, so wouldn’t be surprised if you’re right about the Spruce! As I’ve read, I saw that the saponins were mildly toxic for humans and pets but beneficial for birds - have you seen many birds eating your berries? I wonder if they have a relationship with other plants similar to the Highbush cranberry that maybe we don’t know about yet…I wonder if they eat the berries alongside something else to make them more digestible (also, apparently snowberry will attract hummingbirds when in bloom!)
I have two crabapple trees that have persistent fruit that remains on the tree all winter. Many gardeners and bird enthusiasts say that birds will eat the small crabapples, but I never seen birds consuming the ones on my trees. They just eventually rot and fall off in the early spring.
Sadly it sounds like you have a variety that is unpalatable to birds. There is not enough space here to list the ones that are good/not good choices for birds but if you Google it you will find varieties that birds love.
I haven’t had a crabapple of my own (yet!) but was reading that birds may prefer species that make smaller fruits. I’ve had good luck with our serviceberry tree, and there are also quite a few serviceberries that have more of a shrub form. The birds really like the fruit, and they’re edible for humans too!
Very interesting! It's helping me to understand what I need to be looking into when planning my balcony garden. I'll be in South of France, so I'm doing my own research for our area. We have very rare frosts in our zone, so needs are probably vastly different, but your videos are very helpful in guiding my research. Thank you for sharing.
That's awesome, every little bit absolutely helps! I hope you have some good success with researching plants for your area - infrequent frosts should help you to have lots of options for container plantings!
Hey! I really enjoyed this video! You explain all of this info very well, so thank you! I have found that the American Euonymus is quite easy to propagate from cuttings, with a little patience of course. I could send you one, but I'm in TN, so it probably would be better for you to find a local ecoype. Let me know if you'd like a cutting. Sadly, I have tried seeds for this species, to no avail...Perhaps you might do a video on seed starting for these shrubs... I just ordered some wax myrtle seeds after this video!I do winter sowing in milk jugs, and have had pretty good germination.
A video on seed starting is a great idea! I’ve read that the seeds like to pass through birds digestive systems to help scarify their seeds, which improve s the germination rate. I’ve been curious how they germinate without that process. You can sometimes scarify the seeds manually. Good to know about the cuttings! Where did you find yours? It seems like Euonymous americanus is easier (but still not easy) to find for sale than Euonymous atropurpureus - also, the number of native Euonymous species has surprised me!
I am a complete newby, but I've been reading 2 books, "Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation" and "Seeds of Wildland Plants" for trying to understand how to germinate. For example, I got a couple of Smooth Sumac seeds to sprout by bringing water to a boil, placing the seeds in it, letting it cool, and then placing the seeds into "winter sowing" containers (milk jugs that are left out during winter!). I got my cuttings from my friend's shrub. Thanks for being such an awesome advocate for this very important issue!!! ❤
Great video! I think it's also important to know the soils that invasive berry-producing plants thrive in, so we can plant natives that are best adapted to those (altered) site conditions. Amur honeysuckle and porcelain berry thrive in high pH clay soils (common in disturbed areas), so an ideal native berry producing shrub or tree on a disturbed site would also be adapted to these conditions, such as the eastern wahoo, white snowberry, black chokeberry or staghorn sumac. Staghorn sumac is so successful that it even shows invasive tendencies on other continents where it isn't native. Another amazing small tree is the 'Canaertii' eastern red cedar. It produces berries like the straight species, except that it is more compact (less weedy) and maintains rich green foliage through the winter months. And of course, provided full sun, it doesn't mind high pH clay soils. I'll also mention the bottlebrush buckeye, as it forms an elegant shrub, thrives in poorly drained clay, good for pollinators during the summer, and best of all - the leaves stay vibrant throughout the growing season, unlike related buckeye trees.
