A Holiday Display, Courtesy of Nature

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

December Snow

In a weather pattern that is pretty unusual for New Jersey in December, four snowstorms in a ten day period each brought a few inches of snow, sometimes with a mix of freezing rain or sleet. The result? A holiday display visible right outside our windows!

Anyone remember flocked Christmas trees? This snow covered White Pine (Pinus strobus) could be the inspiration for them, although nothing we manufacture could provide such a lovely shelter from the elements and predators for birds in winter.

Snow covered White Pine (Pinus strobus)

Other decorations include the aptly named Wreath Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) arching gracefully under its weight of snow.

Wreath Goldenrod (Solidago caesia)

In place of a candelabra, a Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) fruit cluster brightens its surroundings, while offering food for Goldfinches, Chickadees and even Dark-eyed Juncos.

Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

No need to string cranberries or make other garlands when the red fruits of Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) blaze on snowy branches.

Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)

Like using tinsel or other ‘icicles’ to decorate your tree? One storm provided the real thing. A little ice doesn’t deter this Tufted Titmouse from its pursuit of a meal.

Tufted Titmouse and White-throated Sparrow on ice

I like bird ornaments on a Christmas tree, but even better are the live models posing outside in the trees

Northern Cardinal, male

Blue Jay

White-throated Sparrow

Chickadee

House Finch, female

and on the ground below.

Dark-eyed Junco

White-throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal, female

Northern Cardinal, male

Just across the Delaware River from us, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve was also blanketed with the fluffy white stuff.

Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, Pidcock Creek from the bridge

Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, the Violet Trail

Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moschuetos) on the Gentian Trail

Snow-covered fruits and leaves decorated the woods exactly like holiday ornaments dangling from the trees.

Ironwood, also called American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)

Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)

Possum-haw Viburnum (Viburnum nudum)

BlackJack Oak (Quercus marilandica)

Snow tends to be ephemeral around here, and this weekend with temperatures in the 50s and 60s it has almost disappeared. (65°F at 7 o’clock this morning!) But even without the cover of snow, beautiful natural decorations are visible in some form every day of the year. So get out and enjoy them whenever you can!

Happy Holidays!

December Snow

In Praise of Black Walnut Trees

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

If you go for a walk in the woods any time soon, you may still encounter black walnuts or the remains of their hulls on the ground.

Fallen Black Walnuts

The nuts usually remain on the tree until after the leaves fall, reminding me of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Then all the nuts fall within a short time of each other. These nuts are sweet tasting and highly nutritious. Studies show that eating them helps prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Walnuts have as much protein as an equal weight of beef, but they also contain essential fatty acids that are necessary for healthy brain development and function. Any aging brains out there? Eat walnuts!

Black Walnut (Junglans nigra)

Mammals other than humans like them, too: squirrels, mice and voles, for example.

Eastern Gray Squirrels eat and help disperse Walnuts

Red Squirrels also enjoy many tree nuts, including Walnuts

These animals aid in the spread of Walnut trees when they overlook some of the nuts they have hidden away for later use, effectively planting them.

In turn, these animals are food for larger animals, like fox

Red Fox

and raptors.

Red-shouldered Hawks, as well as most other raptors, hunt and eat small mammals

According to Douglas Tallamy in Bringing Nature Home, the leaves of Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) trees and the closely related Butternut (Juglans cinerea) provide food for the caterpillars of over 100 species of moths and butterflies, including Luna Moths and Banded Hairstreaks.

Banded Hairstreak on Butterflyweed. Their caterpillars feed on the leaves of Black Walnut and other woody species

The Walnut Caterpillar specializes on Black Walnut and relatives such as Butternut. This means the leaves of these trees are the only food these caterpillars can eat.

Walnut Caterpillar (Datana integerrima)

Since they are an important source of food for birds, not all caterpillars will see life as an adult butterfly or moth.

