Native Plants That
Attract
Wildlife
by Sharon LaPlante
All
wildlife requires food, water, and cover, and can only live where these
requirements are met. An ideal
landscape uses native plants to provide a year round food supply – such as
berries, fruit, seeds, and nuts. Water
is essential for wildlife, and your water source can be as elaborate as a pond
with a waterfall or as simple as a dish of water. Cover needs to be provided for wildlife to breed, nest, hide,
sleep, and feed. Many native plants
that provide food also provide cover. Dense
evergreen trees or shrubs (such as yaupon holly or Walter’s viburnum) or
thorny shrubs (such as blackberries) are perfect cover, as well as a food
supply, for a variety of wildlife. Dead
trees and brush piles also provide cover. Many forest-dwelling animals require a cavity in a dead tree
(snag) for nesting. If it’s
possible leave a dead tree or two for the woodpeckers and the flying squirrels.
Mother nature recycles everything. Wildlife
requires all of the “trash” that people throw away, it is always used by
some animal somewhere in the food chain. Consider constructing brush piles with
fallen tree limbs and using leaves and grass clippings as mulch.
Leave stumps and fallen logs for cover and foraging areas, and, most
importantly, refrain from using pesticides.
Yaupon
hollies and Walter’s viburnum are excellent for nesting sites and
Chokeberry
(Aronia arbutifolia) – this
deciduous shrub reaches 9 feet in height.
Beauty
berry (Callicarpa americana) – this
deciduous shrub may reach 10 feet in
Dahoon
holly (Ilex cassine)
- an evergreen tree reaching 40 feet in height.
The female has the bright red berries.
It grows in full sun to part shade with average to moist soil.
The berries are another important food supply for birds.
Yaupon
holly (Ilex vomitoria) – this
evergreen tree reaches 25 feet in height. Only
the female has the bright red berries. It grows in sun to part shade with average to moist soil.
It is another important winter food source.
Sparkleberry
(Vaccinium arboreum) – this
semi-evergreen shrub is Florida’s largest blueberry. It may reach 20 feet in height. It grows in part-shade with average moisture.
The berries are edible, but do not have much flavor and tend to be rather
gritty.
Walter’s
viburnum (Viburnum obovatum) – this
semi-evergreen shrub reaches 15 feet in height. It’s small, evergreen leaves make this a good candidate for
using as a hedge. It grows in sun
to part shade with average to moist soil. The
small black berries are relished by birds in the winter.
Nectar plants, as well as larval food plants
should be provided in order to have butterflies as constant visitors to your
landscape. Dense shrubs will
provide cover and protection from the elements, and moist soil or mulch will
provide a water source. Butterflies
drink from moist soil or droplets rather than an open pond so as not to endanger
themselves.
Bahama
cassia (Cassia bahamensis) – a
deciduous shrub reaching 15 feet in height.
Yellow flowers appear in the fall. It grows in full sun with average
moisture. It is the larval food
plant of a number of sulphur butterflies.
Tampa
vervain (Glandularia tampensis) –
this ‘endangered’ perennial wildflower reaches 2 feet high and grows in sun
to part shade with average to moist soil. The
flowers are lavender.
Virginia
willow (Itea virginica) - a deciduous
shrub reaching 6 feet in height. The
small white flowers are born on elongated clusters. It grows in part shade to full sun with average to moist
soils.
Black-eyed
susan (Rudbeckia hirta) – a
perennial wildflower reaching about 2 feet in height.
It has bright yellow flowers with black-brown centers.
It prefers full sun with average moisture.
Wild
petunia (Ruellia carolinensis) – a
perennial wildflower that reaches 1 foot in height, and can spread to become a
ground cover. It tolerates part
shade to full sun with dry to average moisture.
It has lavender blooms.
Stoke’s
aster (Stokesia laevis) – a
perennial wildflower reaching 2 feet in height.
It tolerates part shade to full sun with average to moist soil.
Its lavender flowers are more abundant if grown in full sun.
Coral
bean (Erythrina herbacea) – a
deciduous shrub reaching 15 feet in height.
It grows in part shade to full sun with dry to average moisture.
The red tubular flowers are enjoyed by hummingbirds and large
butterflies. The seeds are
poisonous.
Scarlet
hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus) – a
perennial wildflower reaching 10 feet in height. It tolerates part shade to full sun with moist soil.
It has large 6 inch red flowers.
Coral
honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
– an evergreen, perennial vine with red tubular flowers.