Yes, exactly! The popular broad brush "wisdom" for planting native over non-native plants is often about them being thought to require less water or being lower maintenance, yet that completely ignores the human alteration of the environment. The Amur honeysuckle is non-native to the region, but "native" to the soil and pollution caused by the disturbed environment where it thrives. So my thoughts are on promoting plants that are native to the region, but also adapted to the soil conditions in people's yards. Out of all the plants mentioned in the video, the staghorn sumac seems to best imitate the invasive honeysuckle, as it can also be used for erosion control, grows quickly, re-sprouts readily, produces fruit for the birds, and can even form large colonies that exclude other plants. Add on that it tolerates the same soil conditions, and what do you know - it's invasive in Europe! I also mentioned the eastern red cedar because it is the only native evergreen tree (in my area) that tolerates clay soil (unlike eastern white pine) and is relatively pest resistant (unlike eastern hemlock). And although the Norway spruce isn't native, it isn't remotely invasive in northern Ohio, tolerates compacted clay soil, and still provides winter shelter through its evergreen structure. The northern cardinal was originally native only to the southeastern U.S., but today with an expanded native range, one can find them on a Norway spruce branch in northern Ohio in a suburban yard. @@gardenforbirds
Very interesting! I agree that combating invasive species will especially require new ways of thinking to "outsmart" the invasives! I've heard some interesting ideas to use a more "aggressive" native to smother out invasives, and then to gradually work on restoring diversity back in once the invasive seed banks are at least dormant and the soil disturbance is over. So while monocultures aren't a great end goal, using monocultures to do the initial reclaiming of land is an interesting step toward a restoring diversity in a habitat!
Hello! The two large evergreens in the background are Canadian Yews (Taxus canadensis), and then there is a smaller shrub on the left that is a grumpy Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia). The Mountain Laurel was in too much sun, after we lost a tree that used to provide shade, so I transplanted it to that new bed in the fall and am hoping she can bounce back happier!
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Arbor Day Foundation, Chief River Nursery, TyTy Nursery for strawberrybush.
Awesome, thank you for sharing! I also see bare root plants and seeds available from private sellers, on Etsy for example. (Always good to double check they’re sourcing ethically)
Pollinator/bird gardening is an all important subject. If everyone could plant just a few native species or cultivars in their spaces, collectively it would be a game changer for our ecosystem. Thanks for being part of the solution in bringing important information to gardeners everywhere.
I think about this often - if everyone would plant just a few, it would make such a difference! Thank you for your support for the cause! 💓
What I have learned the hard way is to start with small spaces and extend over time because weeding is a nightmare in a large space.
This is great information as a retired landscaper I forget these beautiful plants do such great things for birds. And insects. I'm going to make a list of these particular shrubs and send it to my senators and representatives as a major plantings for our highways.
That’s a wonderful idea - adding more natives into the landscaper’s pallette would make a huge difference! I’ve been noticing more inkberry holly, penstemon and little bluestem in some large landscaping projects near me - looks beautiful!
I collected a few spicebush berries from an established stand in our area and when I got home I threw them near our persimmon tree among liatris and golden rod. I forgot about them until two years later when I recognized its beautiful leaves. This past year I noticed 4 spicebush caterpillars and a few berries showing it is a female. Another option for propagation. Sometimes I call myself the lazy gardener. 😁
Wow, what an amazing story! The spicebush swallowtail caterpillars are so cool - they are patterned to mimic a snake, and can even stick out a false tongue when they feel threatened! Just found this video that shows an example, and the video says they even absorb chemicals from the spicebush leaves that they can use to emit a "foul odor" when threatened! So cool! ruclips.net/video/uQhWDBzlLCM/видео.html
I grow the beautyberry outside my kitchen window. The stems are bouncy and I love to watch birds land and bounce on the stems.
Thank you!! I have been trying to research this but made slow progress. I grew up in Europe and now live in the states. We have a large. 1970s yard, largely just grass, and I want to make it more bird and pollinator friendly with native trees and shrubbery- your video is hugely helpful!! 😊
I’m so glad it’s useful! And excited you are planning a habitat garden - I’ve found mine amazingly rewarding, and I’m still new at it! It’s amazing how fast life fills up the garden when it’s planted with them in mind!
You’ll enjoy the process of converting lawn to native plants! This video is a great assist.
Outstanding. We had a few of these native species planted in our modest yard this year but i learned so much!
That’s wonderful! I hope you get many bird visits!! I find it’s so fulfilling watching them eat from our gardens! 💓
Hollies are also great for pollinators and any native holly seems to be loved by wildlife. An often overlooked plant is sabal minor which is a native dwarf palm shrub hardy throughout zone 7b. The can be grown in colder areas just by planting against a sunny warm wall. They are a favorite for pollinators and birds. They often eat the fruits as soon as or before they are fully ripe.
