Plant by Habitat: Boreal Forest

Over past few weeks, we covered a variety of natural communities found in the Upper Midwest including: Deciduous Forests, Prairie, Pine Barrens, and Oak Savannas. Each post is intended to help readers select groups of plants which grow together naturally. This post will focus on the trees and shrubs which make up the coniferous and boreal forests of the Upper Midwest.

Red Breasted Nuthatches enjoy peanuts in addition to conifer seeds and insects.

The key feature of a coniferous forest, are of course the coniferous trees. In the Upper Midwest these forests are composed of dense stands of Eastern White Pine (More on Native Pines), White Spruce (More on Native Spruce), and/or Balsam Fir. When grown in close proximity these trees form a dense canopy which creates shade below throughout the year. These trees are home to native bird species such as Pine Siskins, Red Breasted Nuthatches, and Pine Grosbeaks; all of which will feed on the seeds of these plants by extracting their meal from the cones produced by the trees.

Black Hills Spruce is a subspecies of White Spruce which is generally easy to find.

These stands of Pine, Spruce, and Fir may not be entirely homogenous; other trees which can be found in these forests include: Hemlock, Paper Birch, and Quaking Aspen. Paper Birch is an attractive tree with white bark which many people choose to plant in their front yard. Quaking Aspen is another option; it grows remarkably quickly. Both the Paper Birch and the Quaking Aspen are deciduous, but neither grow a large shade- providing canopy (like an Oak or Maple would).

If the tree cover is dense, the understory will be sparsely populated, but some shrubs found in the understory include: Serviceberry, Witch Hazel, and Blueberry. Blueberry can be particularly tricky to grow as it requires a low soil ph ideally between 4.0 and 6.0. If your yard has much limestone, the ph is likely to0 high. Serviceberry and Witch Hazel provide interesting color at opposite ends of the year. Serviceberry will bloom with white, showy flowers in the very early spring. Witch Hazel will turn vibrant yellow in the fall.

Our Alleghany Serviceberry's showy spring blooms.

In the forest you are unlikely to come across much grass, however you may find other forms of ground cover including Wild Sarsaparilla and Bunchberry. I haven't seen much of either commercially available, so if you are looking for something to put down other than turf grass, you could consider Pine straw or needle mulch, stone, and/or try some ferns such as: Christmas Fern or Lady Fern.

Coniferous forests as described in this post are common in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan than in the rest of the Midwest. If you are unsure of these plant selection, please visit your state's DNR or Forestry website for information on coniferous forests in your state. Happy planting!