Tufted Titmouse

Black Walnut trees have a reputation for not playing well with other plants. That is, many plants won’t grow successfully in close proximity (within the drip-line or reach of the roots) of a Black Walnut. The reason is more complex than shade and competition for water. Black Walnuts contain juglone, which is an anti-fungal chemical. In order to derive nutrients from the soil, the vast majority of plants partner with underground mycorrhizal fungi (think mushroom, not the mold in your shower). Unless the fungi on which the plant depends is resistant to juglone, or the plant doesn’t require this partnership to obtain its nutrition, that plant won’t do well. Of course, some plants and their fungi partners have evolved in exactly this way. Click here for some suggestions from The Mortem Arboretum for plants that can co-habit successfully with Black Walnut trees.

It’s of benefit to Black Walnut trees to produce juglone, since it does reduce competition for resources, and protects the trees from fungal invaders that might do them harm. Juglone also has sedative properties that may aid animals in dormancy. It can even have a calming effect on people.

Black walnut trees contain another compound called ellagic acid in both their nuts and leaves. This compound is thought to help prevent cancer in people who consume the nuts. The ellagic acid in the leaves is effective in removing carcinogenic hydrocarbons from the air, helping to reduce the effects of air pollution.

As if that weren’t enough, Black Walnut’s wood is valuable for furniture and cabinet making, and the nut hulls can be used to make a dye.

Black Walnut with hull partially removed

These are just some of the known benefits of Black Walnut trees. Just imagine what we don’t know yet! No wonder ‘juglans’ is sometimes translated as ‘nut of Jupiter’, or ‘nut of the gods’.

Black Walnut Tree (Juglans nigra)

Resources

Beresford-Kroeger, Diana. Arboretum America: A Philosophy of the Forest. 2003

Eastman, John. The Book of Forest and Thicket. 1992.

Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing Nature Home. 2007

Wagner, David L. Caterpillars of Eastern North America. 2005.

Butterflies and Moths of North America

Natural History Museum Database of Leipidoptera Hostplants

Nutritious Fall Foliage: What makes leaves so colorful?

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

On Halloween, the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) outside our kitchen window gave up the ghost, so to speak. The leaves on the north side of the tree had been changing colors for weeks, but the rest of the tree remained stubbornly green. Overnight, the entire tree was awash in reds and oranges.

It’s the change in day length (or really night length) and temperature that signals deciduous trees and shrubs that it’s time to get ready for winter. They have to drop their leaves to protect themselves from damage that would be caused due to the heavy weight of winter ice and snow storms. As nights get longer and temperatures drop, these woody plants gradually slow and eventually stop replenishing chlorophyll, the substance that is responsible for the green pigment in their leaves.

Alexauken Wildlife Management Area, West Amwell, New Jersey

But what accounts for the array of colors that are revealed as the chlorophyll gradually disappears? The yellow, orange, red, purple, bronze and browns?

These colors reflect some of the same nutrients that are present in the plant-based foods we eat. Many of these chemicals were present throughout the growing season, but were masked by or blended with the green of the chlorophyll.

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) Leaves in Spring

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia ) Leaves in Fall

The yellows are carotenoids, mainly xanthophylls, nutrients that help to reduce inflammation, boost the immune system and reduce tumor growth. They are present in yellow summer squash, beets, carrots, corn, peppers, green leafy vegetables, and many others. Xanthophylls help plants to absorb energy from the sun while protecting tissues against the sun’s intense radiation.

Alexauken Wildlife Management Area, West Amwell, New Jersey

Carotenes (another group of carotenoids) are responsible for the orange shades revealed in fall leaves. Beta-carotene is an anti-oxidant, visible in the orange color of foods like winter squash, carrots and sweet potatoes. They assist in photosynthesis, and help protect plant tissues from too much exposure to the sun’s rays.