Hollies never cease to amaze me with the number of pollinators they attract! I’ll check out sabal minor, I’ve never heard of that one before - thank you for the suggestion!
I appreciated you saying which shrubs need a male and female variety to get berries. Very important. Thank you for the very informative video.
Thank you for watching!
Thank you for the great information. I have been working to transform our yard into “healthy.” I just ordered 59 bushes in gallon containers from Prairie Nursery in Wisconsin. 🎉
Holy Cow! 😅 I hope you have some help getting all those in the ground! Prairie Nursery has a nice diversity of shrubs - would be curious to hear what you picked out!
You asked, so here goes: button bushes, serviceberry, pussy willow, elderberry,, pagoda Dogwood, Blackhaw viburnum, Downey arrowwood, red osier Dogwood, and highbush cranberry.
I’m thinking about adding some snowberries to the order. What’s your experience with them? I would describe this area as on the dry and partial sun.
Yes, I’ve reached out for help. We planted 1800 plants this past spring and I learned my lesson.
Awesome choices! 1800 plants - I’m speechless 😂 . I want to convert our front lawn and have thought about doing a massive planting event like you’re describing. With a front garden it can’t be in disarray too long without angering the neighbors! I’ve not planted snowberry yet myself but definitely have it on my short list! Prairie Nursery describes it at adaptable, so it might be a pretty forgiving species! “This adaptable native shrub tolerates a variety of conditions and soil types, including clay, but the best flowering and fruiting will occur in full sun.”
Winterberry holly is absolutely gorgeous!
Yes! I’ve got plans for a mass planting of it - cannot wait!
Hello from New York! My husband and I bought a piece of an old farmers field last year and are working to restore habitat. We bought native shrubs from our county’s water and conservation department (spicebush, serviceberry and American hazelnuts), which may be another place for your viewers to check for reasonably priced rooted cuttings. I’m excited to look for northern bayberry and American burning bush to add to the mix. Great video!
I'm excited to read what you're doing! Great suggestion for how to source plants! And those are all awesome species - I would love to plant both spicebush and hazelnut soon! Thank you for the lovely comment! - also, I noticed yesterday that Direct Native Plants has added one species of American burning bush for sale: directnativeplants.com/product/bursting-heart/
Here are a few other suggestions someone listed in a separate comment for where to find American burning bush: "Arbor Day Foundation, Chief River Nursery, TyTy Nursery for strawberrybush."
Yesterday January 13, bluebirds came to our front yard and were eating berries from American holly, red chokeberry and Virginia creeper. It happened in 5 minutes or less. They apparently have other options as they come infrequently, but of course, maybe they’re here when I’m not looking. In a park within walking distance I see bluebirds eating hackberry throughout winter and earlier in fall Pokeberry. Unfortunately there are winter creeper berries invasive in park that many birds love and are spreading everywhere. Great video! Shrubs are a fun way to go for attracting birds.
That’s a lot of action - love it! I’ve been seeing 2 pairs of bluebirds on our property but a bit further from our house, maybe going after some of the Virginia creeper if there are any berries left. I’m just starting to plant fruiting shrubs but very excited for them to get going and to plant more!
Great info -- esp. loved the detail about highbush cranberry and protein. Fascinating. Thank you for sitting in the rain.
I find it all too fascinating! I actually enjoy a bit of weather, as long as I’m dressed warm, but I did get pretty soggy on this run 😅 Thank you for watching!
Well done. You've listed several to study up on. We were out and about on a country ride a few years ago and noticed a couple Pileated Woodpeckers feeding on Staghorn Sumac. They were fun to watch and allowed us to grab a short video clip.
Thank you! Oh wow, that sounds like quite something to watch! I’ve never seen Pileateds go after fruit, very cool - they’re stunning to watch! Love their calls too, such cool birds!
@@gardenforbirds It was nice! Of course, I now have some Staghorn Sumac planted in my front yard. We have a pair that nest in some big Sycamore Trees. Something else I saw a Pileated feeding on while sitting in my deer stand one season was berries from - believe it or not - a Poison Ivy Vine.
@@outdoorztime2923 I’ve read about this! Only a few species of primates (like us 😅) apparently have an allergic reaction, and I’ve read lots of species use the berries! I’ve not seen it yet for myself, but I do let a vine grow in one area where the kids don’t go, so I’ve got a shot at witnessing one day!
