Biodiversity Timeline

Let's talk a little bit about biodiversity. Biodiversity is a concept related to how many different species are part of a particular community. In this particular case, how many different species are part of our yards. In nature, the amount of life a place can sustain, the more healthy it is considered. In other words, high biodiversity and an ecosystem's health are directly related. The wonderful thing about our yards, is that we as the stewards have direct control over how biodiverse our property is. If we choose to maintain a homogenous monoculture of turf grass, then we elect to keep biodiversity low. If we choose to plant a variety of flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees, then we elect to increase the yard's biodiversity. Here's our biodiversity story so far.

2011

We moved into our home in April of 2011. The yard was fairly sparse, noteworthy plants included Siberian Iris, Tulips, Daffodils, and Asiatic Lilies. The yard had no trees and two ornamental shrubs. Its diversity is documented in the table below.

Flowers	4
Grasses	0
Shrubs	2
Trees	0

I immediately began to increase the yard's diversity focusing primarily on extending the existing flower bed and adding some shrubs.

End of Spring 2011

Flowers	13
Grasses	2
Shrubs	4
Trees	0

In the spring of 2012, we renewed our focus on adding native plants. We added trees to the yard in 2012, and it was the first year we started keeping track of our animal diversity. We wanted to see the impact the new plants had on the ecosystem of our yard.

2012

Flowers	13
Grasses	2
Shrubs	5
Trees	5

2012 Animal Species

Reptiles and Amph	1
Bees and Butterflies	13
Mammals	5
Birds	31

In 2013, we spent some time trying to dig out and eliminate the non-native plants with only some success. We also added a couple more trees and replaced some shrubs which had been chewed back by the rabbits.

2013

Flowers	11
Grasses	3
Shrubs	5
Trees	7

2013 Animal Species

Reptiles and Amph	1
Bees and Butterflies	14
Mammals	7
Birds	40

This year, we've focused on the front yard, and once again we've needed to replace some shrubs. Our most recent round of plant purchases included: Prairie Dropseed, Little Blue Stem, Blazing Star, Bee Balm (Genus Monarda), Obedient Plant, and Wild Onion.

2014

Flowers	14
Grasses	3
Shrubs	5
Trees	7

2014 Animal Species to Date

Reptiles and Amph	0
Bees and Butterflies	5
Mammals	5
Birds	37

From what we can tell so far, it appears that as we increase the diversity of the plant life in our yard, the diversity of the animals which come to visit increases as well. Between the flowers, butterflies, birds, and shrubs, we have interesting colors in our yard from May through October. And while the winter has less visual interest, the regular bird traffic provides more visual appeal than what the yard would have otherwise.

Here's a list of a the current plant species which have been planted intentionally in our yard:

Flowers:
• Blue Lupine
• Blazing Star
• Obedient Plant
• Bee Balm
• False Indigo
• Cardinal Flower
• Black Eyed Susan
• Purple Coneflower
• Prairie Coneflower
• Columbine
• Butterfly Milkweed
• Pre-existing Tulips
• Pre-existing Daffodils

Grasses:
• Big Blue Stem
• Little Blue Stem
• Prairie Dropseed

Shrubs:
• Serviceberry
• Black Chokeberry
• Pagoda Dogwood
• Staghorn Sumac
• Highbush Cranberry

Trees:
• Bur Oak
• Red Oak
• Quaking Aspen
• White Spruce
• White Pine
• Washington Hawthorne
• Eastern Redbud

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!

Plant by Habitat: Deciduous Forest

A recent theme for many posts has been planting by habitat, whereby we've tried to identify native plants which can be planted together to simulate natural communities. For most of these communities trees are the backbone with shrubs and other plants being the guts. Depending on what you already have in your yard, you could be off to a good start. This post will focus on the Deciduous Forest.

A number of tree species which can be easily found commercially may already be planted in your yard. In the Upper Midwest, trees common in yards and the forests include: the Sugar Maple, Red Maple, and White Oak. These trees are excellent shade trees for your yard, and they support a host of wildlife. Common forest birds which are likely to be attracted to these trees include: Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Downey and Hairy Woodpeckers, Black Capped Chickadees, White Breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jays, and Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers. Maple sap may even be eaten by migratory birds who take advantage of the Sapsucker's drill holes including Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. An Oak's acorns will attract a variety of other kinds of critters including Squirrels and Chipmunks. Mor e information on these trees can be found in earlier posts; Information on Oaks or Information on Maples.

