Impact of nonnative trees on food available for breeding birds

[katjh]

Originally Posted by KC Clark

You're like minded until you aren't. And that can cause problems.

I ran into moth person last year who was not real happy with me because I was trying to get eggs from moths. You're just supposed to take pictures of moths, not bother them. Sorta reinforced that I'm really a caterpillar person.

That is true! Not everyone is going to agree on every thing. I'd settle for a little more like-minded in my neighborhood...but my neighbors probably feel the same way about ME!

[EllenW]

Originally Posted by katjh

That is true! Not everyone is going to agree on every thing. I'd settle for a little more like-minded in my neighborhood...but my neighbors probably feel the same way about ME!

I hope your neighbors will be inspired by your beautiful flowers kat. My property is very wild. I'm going to make the walkway to my door as attractive as I can so people may be inspired by the beautiful butterflies the flowers attract

[katjh]

Originally Posted by EllenW

I hope your neighbors will be inspired by your beautiful flowers kat. My property is very wild. I'm going to make the walkway to my door as attractive as I can so people may be inspired by the beautiful butterflies the flowers attract

Thanks, Ellen. I hope so, too. I'm trying really hard to "plan" the front yard a bit more than I did the back. I hope it will be attractive to the neighbors and they'll want to add more natives to their own yards. I hope your walkway inspires your neighbors, too!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by katjh

Thanks, Ellen. I hope so, too. I'm trying really hard to "plan" the front yard a bit more than I did the back. I hope it will be attractive to the neighbors and they'll want to add more natives to their own yards. I hope your walkway inspires your neighbors, too!

I think that is something else we all seem to have in common...I, too, hope that people recognize the beauty of my yard and will be inspired to create something similar in their own yards. Of course, I have to make mine beautiful first. I've pretty much neglected the front yard...and elsewhere things are pretty scattered and not making a big visual impact yet.

[EllenW]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

I think that is something else we all seem to have in common...I, too, hope that people recognize the beauty of my yard and will be inspired to create something similar in their own yards. Of course, I have to make mine beautiful first. I've pretty much neglected the front yard...and elsewhere things are pretty scattered and not making a big visual impact yet.

I hate to remove anything that is native like Pokeweed. I will start doing that in areas that are highly visible to others. I myself don't care about how things look only that my landscape benefits wildlife. I really would like to encourage others to remove lawn though. People tell me all the time that gardening is too time consuming but I think I spend less time on my gardens than they do mowing. I would much rather work in a garden than to mow. I'm also working on winter interest in the garden such as having a balance of evergreens. That makes things look less "messy" in winter and also provides shelter for wildlife. My American Holly trees provide beauty in the winter. I notice them much more when everything else dies back.

[linrose]

I envy you your American hollies EllenW. Our substitute is the Eastern Red Cedar that dot our property. They are shallow rooted and we lost a large one in our last ice storm this winter. They are essential to so many species and create a wonderful shelter for birds in winter. I watch them fly from the cedars to the feeders and back again.

Living here we were so lucky to have so many mature native trees. Now that we've been here over 12 years, we are second owners, we have had to cut back many large limbs hanging over the house and driveway which is always painful but necessary. Fortunately we have so many others and we will preserve those trees by the house as long as we can. It really is a cautionary tale to those of you planting large trees by your house, beware of the mature size of the tree. In our case the trees came before the house but in the 20 plus years since the house was built the trees of course grew and overtook the space.

We had a guy come out today to give us an estimate to take down some limbs, some overhanging the house, and some broken branches from the ice storm that are hanging and we can't reach with a pole saw. Tree work is expensive people! Jason was about to climb up a dogwood to cut some hangers until I reminded him of the cost of going to the emergency room!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by EllenW

I hate to remove anything that is native like Pokeweed. I will start doing that in areas that are highly visible to others. I myself don't care about how things look only that my landscape benefits wildlife. I really would like to encourage others to remove lawn though. People tell me all the time that gardening is too time consuming but I think I spend less time on my gardens than they do mowing. I would much rather work in a garden than to mow. I'm also working on winter interest in the garden such as having a balance of evergreens. That makes things look less "messy" in winter and also provides shelter for wildlife. My American Holly trees provide beauty in the winter. I notice them much more when everything else dies back.

Ellen,

While reading your post, it occurred to me that, perhaps, by removing the pokeweed (only in those areas that are highly visible to others), providing winter interest, and making things look attractive to others (and keep things more to your liking where others rarely see) you will be improving things for wildlife--assuming that your neighbors start recognizing the beauty of natives and begin adding them to their properties (thus providing more habitat for wildlife).