Excellent and very informative video! Thank you for braving the winter elements!
Thank you so much! Happy to do it - I don’t mind the weather so much, can be refreshing to get out for a bit!
Thank you for the information and inspiration.
Thank you for the kind words, and for watching!
Thank you, beautiful and informative video
Thank you so much, and thank you for watching!
Wow good info on highbush cranberry! I went on a cruise to SE Alaska and that was everywhere growing in the understory under Sitka spruce. I wonder then if the berries are best in late winter/very early spring in the time that would coincide with Sitka spruce pollen being available? I have a snowberry, reading about them I got the impression that the saponins are somewhat toxic, so the birds would only eat them as a famine food. Or maybe they become more edible as the winer progresses and the saponins break down? This is my first year with berries so I'm watching to see when they get eaten! It's a great caterpillar host plant too and bees really like the flowers.
Very interesting! That’s a great question - I’ve been really impressed with how different plants coordinate like that, so wouldn’t be surprised if you’re right about the Spruce! As I’ve read, I saw that the saponins were mildly toxic for humans and pets but beneficial for birds - have you seen many birds eating your berries? I wonder if they have a relationship with other plants similar to the Highbush cranberry that maybe we don’t know about yet…I wonder if they eat the berries alongside something else to make them more digestible (also, apparently snowberry will attract hummingbirds when in bloom!)
Great information!
Thank you for watching!
Thank you for this information! Very helpful!
Thank you for watching! So glad it might be useful!
Thank you, yes it was helpful.
Thank you, glad to hear!
For Arbor Day, we're going to plant berry bushes for our bird friends, too-- thanks for all this information and positivity!!! Hello from Kansas!!!
Yay, that's awesome!! I hope they'll bring you lots of bird visits!
Great information! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, and thanks for watching!
I have two crabapple trees that have persistent fruit that remains on the tree all winter. Many gardeners and bird enthusiasts say that birds will eat the small crabapples, but I never seen birds consuming the ones on my trees. They just eventually rot and fall off in the early spring.
Sadly it sounds like you have a variety that is unpalatable to birds. There is not enough space here to list the ones that are good/not good choices for birds but if you Google it you will find varieties that birds love.
I haven’t had a crabapple of my own (yet!) but was reading that birds may prefer species that make smaller fruits. I’ve had good luck with our serviceberry tree, and there are also quite a few serviceberries that have more of a shrub form. The birds really like the fruit, and they’re edible for humans too!
I'm planting 5 service berries in backyard this year. An alternative to blueberries and I don't have to acidify the soil
The birds will love it! Hopefully you can get a berry or two for yourself, too! 😅
Very interesting! It's helping me to understand what I need to be looking into when planning my balcony garden. I'll be in South of France, so I'm doing my own research for our area. We have very rare frosts in our zone, so needs are probably vastly different, but your videos are very helpful in guiding my research. Thank you for sharing.
That's awesome, every little bit absolutely helps! I hope you have some good success with researching plants for your area - infrequent frosts should help you to have lots of options for container plantings!
Hey! I really enjoyed this video! You explain all of this info very well, so thank you! I have found that the American Euonymus is quite easy to propagate from cuttings, with a little patience of course. I could send you one, but I'm in TN, so it probably would be better for you to find a local ecoype. Let me know if you'd like a cutting. Sadly, I have tried seeds for this species, to no avail...Perhaps you might do a video on seed starting for these shrubs... I just ordered some wax myrtle seeds after this video!I do winter sowing in milk jugs, and have had pretty good germination.
A video on seed starting is a great idea! I’ve read that the seeds like to pass through birds digestive systems to help scarify their seeds, which improve s the germination rate. I’ve been curious how they germinate without that process. You can sometimes scarify the seeds manually. Good to know about the cuttings! Where did you find yours? It seems like Euonymous americanus is easier (but still not easy) to find for sale than Euonymous atropurpureus - also, the number of native Euonymous species has surprised me!
I am a complete newby, but I've been reading 2 books, "Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation" and "Seeds of Wildland Plants" for trying to understand how to germinate. For example, I got a couple of Smooth Sumac seeds to sprout by bringing water to a boil, placing the seeds in it, letting it cool, and then placing the seeds into "winter sowing" containers (milk jugs that are left out during winter!). I got my cuttings from my friend's shrub. Thanks for being such an awesome advocate for this very important issue!!! ❤
I’ll check out those books, this is great information! Never heard of boiling them, very interesting! I, too, am a newbie! 😅
great content, thank you
Thank you!