Red Bellied Woodpecker comes down for a visit.

A number of other trees make up the skeleton of the deciduous forest; note that some of these trees may be more difficult to find than their Oak or Maple counterparts. These trees include: American Beech, American Elm, Basswood, Black Cherry, and Shagbark Hickory. Black Cherry will attract certain species of caterpillar which are eaten by birds, and the fruit of the tree will also attract our feathered friends including some which may not come as regularly to feeders such as Orchard Orioles. The Black Cherry is also very attractive when in bloom. The American Beech produces a nut which is smaller than an acorn. Beech nuts are eaten by Red Headed Woodpeckers, the Tufted Titmouse, and Red Breasted Nuthatches. The Shagbark Hickory's bark is an excellent hunting ground for birds like Nuthatches and the Brown Creeper as the bark is home to many insects.

Once you've selected some variety of trees for your forest planting, you'll want to move on to the understory. The Mapleleaf Viburnum is a good Viburnum to consider when looking for forest shrubs. This plant can provide excellent cover and protection for birds and small mammals. It may produce abundant fruit eaten by birds like Grouse or Turkey. American Witchhazel has showy yellow flowers in the fall. The fruit produced by this shrub is eaten by Northern Bobwhites, Grouse, and Eastern Cottontail Rabbits. Witchhazel can be grown as a shrub or managed to be grown as a small tree.

Birds like this Gray Catbird enjoy dense shrubby cover.

If providing dense cover with trees and shrubs, you may encounter a challenge in selecting flowers which will tolerate the shade. Here are some suggestions for native flowers which you may be able to find for this habitat: Jack in the Pulpit, Large Flowered Trillium, and Virginia Bluebells. Trillium has a showy white flower which appears in May or June. The Bluebells grow low to the ground and have small blue flowers which present early in the year in April or May, around the same time the Jack in the Pulpit flowers.

If interested in having a forest getaway, this post should be a good place to get started. Many other native plants also grow in the Deciduous Forest, ask your local nursery for more information. Happy planting.

Five Native Plants Other than Flowers for Butterflies

Everyone knows that during the summer, butterflies flit from flower to flower in our gardens, parks, and yards. Some understand that butterflies are after nectar and then plant flowers full of nectar to attract these painted insects. It's important however to remember that butterflies need different types of plants at different stages in their lifecycle. Here are a five plants to consider if you are interested in attracting butterflies.

Black Cherry Tree: These Cherry Trees are native to much of the United States and are generally good plants for attracting wildlife. Their fruits are eaten by mammals and birds alike, and the flowers which precede the fruit are a good early source of nectar for butterflies. These tree is important for the Eastern Tiger Swallow Tail and the Red Spotted Purple butterflies who will lay their eggs on this tree. Larger than most other Cherry Trees, these tree may grow 50 - 80 feet high providing some protections for the attracted butterflies.

The Black Swallowtail may use garden variety plants like Dill or Parsley as a host.

Oaks: Oaks as discussed in a previous post play an important role in the ecology of the Midwest. These large trees provide shelter and food for a number animal species. When we reflect on these species we often think of Squirrels, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, and Blue Jays. Oaks also are hosts for a few species of Hairstreak and Duskywing butterflies. When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars eat the foliage of the tree before becoming butterflies.

Birches: These attractive trees are often found in front yards of people's homes. River Birch and Paper Birch are two common native trees you can find at most nurseries. Birch trees play host to a number of a caterpillars including: Mourning Cloak and Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterflies which are two of the larger and more attractive species of the Midwest.

Common Nettle: Stinging Nettle can be a real pain in the garden or yard especially when trying to remove it. If it's found in an out of the way location, consider leaving it in place. The Red Admiral Butterfly uses this weed as a host plant for its caterpillars.

Bluestem Grasses: Both Little and Big Bluestem Grasses make attractive lawn or garden features, and both are easy to find at most nurseries. These plants are known for being attractive to birds, but these grasses are also host plants for a variety of Skipper species.

This Indian Skipper may have grown up in our Bluestem Grasses.

