Na#ve Plants and Pollinators So what are we all doing here? Dan Jaffe, Propagator and Stock Bed Grower Dan Jaf 64 All lawns are bad, remove them completely! Non na>ve plants are the devil and must be destroyed! You are doomed for ever for having sprayed roundup on that na>ve poison ivy! Today is all about realis>c goals and expecta>ons Small steps which add up to large results 63 So what are we doing here today? So what can we really do? So what can we really do? SCALE means everything The Blackpoll warbler is a site specific species that lives in stunted northern spruce fir forests It is considered of special concern in MassachuseRs It needs a spruce/fir forest Plant more na>ves Kill your lawn Avoid chemicals Remove invasives Talk to your neighbors/ municipali>es Don t waste the good stuff 62 61 1
So what can we really do? Chemicals in the landscape There is great power in large numbers of people making small changes Chemicals in gardens? Pick the right plant in the first place If your area is sunny and dry, plant plants that prefer sunny dry condi>ons If your area doesn t have room for a large shrub, don t plant a large shrub If the soils are poor, plant plants that grow in poor soils If you need to water, prune, or fer>lize your plants a[er the first season you could have chosen a berer adapted plant Balance your goals with your desired maintenance level Compost and other good prac>ces Monarda didyma Senna hebecarpa 60 59 What is Na#ve Anyway? Lawns Most defini>ons are based on a geographic area and >me line Are plants poli>cal? Ecoregions Pre- European serlement or Pre- human movement? Can humans be natural vectors? Na>ve based on ecological interac>ons Na>ve enough? Cul>vars? Purple Agastache Helianthus Symphyotrichum coneflower foeniculum, tuberosus, with novae- anise sunchoke crab spider Hydrangea angliaea and arborescens bumble purple bee dome Annabelle hyssop 59 So what can we do? Kill your lawn (or at least reduce it) Treat the le[over lawn well Water Nutrients Mowing techniques Pes>cides Lawn companions What are the weeds telling me? Lawn alterna>ves 58 2
Lawn Chemicals So what s the issue? 90 million pounds of herbicides applied to lawns and gardens annually ~2 Million pounds of fer>lizer run off into the gulf of Mexico annually The gulf dead zone expands to 7000 sq. miles at the peak of the summer ~9 billion gallons of water wasted every day Of 30 commonly used lawn pes>cides: 19 are carcinogens 13 are linked with birth defects 21 with reproduc>ve effects 15 are neurotoxic 26 with liver or kidney damage 27 are sensi>zers and/or irritants 11 have the poten>al to disrupt the endocrine (hormonal) system What if your lawn could look like this without any mowing, watering or fer#lizer? Mowed Unmowed 57 Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica Sun to shade, dry to moist Great for woodland or sunny lawns Rhizomatous Highly valuable for pollinators! 55 54 3
So which plants are the right plants? That depends on what you want 1. You want prery? 2. Tasty? 3. Good for pollinators? 4. Erosion control/weed suppression? 53 Schizachyrium scoparium, little blue stem. Sheriff s meadow, Martha s Vineyard 52 So which plants are the right plants? Top Native Plants for Ecological Gardening That depends on what you want 1. You want prery? 2. Tasty? 3. Good for pollinators? 4. Erosion control/weed suppression? 5. Easy? 6. Filter plants/rain gardens Top 5 Trees Betula nigra (River birch) Populus deltoides (CoRon wood) Prunus sero6na (Black cherry) Quercus alba (White oak) Sassafras albidum (Sassafras) Top 5 Shrubs Amelanchier canadensis (Serviceberry) Lindera benzoin (Spicebush) Rubus odoratus (Flowering raspberry) Swida sericea (Red osier dogwood) Vaccinium corymbosum (High bush blueberry) Top 10 Standing Perennials Asclepias incarnata (Swamp milkweed) 51 50 4
Asclepias spp. Perennials for the sun 49 Monarch, milkweed tussock moth, >ger swallowtail and black swallowtail Asclepias tuberosa BuRerfly milkweed Full sun, average to dry soils Vibrant orange flowers Asclepias incarnata Rose milkweed Full to part sun, average to wet soils Milkweed tussock moth Black swallowtail 48 Asters The Eupatorium group Supports more lepidopteran species than any other herbaceous genus except goldenrod Symphyotrichum laeve Smooth aster Full to part sun Average to dry soils Symphyotrichum novae- angliae New England aster Full sun, average to moist soils Best under planted 47 Eutrochium fistulosum, purpureum and maculatum Joe Pye Weed All are great for bees and burerflies Great grown from seed Can be cut to size 46 5