Thanks for the informative and fascinating video!
Thank you for watching!
Thanks
Thank you for watching!
Great job! I also garden for wildlife.
Awesome! It's the best, always excited to hear others are supporting nature in their own gardens! 💓
@@gardenforbirds Thank you!
Great video! I think it's also important to know the soils that invasive berry-producing plants thrive in, so we can plant natives that are best adapted to those (altered) site conditions. Amur honeysuckle and porcelain berry thrive in high pH clay soils (common in disturbed areas), so an ideal native berry producing shrub or tree on a disturbed site would also be adapted to these conditions, such as the eastern wahoo, white snowberry, black chokeberry or staghorn sumac. Staghorn sumac is so successful that it even shows invasive tendencies on other continents where it isn't native.
Another amazing small tree is the 'Canaertii' eastern red cedar. It produces berries like the straight species, except that it is more compact (less weedy) and maintains rich green foliage through the winter months. And of course, provided full sun, it doesn't mind high pH clay soils.
I'll also mention the bottlebrush buckeye, as it forms an elegant shrub, thrives in poorly drained clay, good for pollinators during the summer, and best of all - the leaves stay vibrant throughout the growing season, unlike related buckeye trees.
Thank you for the very informative comment! Is the idea with the soil ph that we plant more of the plants that can better compete with invasives?
Yes, exactly! The popular broad brush "wisdom" for planting native over non-native plants is often about them being thought to require less water or being lower maintenance, yet that completely ignores the human alteration of the environment. The Amur honeysuckle is non-native to the region, but "native" to the soil and pollution caused by the disturbed environment where it thrives. So my thoughts are on promoting plants that are native to the region, but also adapted to the soil conditions in people's yards. Out of all the plants mentioned in the video, the staghorn sumac seems to best imitate the invasive honeysuckle, as it can also be used for erosion control, grows quickly, re-sprouts readily, produces fruit for the birds, and can even form large colonies that exclude other plants. Add on that it tolerates the same soil conditions, and what do you know - it's invasive in Europe!
I also mentioned the eastern red cedar because it is the only native evergreen tree (in my area) that tolerates clay soil (unlike eastern white pine) and is relatively pest resistant (unlike eastern hemlock). And although the Norway spruce isn't native, it isn't remotely invasive in northern Ohio, tolerates compacted clay soil, and still provides winter shelter through its evergreen structure. The northern cardinal was originally native only to the southeastern U.S., but today with an expanded native range, one can find them on a Norway spruce branch in northern Ohio in a suburban yard. @@gardenforbirds
Very interesting! I agree that combating invasive species will especially require new ways of thinking to "outsmart" the invasives! I've heard some interesting ideas to use a more "aggressive" native to smother out invasives, and then to gradually work on restoring diversity back in once the invasive seed banks are at least dormant and the soil disturbance is over. So while monocultures aren't a great end goal, using monocultures to do the initial reclaiming of land is an interesting step toward a restoring diversity in a habitat!
Where are you located?
I’m in Maryland, kind of interesting because I’m often on the border of both the northerly and southerly species!
Hello, what kind of tree/shrub is that on your background? Looks like evergreen shrub? Thank you
Hello! The two large evergreens in the background are Canadian Yews (Taxus canadensis), and then there is a smaller shrub on the left that is a grumpy Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia). The Mountain Laurel was in too much sun, after we lost a tree that used to provide shade, so I transplanted it to that new bed in the fall and am hoping she can bounce back happier!
species that are supposed to be there will flower and fruit in sequence
Yes! Pretty wonderful and magical, really!
Trying to keep starlings away and house sparrows, WI.
Yeah, that can be a hard task - probably deserves its own video!
Had to check playback speed , sounds like 1.25 x .
Even with a script the intelligence is really beyond my comprehension
I definitely talk too fast! I’ll hopefully get better about that as I go! 😅
Evolved? How about they were designed by a loving God to be that way. Otherwise I enjoy your videos.
Diversity in beliefs is as beautiful as diversity in nature! (For me, a loving God and evolution coexist 💓)