American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) or Ironwood

Reds and purples are anthocyanins, nutrients found in foods like blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes (and red wine; yay!), purple cabbage, other purple-tinged greens like red leaf lettuce, some kale and swiss chard, as well as many others that show red or purple colors. Anthocyanins are antioxidants, with anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer properties. Plants may also benefit from anthocyanin’s antioxident effect, and the dark colored pigments help protect from sun damage. They continue to manufacture these chemicals until the leaves fall.

Maple-leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)

Brown and tan colors show the presence of tannins. They tend to be bitter or astringent tasting, and as a result discourage browsing by herbivores (plant-eaters) so they may provide some protection to plants. Tannins are found in foods like grapes, wine, tea, and chocolate, though, so you can see that this protection isn’t foolproof.

Spring Lake at Roebling Park, Abbott Marshlands, Hamilton Township, New Jersey

There is overlap and blending of colors based on the mix of chemicals in the leaves. These bright colors may also signal to birds that there is fruit available for consumption.

Yellow-rumped Warbler with Poison Ivy Fruit

These nutrients, along with others that are obtained from the soil, like calcium and potassium, break down and return to the soil as the fallen leaves gradually decompose. During this process, animals may still take advantage of the nutrients. Red-banded Hairstreak caterpillars, for example, feed on fallen leaves, especially those of sumacs, contributing to the process of decomposition, and the cycle of life for the next generation.

Red-Banded Hairstreak

A few days later, and the leaves on our Red Maple have almost all fallen. We’ll watch them gradually break down, nourishing the soil, and the plants and animals that rely on them.

Haul Road at the Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, Vermont

Resources

http://science.jrank.org/pages/5303/Plant-Pigment-Carotenoids.html

http://www.usna.usda.gov/PhotoGallery/FallFoliage/ScienceFallColor.html

Embracing the Shade: Summer and Fall

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

Is it possible to have a perennial shade garden with continuous bloom throughout the summer and fall? By June, the trees are fully leafed out, sheltering our home from the summer sun’s strong rays. That means that the garden is in the shade, too. Will anything be blooming? You bet.

Spicebush Swallowtails nectaring on Bottlebrush Buckeye

Some spring bloomers, like Heartleaf Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) and Virginia Goldenstar (Chrysogonum virginianum), also called Green and Gold, may continue their display into the summer months. While not yet blooming, the leaves of White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata) join the violets, ferns, and Spreading Sedge (Carex laxiculmis) to form a ground cover blanketing much of the garden. Arching four to five feet above them are long sprays of Goat’s-beard (Aruncus dioicus) a.k.a. Bride’s Feathers’ tiny white flowers, lighting up the deep shade. June brings Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) and Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) blossoms, too.

Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) is part of the shrub layer in the woods behind our house. In July, this reliable bloomer with its large palmately compound leaves and tall spikes of white tubular flowers attracts Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in addition to Spicebush and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.

Dark form Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Bottlebrush Buckeye

Last summer we were surprised to see dark morph Tiger Swallowtails nectaring on the Bottlebrush Buckeye. By adopting this Pipevine Swallowtail-like coloration disguise, the Tiger Swallowtails gain some protection from being eaten by birds and other predators who have learned of the Pipevine Swallowtail’s toxicity. The dark morph occurs most frequently in areas where Pipevine Swallowtails are present. Maybe Dutchman’s Pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) and its namesake swallowtail are increasing in our area!

Courting Zabulon Skippers on Purple Giant Hyssop

July is also the beginning of Purple Giant Hyssop’s (Agastache scrophulariifolia) long bloom, lasting well into September. We have it in both deep shade and a spot that gets a few hours of afternoon sun, blooming dependably in both locations. This herbaceous plant is a great choice for a woodland garden, with a growth form that is similar to Butterfly Bush. In our garden, butterflies from the smallest skippers to the largest swallowtails love Purple Giant Hyssop. Bees love it, too, and even hummingbirds may drink from the nectar-packed purple flowers.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Purple Giant Hyssop

Pollinators can’t resist Mountain Mints.

Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum species) on Short-toothed Mountain Mint

I decided to try Short-toothed Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), also called Clustered Mountain Mint, the only one of the Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum) species I thought could tolerate some shade. I put it in the one location that gets about four hours of afternoon sun, and I got lucky. While not as robust as it would be in a sunnier spot, it’s doing well, its tiny magenta and white blossoms enticing the smaller butterflies like azures and skippers throughout July and August.

Summer Azure nectaring on Short-toothed Mountain Mint

As summer progresses, False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) radiates bright yellow sunbursts at the wood’s edge from July well into September.

Sweat Bee (Agapostemom species) on False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Bumble Bees are frequent diners at Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), open for business during August and September. Even Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will stop here for a drink.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Great Blue Lobelia

Also in August, after gathering energy from the sun from the earliest spring days when its leaves begin to emerge, White Wood Aster blinks on its light show of white blossoms, illuminating the dense shade through October. The delicate blue disk flowers of Carolina Elephantsfoot (Elephantopus carolinianus) provide a complementary offset in August and September.

White Wood Aster

Butterfly traffic slows by September, but Black Swallowtails may still lay eggs this late, sometimes on my cooking herbs (parsley and dill).

Black Swallowtail caterpillar eating parsley

Last fall we hosted a chrysalis on a hot pepper plant.

Black Swallowtail chrysalis on pepper plant

More aster family members begin their fall performance now, including Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium),

Blue Wood Aster with Bumble Bee

Wreath Goldenrod (Solidago caesia),

Wreath Goldenrod

and Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), in bloom and offering nectar through October or early November. Like White Wood Aster, all of the foliage of these species emerged in early spring from the winter’s leaf cover.

All of these summer and fall blooming species have a reproductive strategy that includes clusters or spikes of flowers that bloom gradually over a period of many weeks, increasing each plant’s chances of pollination by bees, butterflies, and others, and resulting in a long colorful garden display.When successfully pollinated, Purple Giant Hyssop, Carolina Elephantsfoot and Woodland Sunflower offer Chickadees, Goldfinches and other birds a fall bounty of food.

Goldfinch eating Elephant’s Foot seeds

Resident and migrant birds dine on the bright red fruit of Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) and the dark blue fruit of Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) and Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium). This is after a busy season of acting as caterpillar food plants – Spicebush and Sassafras for Spicebush Swallowtails, Flowering Dogwood and Blackhaw for Spring Azures.

Flowering Dogwood fruit

In October and November, Witch-hazel’s (Hamamelis virginiana) spidery yellow blossoms complement the fall foliage.

Witch-hazel flowers and fruits

The bright red fruits of Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) may last until late winter, when hungry birds finally eat them.

Winterberry Holly berries

Little maintenance is required in this woodland garden. Because the plants have filled in to form a ground cover in most places, there is little weeding to do. We primarily use naturally fallen leaves as mulch, although we may supplement with a bit of prepared leaf compost around the front edges, in deference to our homeowners’ association’s sensibilities.

When we were trying to grow lawn in the shade, it was sparse, and we had problems with standing water after a heavy rainfall. Not anymore. The trees, shrubs and other plants in the garden, as well as the leaf litter, help the soil to absorb rainfall. The shade keeps the soil from drying out too quickly. So once these plants are established, watering is only required when drought conditions become extreme.

Not a bad performance for a woodland garden. And it brings so much pleasure!

Notes:

This is part 3 of a 3 part series. To see parts 1 & 2, see A Butterfly Garden That Embraces the Shade and A Butterfly Garden That Embraces the Shade – Spring.

This post was adapted from an article that was originally published in the Summer 2013 issue of Butterfly Gardener, a publication of the North American Butterfly Association.