Although, I expect my front yard to be "fairly attractive" to others, it will still be far from traditional. Neither you nor I can know for sure if others will see the beauty in our yards. Ultimately, we are doing this for ourselves and for wildlife...but, I like to think that making our native landscapes "accessible" to others could go a long way in swaying them to consider natives themselves.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by linrose

I envy you your American hollies EllenW. Our substitute is the Eastern Red Cedar that dot our property. They are shallow rooted and we lost a large one in our last ice storm this winter. They are essential to so many species and create a wonderful shelter for birds in winter. I watch them fly from the cedars to the feeders and back again.

I forgot to mention your American hollies, too, Ellen.

It was never a favorite of mine--I guess I used to think of it as a landscape tree (since so many alien/hybrid hollies are sold at nurseries). I recall seeing one growing in a park (Bushy Run Battlefield) near my old stomping grounds. Seeing it in nature and knowing that it is a native helped me appreciate it a little more.

Now that I am trying to create a visual barrier to the property on our far side, I've begun seriously considering American hollies. I want something evergreen that can handle growing near black walnut. I'm hoping that this is a solution. The fact that they will provide shelter and berries (not favored, if I recall) for the birds is an added bonus.

linrose, sorry that you lost one of your large cedars.

I recall my cousin from Kentucky having a lot of cedars on a property she purchased years ago. I do like them, but I don't think they are an appropriate addition to our property here.

Originally Posted by linrose

Living here we were so lucky to have so many mature native trees. Now that we've been here over 12 years, we are second owners, we have had to cut back many large limbs hanging over the house and driveway which is always painful but necessary. Fortunately we have so many others and we will preserve those trees by the house as long as we can. It really is a cautionary tale to those of you planting large trees by your house, beware of the mature size of the tree. In our case the trees came before the house but in the 20 plus years since the house was built the trees of course grew and overtook the space.

I hear you.

While growing up, I was very aware of keeping large trees away from the house--perhaps my father imparted that knowledge to me...or I witnessed enough mistakes myself. So, for years (even before we had our own property) I'd always planned in my head to keep the largest trees at least their mature height's distance from the house. However, when we bought our home, there was a huge tree only 15-some feet from the house--and towering over it. I hated to have it taken down, but we did when we had the roof replaced--but we left a 15 foot snag...I made sure that in the even that it eventually falls, it will miss the house.

Anyway, we cannot control what previous owners have done...and, I must admit, that I put in a couple of Nyssa sylvatica (blackgum) not much farther away from the house than that. I was under the impression that they only grew to 30 feet...and have since seen varying sources stating 30-, 45-, and as high as 125 ft. ~sigh~ I do like the look of somewhat tall trees near a house--anchoring it to the landscape, but not towering over it. That was my idea with the blackgum. I'm still hopeful that they will never be a problem--those that my dad put in more than 35 years ago are still not towering over the house where I grew up--they seem to be the same height as when I moved out 20-some years ago. About 30 feet, I'd say. So, I'm hopeful.

Also, I did plant them so they would likely fall in front of the house not on it.

We all need reminded of your cautionary tale--even though I knew it, I kind of broke my own rule.

Originally Posted by linrose

We had a guy come out today to give us an estimate to take down some limbs, some overhanging the house, and some broken branches from the ice storm that are hanging and we can't reach with a pole saw. Tree work is expensive people! Jason was about to climb up a dogwood to cut some hangers until I reminded him of the cost of going to the emergency room!

Yes, they are expensive!

Good point about the emergency room, linrose. Not worth the risk.

[EllenW]

My brother does tree work for a living. The equipment is very expensive like the bucket truck that he uses. It is very dangerous. You really need to be careful. I cut some pretty large branches on trees and they don't always fall where you think they will. I planted the American Hollies I have when I moved here 16 years ago. I love them. They are very slow growers. Some of the neighbors have huge old Hollies. I think they are beautiful. You are right dap. Holly berries aren't a bird favorite. They are the last to be eaten.

I have lots of volunteer Red Cedars here. They are very slow growers too. The largest one that I have is about 10 feet. Free is good for me and when they are larger they will provide shelter and berries for the birds.

[dapjwy]

Good point about why tree service are expensive--it is a specialty--and a dangerous one at that. You brought up the overhead cost...and I would imagine insurance would be an expensive cost as well.