Helianthus plays well with others Monarda spp. (Bee balm) Helianthus spp. H. divaricatus, woodland sunflower H. angus6folius, narrow leaved sunflower And H. tuberosus More in Weeds Supports a myriad of lepidopteran species! 45 Great for birds, bees, and humans Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) The star for herbal/edible uses as well as wildlife Floral feeders: Bumblebees, pipevine swallowtail, hummingbird clearwing, snowberry clearwing, ruby throated hummingbird Foliage feeders: hermit sphinx, gray marvel, pyralid moth, Coleophora monardae. Seed feeders: American finch, field sparrow, dark- eyed juncos Monarda punctata (spored bee balm) Hummingbird clearwing 44 Grasslands and meadows New Jersey tea bee balm mountain mint hyssop wintergreen Anyone up for a cup of tea? yellow birch spicebush sassafras pine hemlock 43 Monarda punctata, more in Weeds 42 6
Liatris spp. Lobelia spp. Liatris novae- angliae Dry to moist soils BuRon flowers Liatris spicata Average to moist soils Spike flowers Forma alba Bees like it, burerflies love it 41 Cardinal flower Loved by burerflies and hummingbirds alike Blue lobelia Designed for bees 40 Schizachyrium scoparium Viola spp. LiRle bluestem Up to 3 tall Great in sunny dry sites Host for the arogos skipper and other pollinators Viola pedata Bird s- foot violet The regal fri>llary makes its home in meadows where an abundance of violet s can be found 39 38 7
Viola x insolata Lupinus perennis Sundial lupine Found in open xeric habitats, o[en in openings within pitch pine scrublands and heath barrens Host for the regionally endangered frosted elfin and the threatened persius duskywing Lupinus perennis is also the host for the federally endangered karner blue 37 36 Weeds? Goldenrods Perennials for the shade Goldenrods support more life than any other herbaceous genus Solidago odora Sweet goldenrod Fragrant, makes a great tea Solidago nemoralis Gray goldenrod Solidago puberula Downy goldenrod 35 34 8
Give me more goldenrod! Phlox divaricata Goldenrods support more life than any other herbaceous genus Solidago caesia Wreath, axillary or bluestem goldenrod Parts sun to shade Moist to dry soils 33 Woodland phlox Part sun to shade Average soils Prefers rich sites but does not require them Great when combined with Tiarella cordifolia Phlox stolonifera is another good op>on 32 Geranium maculatum Wild geranium Sun to part shade Moist to dry Very cool fruits later in the season 31 30 9
More aster! Shrubs Supports more lepidopteran species than any other herbaceous genus except goldenrod Symphyotrichum cordifolium Blue wood aster Part sun to shade Average to dry soils 29 28 Ceanothus americanus Spiraea spp. New Jersey Tea Sunny, acidic well drained sights Late winter pruning will help to keep the form from gesng too leggy Used during revolu>onary war >mes as a subs>tute for the English tea Host for the spring azure, summer azure, morled duskywing and dreamy duskywing Spring azure Dreamy duskywing 27 Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) var. alba (moist to wet) var. la6folia (average to dry) Steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa) Average to moist Birch leaf spirea (Spiraea betulifolia) Average to dry 26 10
Viburnum spp. Lindera benzoin Viburnum acerifolium Best choice for dry shade condi>ons Viburnum lantanoides Showiest flowers (V. opulus) Naked buds, excellent fall foliage Viburnum nudum Excellent fall foliage Viburnum opulus var. americanum Great for the wet areas Edible berries Viburnum prunifolium Tree(ish) form Very dry- tolerant 25 Spicebush Young leaves and twigs can be used to make tea, During the revolu>onary war Americans used the berries in place of allspice and the leaves and twigs in place of tea Though many birds will eat the fruits of Lindera, veery and wood thrush appear to search them out Host for the Promethea moth and the spicebush swallowtail Spicebush swallowtail Promethea moth 24 Swida sericea Red osier dogwood Not to be confused with S. sanguinia Flowers for various insects, leaves for various lepedoptera, fruits for birds Can be cut back as needed Swida amomum, racemosum 23 22 11
Burning Invasives bush destroy habitat How about killing two birds with one stone? The #1 Shrub 21 Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum Highbush blueberry Sun to part shade, prefers moist sites Vaccinium angus6folium Lowbush blueberry Sun to shade, tolerant of dry soils Vaccinium pallidum Hillside blueberry Sun to shade, tolerant of dry soils 20 And don t forget trees! The absolute best herbaceous genus you can plant when it comes to pollinator value is Solidago, the goldenrods, which support 115 different species of lepetoptera. Aster comes in second at 112 species supported. (Tallamy) Anyone want to guess how many species of lepetoptera are supported by an oak? 534 19 12