Even if you don't plant these particular plants in your butterfly garden, keep them in mind as you do other landscaping in your yard. There are also a whole bunch of other plants which can be used to attract butterflies. Remember when landscaping, that butterflies need more than just nectar, so the next time you are looking for a new tree, grass, or shrub take a look at this list to get started.

Plant by Habitat: Pine Barrens

In the previous Plant by Habitat post, we identified some plant species to combine in a yard to create an Oak Savanna, in this edition, we'll describe some plants which are found in Pine Barrens.

Pine Barrens are habitat found in the Upper Midwest in parts Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Pine Barrens are home to coniferous trees like Jack or Red Pine which do well in acidic soils. Poor soil quality and highly acidic soil are characteristics of the barrens which impact what types of plants grow in these communities.

Sandy or acidic soils in your own yard may prompt you to consider planting species found in pine barrens together. The first step for creating your Pine Barren is to find the correct tree species. First you'll need Pines, and you'll start with Jack or Red Pine. You can also consider Oaks, which are commonly also featured in Pine Barrens.

Once the trees are selected, you'll want to move onto the shrubs and understory. A pine barren doesn't support much of an understory, hence the name, but certain shrubby plants are found amongst the pines. These plants include two which are commercially available and which strongly support wildlife: the American Hazelnut and the Low Bush Blueberry. Hazelnuts are eaten by a variety animals including small mammals, Wild Turkey, and Grouse. The sweet blueberries are enjoyed by people as well our animal neighbors.

Lupine is an attractive ground cover found in the Pine Barrens.

Much like the Oak Savanna, this habitat was filled with prairie grasses and wildflowers. Plants common to the Pine Barrens include June Grass, Little Blue Stem, Blazing Star, and Blue Lupine. The Lupine is of particular importance to the habitat. It is a legume and puts nitrogen back into the soil for use by other plant species. It is also the host for the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly whose caterpillars feed on the leaves.

Endangered butterflies may not be the only interesting visitors to your lawn if you successfully establish a Pine Barren. By planting Jack Pines and Blueberries in particular you may help the recovery of the endangered Kirkland's Warbler as your yard may become an attractive nesting site.

For More Information:

WI DNR - Pine Barrens
MI DNR - Pine Barrens

Plant by Habitat: Oak Savanna

Recently I posted information about native Oaks and later realized it might be helpful to have some information not just about which plants are native vs invasive, but it may also be helpful to have some sense of which native plants actually grow together naturally. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll do some "Plant by Habitat" posts to hopefully help inform decisions about which native plants to purchase together.

The Oak Savanna is a type of habitat which features large Oaks with room to really spread their limbs. These savannas were once found throughout the Midwest and served as the boarder between the prairies and grasslands of the Great Plains and the forests of the Eastern United States. A variety of Oak species were found in the savannas including: Black Oak, Bur Oak, Northern Red Oak, and White Oak. These trees can be found commercially available, and if you are interested in planting your own Oak Savanna, an Oak is a good place to start.

That said other trees and plants could be found in the savannas. Shagbark Hickory and Black Cherry are also excellent savanna trees to consider. Black Cherry is particularly interesting as it is a host for a variety of caterpillars and its fruit is eaten by many birds.

Once you've selected your trees, you are on to deciding what will go in the understory. You will need to decide exactly how wide open your savanna will be. Some savannas would have had some shrubby understory if less frequented by fire, but those more frequented by fire would have had more prairie grasses and flowers.

Highbush Cranberry can be really attractive in the fall.

My favorite shrubs to consider are Viburnums. American Highbush Cranberry, Nannyberry, and Mapleleaf Viburnum are interesting choices. Viburnums tend to be pretty tolerant of most growing situations, have attractive foliage in the fall, and they tend to be pretty easy to find commercially. These are really great shrubs, we have 4 Highbush Cranberries and 2 Nannyberries in our yard. Pagoda Dogwood, Hazelnut, and Staghorn Sumac are also good choices. The Sumac and the Dogwood are fairly shade tolerant, so they may not be best suited to an open savanna habitat, they do however produce fruit which can be eaten by birds. The Hazelnut will produce nuts which fall to ground and are eaten by mammals like Gray, Red, or Fox Squirrels but also by Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse.

