FRIENDS OF THE LAKE
Native Birds Need Native Plants
As you may have heard or read , there are many advantages to planting native plants over non-native ones . One benefit you may not have thought of is how they support wildlife . In fact , research has shown a clear relationship between native plants and birds , linking the importance of native plants for supporting insects like caterpillars .
Recent research on Carolina chickadees in suburban backyards in the Washington area found that insect availability and population growth declined as the number of non-native plants increased . Backyards that had less than 30 % non-native plants were able to sustain Carolina chickadee populations . While in areas with greater than 30 % non-native plants , chickadees would fail to breed or fledge their young .
This research shows that having some non-natives in your landscape is alright . However , to support songbirds , native plants are the key . So , what are the best plants for birds ? Below are trees that support high numbers of butterfly and moth species , which allow bird populations to thrive :
• Birches ( Betula )
• Cherries ( Prunus )
• Oaks ( Quercus )
• Willows ( Salix )
Native plants are also an important food source .
Songbirds often rely on berries and seeds from nativ plants since insects become scarcer during the winte Antioxidants , energy , fat , and protein that support bird during lean winter months . The five-best berry-producin shrubs and vines for local birds are :
• Gray dogwood ( Cornus racemosa )
• Red osier dogwood ( Cornus sericea )
• Silky dogwood ( Cornus amomum )
• Southern arrowwood ( Viburnum dentatum )
• Virginia creeper ( Parthenocissus quinquefolia ) Not all natives are created equal , however . Some nativ berries , such as those from northern bayberry ( Myric pennsylvanica ) and eastern red cedars , are packed with fat , but only a handful of bird species consume them . Similarly , winterberry ( Ilex verticillata ) berries have limited nutritional content , and many birds aren ’ t interested in eating them While birds prefer these plants less than the ones liste above , the advantage is that these waxy berries often persi into the late winter and provide food for overwinterin songbirds like cedar waxwings and American robins . If yo have these plants in your yard , it can get rather comical a