Milkweed – It’s Not Just for Monarchs

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

100

One of the most well known associations between an animal and plant species is the relationship between Monarch butterflies and Milkweed. Monarch butterflies may certainly be seen nectaring at various species of milkweeds…

Monarch nectaring on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Monarch nectaring on Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Monarch nectaring on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

but this isn’t unique – they also drink at a wide variety of other flower species.

Monarch nectaring on New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)

It’s the dependency that Monarchs have on Milkweeds as the only food source for their caterpillars that makes this relationship so noteworthy. Monarchs, like many species of insects, have evolved to specialize in their larval (in this case caterpillar) food source in order to gain protection from predators through the chemicals they ingest from the plants they eat. Milkweeds contain cardiac glycosides, which are toxic to many species of birds and mammals. Plants have evolved these chemicals to protect themselves from being eaten, a strategy that has largely been successful for the plants. Plants are all about surviving and reproducing, to further the continued existence of their species.

Such a plan for protection is never completely foolproof, however. Monarchs, along with some other insect species, have evolved to be able to digest these plants and sequester the toxins in their bodies, making the insect unpalatable at best and toxic at worst to anyone inexperienced enough to attempt to eat them. As a reminder to bird or mammal predators who sample such an insect and survive to eat another meal, insects with these toxins have also evolved to have bright warning colors, an easy to remember signal to predators to beware before attempting such a meal again. In exchange for this protection obtained from eating Milkweeds, Monarchs are gambling that this food source will continue to be available. Without it, Monarchs won’t survive.

Monarch Caterpiller on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Monarch Caterpiller on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) with Monarch Caterpiller

Monarchs are not alone in their use of Milkweeds. Their copious nectar offerings attract a broad range of butterflies to drink at their flowers, from Eastern Tiger Swallowtails,

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Bumble Bee on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

to the smallest skippers.

Least Skipper on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Tawny-edged Skipper on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

and Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Sleepy Orange and Andrena bee on Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

as well as other milkweed species are also favorites of butterflies, bees, and other insects that are nectar feeders, for their reliable, sweet, high energy food.

Butterflies benefit from the food offered by milkweeds, and in return they do help the plants with pollination, but they are not the most successful pollinators of milkweeds. Milkweeds have bundles of pollen, called pollinia, that are linked in pairs by a thin filament. This connector snags an insect appendage that is inserted in just the right spot in a flower. An insect has to approach the flower in a way that will engage the filament connecting the pollinia, and it must also be robust enough to remove the pollinia from the flower in order to assist the plant in cross pollination. The pollinia is carried by the insect to another flower, and inserted by the same mechanism.

Take a look at the Eastern Comma below. It’s perched on top of a flower, using its straw-like proboscis to sip nectar from a Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) flower. With this approach, a butterfly isn’t that likely to be helping this Milkweed out with pollination.

Eastern Comma on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

This Bumble Bee, on the other hand, is facing the flower, with its left front leg inserted in the very location where the pollinia are stored. This bee is engaging the pollen sacs, and has the heft to be able to escape from the flower with them clinging to its leg.

Bumble Bee engaging pollinia of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

If you look carefully at the bee’s left front leg in the photo below, you can see the yellow pollinia attached to it.

Bumble Bee with pollinia of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Large bees, such as Bumble Bees and Carpenter Bees, are among the most successful intermediaries in Milkweed pollination. Common Milkweed flowers release a potent fragrance to attract bees to assist them in their reproduction.

Many other insects take advantage of the nectar bounty offered by Milkweeds, including the Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis).

Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis) and Oleander Aphids (Aphis nerii) on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

There’s another insect species dining on this Swamp Milkweed. Do you see the little yellow critters on the stem? You might be thinking, “Eeuuw! Aphids!” If so, you would be half right. These are Oleander Aphids (Aphis nerii), a species frequently found on Milkweeds. But you might want to re-think the “Eeuuw!” It turns out that aphids are an important part of the food chain.