By this point, you have a tree or two selected; you've decided on a shrub or two, and now you need something to cover the ground. You are now looking for plants which do well when burned back semi-regularly. You are going to want some prairie grasses, some of the easiest species to acquire are Little Blue Stem, Big Blue Stem, and Prairie Dropseed. The flowers for an Oak Savanna can be more difficult to find but they include plants loved by butterflies such as Purple Milkweed and Common Milkweed. Shooting Star, Wild Indigo, and Wild Columbine are also reasonably easy to find as plugs or seeds.

We put in a few indigo plants last year which were not by the rabbits.

With these plants in place, a lawn would be replaced with a small Oak Savanna. It would be fairly biodiverse in terms of plants species and be able to support a number of bird and butterfly species. If you live in the Midwest (see map), there is a reasonable chance your yard was once in fact part of the Oak Savannas. The Oak Savannas were replaced with farmland and then the farmland with subdivisions, so why not give part of your yard back and return it to nature, after all the birds and the butterflies are the ones who have to live with it.

Stop the European Oak Borer! Go with Native Oaks Instead!

Oaks make excellent hardwood, shade trees. They grow tall and full and once grew in large oak forests and oak savannas in North America. They are excellent for wildlife; they provide homes for cavity nest birds, acorns are eaten by birds and mammals, and they house a variety of insects which in turn provide food for other animals like Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, and Creepers. If you are looking to plant an Oak, you will find that you have a host of options; here's some information on the Oaks you may encounter.

The Heritage Oak or the English Oak is an invasive species from Europe. It's commercially available and has introduced the European Oak Borer to Oak forests in Canada and Michigan. The European Oak Borer is a potential threat to native Oak species and provides sufficient justification for planting native Oaks instead.

Historically many of the ecosystems found in the Midwest were transitionary from the forests of the Eastern United States to the prairies and grasslands of the Great Plains. Many species of Oak are relatively fire tolerant; this meant that they could survive grassland fires when other species of tree could not. The specific species of Oak which made up the Oak Savanna varied by state, but the following species are likely to be commercially at your local nursery and could be found in the Oak Savanna:

• Black Oak
• Bur Oak
• Norther Red Oak
• Pin Oak
• Swamp White Oak
• White Oak

Drier, more open sites may have been more prone to fire. The Bur Oak, Black Oak, and White Oak grew in stands along side prairie grasses and wildflowers as well as shrubs like the American Hazelnut. Cavity nesters which depended on these stands include the Eastern Bluebird and Red Headed Woodpecker. The Red Headed Woodpecker is a species in decline due in part to its dependence on these sites and particularly its use of dead Oaks when nesting.

Fuller stands of Oak also included the Northern Red Oak but would have appeared with fewer prairie grasses and wildflowers. The frequent wildfires prevented the development of much woody or shrubby understory, but thicker stands of Oaks would have had shade tolerant plants growing below them such as Culver's Root, Bottle Brush Grass, or Bush Clover. Denser stands of Oak can support bird species normally associated with woodlands including: Tufted Titmouse, Scarlet Tanager, and Yellow Throated Vireo.

This American Robin surveyed the ground below from our Northern Red Oak

We've opted to plant a Northern Red Oak and a Swamp White Oak in the northern half of our front yard. We also included two Nanny Berry Viburnums, after reading this list of shrubs. This summer to continue the Oak-Savanna-fication of our yard, we plan to put in some Little Blue Stem and some TBD wildflowers. This effort will help contribute to creating a no-mow area in the front and help us landscape using plants from the same biome to recreate habitat.

This is the Red Oak we planted two years ago in our front yard.

If you are interested in getting starting with native plants, Oaks are great place to start because there are so many to choose from, and they are capable of doing a lot of good on their own supporting countless species which I did not detail here. If you are so inclined, here are some other good reads about Oak habitats:

• Wisconsin DNR Savanna Communities
• Oak Savannas Dot Org
• Michigan DNR - Oak Savanna

Leave that Austrian Pine Behind, Try These Pines Instead

Conifers make really great additions to our lawns. Many remain green through the winter; they provide shelter for birds, and they can be used as wind blocks. They can grow into big, majestic looking trees which cry out "wilderness" as though they belong with the great Redwoods of the West Coast.

