Wildlife Gardening

Though I appreciate the beauty of a rose or annual flower like anyone else, my real interest in gardening lies in the live creatures my plantings may lure. For years I have researched what tree or shrub will best attract the birds, butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles, and mammals that can make a stagnant property transform into a truly unpredictable landscape.

If there is one major piece of knowledge that has made the most difference in my understanding of wildlife gardening, it is that one must target plants native to the area. Hence aliens from Europe and Asia, though perhaps beautiful and alluring, must be used moderately, if at all. Now to some this sounds like too draconian a measure, and they choose to deny the importance of the claim. Nevertheless, the facts do support the assertion, and the explanation is that, having evolved with the insect and animal kindoms for eons of time, native plants support their needs best.

The attached picture is of a beguiling culprit. The honeysuckle shrub was introduced from Japan in the 19th century and quickly became popular. It has multiple attractions in that it flowers quite beautifully in the spring, supplies desirable cover during the summer, and berries to the attraction of the birds in the fall. Nevertheless, it is a problem for the true wildlife gardener, and especially to the native animals themselves. Because it is an alien it has no traditional enemies in the insect world that feed from its leaves, and this results in an advantage over our native species. Without insect foes that control its growth, it overruns our native species that do have controls. Also, because of this lack of associated growth controlling insects, birds and predators like dragonflies are unable to benefit from it in the all important early spring, when reproduction is in full swing. Babies need meat, and insects are the usual source of it. Without an evolved association with insects finding a meal by its presence, birds are unable to fill their needs of a high protein diet. In addition, though it does berry and feed birds in the fall, the birds gain little real nutrition from it.

There are many such alien culprits that are being touted as "carefree" by landscaping centers, but this is one of the more environmentally harmful of them. You might consider controlling its growth in your garden.