It tolerates part sun to full sun with average moisture.
It flowers best with full sun.
Swamp
azalea (Rhododendron serrulatum) – a
deciduous shrub reaching 15 feet in height.
It tolerates shade to part sun with average to moist soil conditions.
It has white flowers.
Red salvia (Salvia
coccinea) – a perennial wildflower that may reach 4 feet in height.
It tolerates part shade to full sun with average moisture.
The red tubular flowers are used by butterflies and hummingbirds. It will re-seed itself.
Raccoons
and opossums relish plums and saw palmetto.
Flying squirrels require cavities in
Scrub
hickory (Carya floridana) – a
deciduous tree reaching 30 feet in height.
It prefers dry soil
Red
mulberry (Morus rubra) – a deciduous
tree reaching 50 feet in height. It
grows in full sun with
Slash
pine (Pinus elliottii) – this
evergreen tree grows to 90 feet in height.
The seeds (or pine nuts) are eaten by a variety of mammals and birds.
It grows in full sun with average to moist soil.
Chickasaw
plum (Prunus angustifolia) - a
deciduous tree reaching 20 feet in height.
The small, 1/2 inch, reddish plums are used by a variety of wildlife.
The plums are edible, but sour. Part
shade to full sun with average moisture.
Shiny
blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites) – a
low growing evergreen shrub that reaches 2 feet in height.
The berries are edible, and very sweet.
It grows in full sun to part shade with dry to average moisture.
Leaves
used as a mulch maintain a moisture level that in some cases is perfect for
amphibians to thrive in. Slimy
salamanders love moist leaf litter. Brush piles, and fallen logs are ideal foraging and shelter
areas for reptiles and amphibians. Rocks
in the landscape provide perfect perches for reptiles to sun themselves and
catch insects.
Prickly
pear, (Opuntia compressa) – a woody,
succulent cactus reaching 2 feet in height.
The flowers are yellow. Gopher
tortoises eat just about every part of this cactus. It prefers full sun with dry soil.
Needle
palm, (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) – an
evergreen palm that will reach 6 feet in height. The yellow fruits are eaten by mammals and large birds.
The trunk has needle-like spines which provide cover for reptiles and
amphibians. It tolerates part sun
to sun with average moisture.
Saw palmetto, (Serenoa repens) – An excellent evergreen ground cover for reptiles and amphibians and can be used underneath trees. This evergreen shrub reaches 8 to 10 feet in height. It tolerates shade or sun. The black fruits are eaten by a variety of mammals and birds.
For
more information on wildlife and wildlife habitat:
Adams,
George. Birdscaping Your Garden.
Rodale Press: Emmaus, PA. 1994
Ajilvsgi,
Geyata. Butterfly Gardening for
the South. Taylor Publishing:
Dallas, TX. 1990
Ashton,
Ray E., Jr. and Patricia Sawyer-Ashton. Handbook
of Reptiles and Amphibians of Florida:
Part One: Snakes. Winward Publishing: Miami, FL.
1991
Ashton,
Ray E., Jr. and Patricia Sawyer-Ashton.
Handbook of Reptiles and Amphibians of Florida: Part Two: Lizards,
Turtles
Crocodilians. Winward Publishing, Inc.: Miami, FL. 1988
Ashton,
Ray E., Jr. and Patricia Sawyer-Ashton. Handbook
of Reptiles and Amphibians of Florida: Part Three: The Amphibians.
Winward Publishing, Inc.: Miami, FL.
1988
Bell,
C. Ritchie and B. J. Taylor. Florida
Wildflowers and Roadside Plants. Laurel
HiII Press: Chapel Hill, NC. 1982
Harvey,
Michael. Bats of the Eastern
United States. Tennessee
Technological University: Cookeville, TN. 1992
Huegel,
C. Butterfly Gardening with Florida's Native Plants.
Florida Native Plant Society: Orlando, FL.
1992
Nelson,
Gil. The Shrubs & Woody
Vines of Florida. Pineapple
Press: Sarasota, FL. 1996
Nelson,
Gil. The Trees of Florida.
Pineapple Press: Sarasota, FL. 1994
Taylor,
Walter Kingsley. The Guide to
Florida Wildflowers. Taylor
Publishing: Dallas, TX. 1992
Wasowski,
Sally. Gardening with Native
Plants of the South. Taylor
Publishing: Dallas, TX. 1994
ã March 1998
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