Pine trees in particular strike us. More often than not when evergreen trees are misidentified, they are misidentified as pines. "Look at those pine trees." "I found those pine cones." In many cases, the tree identified could be a Fir or Spruce. People assume Pine and evergreen are synonymous. This says something about Pines, they are the representative for all evergreen trees.

The Austrian Pine is a relatively popular choice for yard and urban plantings. The tree tends be very full and is popular because it's tolerant of winter salting. This tree is capable of naturalizing and becoming invasive. It was cleared from the Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan in 2011 and can be found in wild tree stands in the Eastern United States.

Like many other plants, there are native alternatives to consider when selecting a pine.

The Eastern White Pine is an excellent choice. Not only is it native, but it's fairly common and commercially available. It's also the tallest conifer native to the Eastern U.S. The White Pine grows quickly but is not as salt tolerant as the Austrian Pine. White Pines are not necessarily good choices when planting along side roads and sidewalks because they may succumb to salt injury. However, they can be a beautiful addition to your yard and may help attract song birds such as Pine Grosbeaks.

This Eastern White Pine grows in our front yard.

The Jack Pine can be found natively in parts of the Midwest including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. Young Jack Pines may attract nesting Kirtland's Warblers, so like the Eastern White Pine they can be good for attracting birds. They are also one of the first trees to grow after forest fires as the cones will open from immense heat of the fire. Jack Pine is more salt tolerant than White Pine and will do better along roadsides.

Red Pine (also called Norway Pine) is native to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. It is the official state tree of Minnesota. The tree tends to be very healthy and resistant to pests. This Pine does not grow as tall as other Pines and should max out around 50 feet. The Red Pine can be an attractive addition to your landscaping because of its unique reddish bark. The Red Pine like the White Pine may succumb to salt injury and should not be planted in areas which receive heavy winter salting.

If you are planning on putting in any Pines this spring try to see if you can find a White Pine, Jack Pine, or a Red Pine; they are excellent choices when going native.

Native Maple Trees In, Invasive Maples Out

Maple trees are a pretty standard neighborhood shade tree and fill many suburban yards and parks. They are readily available at your local nursery and can be relatively inexpensive. But not all Maples are created equal.

The Norway Maple is very common tree which can be found in residential plantings. It comes in a host of cultivars which each have their own distinct features. Rarely is this plant labeled "Norway Maple" so shoppers should look for the latin Acer Platanoides on the tags of the trees they purchase.

Many state DNRs have called the Norway Maple out as being an ecological threat to native Maple stands. While the plant starts off as a purchase intended for your lawn, the plant's seeds spread fairly easily, and it displaces native Maples in forests.

DNR Links for Your State:
• Minnesota
• Indiana
• Illinois

This tree is a relatively easy one to avoid planting largely because there are a number of native options which are regularly commercially available.

The Sugar Maple is a Wisconsin favorite. What's not to love about local, real, natural Maple syrup? We even know some folks who tap their own trees. This isn't a tree we have in our own yard. As mentioned in the initial post, our yard had no trees when we moved in. However our neighborhood has a number of Sugar Maples including one immediately behind our house in our neighbor's yard. Regular foragers in this mature tree include Black Capped Chickadees, White Breasted Nuthatches, Downey Woodpeckers, and Hairy Woodpeckers. Sometimes in the early Spring we see Brown Creepers or Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers in the tree.

Woodpecker flies down from Sugar Maple for peanuts.


Chickadees want in on the action too.

If your interest in a Maple is primarily about fall color, then a Red Maple is a good native choice. This tree is supposed to be easy to grow and is natively found in almost every state East of the Rockies. Another choice is the Silver Maple which is native to much of the United States and Canada. The Silver Maple is likely to give your yard a splash of yellow during the Fall. There are cultivars for both of these native species and even hybrid versions, see Acer Freemanii.

With a good variety of native trees to choose from, there's no need to plant invasive Maples. If you find that your municipality is using Norway Maples as boulevard trees, consider contacting your local alderperson or trustee to suggest planting natives instead.

Don't Plant That Spruce! Plant This One Instead.

Spruces. Many people opt to plant Spruces when choosing an evergreen for their yard. Evergreens make for good wind blocks, provide shelter for nesting birds, and add some color in Winter. Spruce trees also make for an interesting topic of discussion for anyone interested in debating the line between native and invasive plant species.

