Although our natural tendency is to clear out undergrowth and deadhead flowers, you may want to
think twice before clearing out these treasure troves. We may think of them as unwanted, but to
wildlife it may mean safety from a lurking predator or acquiring essential nutrients to make it through the winter.
Did you know that cherries, whether wild or planted, provide food for about 70 different species
of song and game birds? Crabapples provide a food source for the purple finch, blue jay, northern
oriole, cedar waxwing and robin.
White cedars are an excellent source of food and shelter for many birds. Not only do they eat
the seeds, but come winter the evergreen branches provide cover, a place to escape the savage
winter winds. You will find this is also true of the many and varied ornamental grasses. They
often provide a winter haven for birds and small wildlife.
Prickly shrubs such as raspberries and blackberries provide food for birds and small animals
in the summer but also supply protective shelter for wildlife in the winter. After land has
been cleared and allowed to regrow, one of the first trees to appear is the Alder, offering twigs
and buds for munching beaver and rabbit. The red osier dogwood is a twiggy shrub that
grows in damp soils in riparian and wetland areas, providing cover for a variety of wildlife
species. It provides browsing for deer, bear, beaver and rabbit, while many birds enjoy the
fruit found in clusters on the ends of the stems. Ruffed grouse, pheasant, and wild turkeys
especially like it. The low growing branches supply ample cover for many of these birds.
Many other plants we find in our urban gardens are also useful to wildlife for food and cover.
The seedpods from the Magnolia tree provide a winter food source for the Pileated Woodpecker.
Cedar Waxwings love the berries from the Red Cedar, and pinecones are yet another winter food source for many.
Seeds from our annual flowers are also another good source of food for many birds.
Acorns from oak trees are treasured not only by squirrels but chipmunks and deer.