Poplar, aspen Populus spp. Populus tremuloides Quaking aspen Populus grandidentata Big- tooth aspen Populus deltoides CoRonwood Betula papyrifera, paper birch. Somewhere in Vermont Betula alleghaniensis An old English recipe for yellow birch beer Yellow birch Betula lenta (black birch) Twigs and sap Long lived, 60-80 tall Moist sites 15 "To every Gallon of Birch- water put a quart of Honey, well s>rr'd together; then boil it almost an hour with a few Cloves, and a lirle Limon- peel, keeping it well scumm'd. When it Is sufficiently boil'd, and become cold, add to it three or four Spoonfuls of good Ale to make it work...and when the Test begins to serle, borle it up... it is gentle, and very harmless in opera>on within the body, and exceedingly sharpens the Appe>te, being drunk ante pastum." 14 13
Salix discolor, pussy willow Salix discolor, pussy willow 13 Salix nigra, black willow Weeds? Prunus serotina Prunus sero?na, virginiana, black choke cherry. Black cherry Fruit s are great for passing birds and humans alike Promethea moth, small- eyed sphinx, wild cherry sphinx (and P. americana), banded tussock moth, black- etched prominent, spored apatelodes, yellow- necked caterpillar, >ger swallowtail, cecropia moth, saddleback caterpillar moth (Prunus spp.), io moth (and P. americana), striped hairstreak (Prunus spp.), red- spored purple (Prunus spp.) Small- eyed The image sphinx cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. SpoRed apatelodes 11 14
Quercus alba, white oak. Cumberland count, VA 9 Pollinators supported by the Big Five Trees (Betula, Populus, Prunus, Quercus, and Salix) American dagger moth Andrena (mining bees) A. andreoides A. bisalicis A. erythrogaster A. fenningeri A. illinoiensis A. mariae A. salictaria A. sigmundi Banded hairstreak (Q. alba) Banded tussock moth Bees Big poplar sphinx Black- etched prominent Cecropia moth Dreamy duskwing Four- horned sphinx Giant leopard moth Great ash sphinx Horace's duskywing Imperial moth Io moth Juvenals duskywing Large tolype Luna moth Mourning cloak Pink- striped Polyphemus moth Promethea moth Red- banded hairstreak Red- spored purple Rosy maple moth Saddleback caterpillar moth Small- eyed sphinx SpoRed apatelodes Striped hairstreak Tiger swallowtail Viceroy Virginia >ger moth Waved sphinx White- marked hairstreak White- marked tussock moth Wild cherry sphinx Yellow- necked caterpillar And roughly 500 more This list available upon request Other Great Specimen Trees Don t waste the good stuff Asimina triloba (Paw paw) Cel6s occidentalis (Hackberry) Cercis canadensis (Redbud) Chionanthus virginicus (Fringe tree) Benthamidia florida (Flowering dogwood) Crataegus spp. (Hawthorn) Diospyros virginiana (Persimmon) Juglans spp. (Walnut) Juniperus virginiana (Red cedar) Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet gum) Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip tree) Pinus rigida (Pitch pine) Malus coronaria (Sweet crab apple) Tilia americana (Basswood) Juglans spp., Pinus rigida, and Tilia americana are all hosts for the threatened imperial moth Asimina Chionanthus triloba virginicus Crataegus mollis Liquidambar styraciflua Rus>c sphinx Waved sphinx Hickory Zebra horned swallowtail devil 7 Use your leaves They make great mulch and compost Nothing leaves the site Don t let your water go Collect rainwater Water smartly Work with your land 6 15
Talk to your neighbors/municipalities And be lazy in the cold season! What can you do? Roadsides and Drainage ditches More in Weeds Town centers, public parks, abandoned lots And salamanders! 5 4 The Simple Message Top 25 Na#ve Plants For Suppor#ng Wildlife and Pollinators (in order) Avoid chemicals Especially systemics Plant more na>ves Reduce lawn Remove invasives Ensure habitat Viburnum Isotrema nudum macrophyllus Gaylussacia brachycera Pipevine swallowtail Hummingbird clearwing Huckleberry sphinx 3 1. Oaks (Quercus spp.) 2. Cherry (Prunus spp.) 3. Black willow (Salix nigra) 4. Birch (Betula spp.) 5. Poplar (Populus spp.) 6. Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) 7. Dogwood (Swida spp.) 8. Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) 9. Asters (Aster spp.) 10. Viburnum (Viburnum spp.) 11. Spiraea (Spiraea spp.) 12. Wild strawberry (Fragaria spp.) 13. Sunflower (Helianthus spp.) 14. New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanum) 15. Joe Pye (Eutrochium spp.) 16. Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) 17. Sundial lupine (Lupinus perennis) 18. Birds foot violet (Viola pedata) 19. Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) 20. Black- eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) 21. Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) 22. Woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata) 23. Bee balm (Monarda spp.) 24. LiRle bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) 25. Lobelia (Lobelia spp.) 2 16
Questions? Photo credits MassachuseRs BuRerfly Club: A Chapter of the North American BuRerfly Associa>on Wikipedia MassachuseRs Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (Wildflower.org) Lepidopteran species count credit Doug Tallamy and his graduate students Dan Jaffe djaffe@newenglandwild.org 17