Two of the most common Spruces planted are the Norway Spruce and the Colorado Blue Spruce. The Norway Spruce is native to Europe. The Colorado Blue Spruce is native to North America, but not the Upper Midwest. It is home to Colorado and Wyoming, but it has been planted throughout the United States. The blue color of its needles makes it a very attractive plant. As for whether or it is invasive or native, for purposes of this blog, it's invasive as it is not native to the Midwest.

Two native options which can be a little more difficult to find are the White Spruce and the Black Spruce. White Spruce can be found natively in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Its native range goes well beyond the Midwest spreading eastward to New York and westward towards Alaska and Montana. Black Spruce occupies a similar range spreading northward.

Black Hills Spruce

Finding native Spruces can be difficult, but a subspecies of White Spruce, the Black Hills Spruce, can be found fairly easily. White Spruce can be found in stands growing with Black Spruce, Aspen, and Birch. Spruce trees provide food and cover for a number of birds including: Grouse, Red Breast Nuthatches, Red Crossbills, Pine Grosbeaks, and Pine Siskins.

Red Breasted Nuthatch Visiting For Peanuts

To help form a partial wind block at the northern end of our yard, we planted a Black Hills Spruce in line with an Eastern White Pine. They are about 14 feet apart. Between these two but staggered to the South we planted a Quaking Aspen. Each tree is planted near the center of a 10 by 10 square. Something like this:

Pine
	Aspen
Spruce

This year we plan to fill in the empty spaces with other shrubs and native grasses to form a "no mow zone" at the North end of the yard, and to provide some cover for ground dwelling birds. If you have suggestions for which shrubs or plants we should add to our "no mow zone", feel free to send your thoughts our way.

Native Ornamentals - Three Plants to Consider

Many homeowners looking for ornamental shrubs or trees look to flowering crabapples or magnolias as way to add color to their landscaping. Note that some of these plants maybe native North America, but many are native Asia. Three plants to consider when looking for something to brighten your yard in early Spring are: the Eastern Redbud, Serviceberry, and Red Chokeberry.

Eastern Redbud

Eastern Redbud in our yard early May 2013

This is the plant we get the most questions about from passersby and from our neighbors. We planted it two years ago, and in the spring it's a brilliant pink color. The vibrant buds last about a month, and other than the flowers which bloom in the summer in our yard, it's the most decorative plant in our yard. It's one of the few sources of color in our yard until the weather turns warmer. Spring in the Upper Midwest can be gray, green, wet, and even cold, but this tree makes things feel a little warmer and more exotic with its blazing pink buds. Ultimately it will stay an ornamental size growing between 15 and 30 feet high; this makes it an excellent choice when considering native ornamentals.

Allegheny Serviceberry

The White Flowers of the Serviceberry

Amelanchier laevis is a good example of the beauty Serviceberry can bring to your yard. Many varieties of serviceberry are native to North America, and a few are native to Europe or Asia. These plants can grow lowly and present like a bush, while others grow more like a shrub or tree. This Allegheny Serviceberry was planted last year in our yard and flowered almost immediately. The flowers grow in showy white bunches, and the subsequent fruit drew the attention of Robins and Cardinals. It did so well last year, that we are looking to purchase two more this year. The white blooms of the Serviceberry added a nice splash of color at the back of our wildflower garden which in May was otherwise entirely green. This plant will grow to a size similar to the Redbud, maxing out at 12 to 25 feet.

Red Chokeberry

These were the Chokeberry flowers before the rabbits ate our beautiful shrubs.

Red Chokeberry is another option which like Serviceberry will flower with white blooms in the early Spring. The flowers will attract pollinators early in Spring to your garden, and later in the summer the plant will produce red berries. The plant's foliage turns a vibrant red in the Fall, so it provides good color for landscaping two times during the year. This plant is more of shrub than the previous two and its maximum height is 12 feet. This is also a plant which you may want to place a guard around. Two years ago, we planted two Red Chokeberries, and after two long winters, the rabbits had successfully chewed both down to stubs.

These are only a few examples of native plants which can be used as ornamentals. If you are looking for early Spring color to welcome in Summer, they are excellent choices. Happy planting.