Aphids rarely really harm a plant. And they offer a sustainable food source in the form of honeydew, a sweet excrement that ants love. The ants protect aphids in exchange for this tasty meal. Ants are essential for aerating soil, decomposing plant matter, dispersing seeds, and in some cases protecting plants from other predators.

Ants tending aphids on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Aphids are also a food source for other insects. In the photo below, this Oleander Aphid is being parasitized by two predators at once! It’s being bitten in the butt (abdomen) by a Convergent Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens) larva, who plans to consume the aphid. Notice also the bulge on the lower left side of the aphid. That is likely the result of a braconid wasp parasitizing the aphid. The adult female wasp lays an egg inside the aphid, with its resulting offspring consuming the aphid from the inside, leaving an empty husk. Insects could be the inspiration for zombie and vampire stories!(There’s a white squiggly thing on the lady beetle larva that I’m guessing may also be a predator, but so far I haven’t identified it. If you know what it is, let me know!)

Lady Beetle larvae biting aphid that shows signs (bubble) of being parasitized by a braconid wasp.

Lady Beetle larva biting aphid that shows signs (bubble) of being parasitized by a braconid wasp.

If you’re really observant you may have noticed that this scene was taking place on half of a Common Milkweed leaf, with the right side of the leaf missing. Wondering how that happened? It’s the way Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle) caterpillars feed, neatly chewing side by side, stopping at the midrib.

Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle) Caterpillers

Another insect that feeds on milkweed leaves is the Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetraophthalmus). This clever creature bites through the midrib of the leaf in a few spots near the leaf tip. This stops the milky latex-like sap from flowing to that part of the leaf, making it possible for the beetle to eat it without having its mouthparts glued together by the sticky substance.

Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetraophthalmus) on Common Milkweed

Even Milkweed seeds are a source of food for insects like the Small (Lygaeus kalmii) and Large (Oncopeltus fasciatus) Milkweed Bugs. Adults may also consume nectar.

Swamp Milkweed with Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) , adults and nymphs

Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii) on Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

All of these insects sport bright colors that warn birds and mammals to avoid eating them. Insect and arthropod predators including the Lady Beetles, wasps, assassin bugs, spiders and Praying Mantises (or Mantids) are not put off, however. They may consume not just nectar feeders, but foliage and seed feeders, too.

Assassin Bug (Pselliopus cinctus) and Bumble Bee on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Many of these predators are safe for birds and other predators to eat. A large percentage of a bird’s diet consists of insects, especially when they are raising their young.

Female Indigo Bunting with lunch

Birds also benefit from Milkweeds by using them as nesting material. The fluffy hairs attached to the seeds can make a soft lining for a Goldfinch nest.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) dispersing seeds

Most Milkweeds also have strong fibers in their stems that birds use to weave nests, including Northern Orioles

Northern Oriole Nest

and Yellow Warblers.

Yellow Warbler

Milkweeds are essential to the continued survival of the Monarch butterfly. They are a copious nectar source for our beleaguered bee populations, and offer food to many other beneficial insects. They’re a source of insect protein and nest material for birds and other animals. Milkweeds – they’re vital for Monarchs, and a whole host of other species, too.

Butterflyweed with Monarch, Great Spangled Fritillary, and Pearl Crescent

Resources

Eastman, John. The Book of Field and Roadside. 2003.

Eastman, John. The Book of Swamp and Bog. 1995.

Eaton, Eric R.; Kauffman, Ken. Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. 2007.

Harrison, Hal H. Eastern Birds’ Nests. 1975

Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing Nature Home, 2007,

USDA Plants Database

The Natural Web

Exploring Nature's Connections

Category Archives: Birds

A Holiday Display, Courtesy of Nature

In Praise of Black Walnut Trees

Nutritious Fall Foliage: What makes leaves so colorful?

Embracing the Shade: Summer and Fall

Milkweed – It’s Not Just for Monarchs

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