Natives Can Thrive in Sandy Soils

East of the Apalachicola river, running to Alachua County, a landform known as the Cody Scarp delineates soils in Tallahassee. To the north of the Scarp is the Red Hills Region and to the south is the Woodville Karst Plain. As a resident of Wakulla County for many years, and currently residing in southern Leon County, I know gardening and landscaping in the sandy soil south of this line is much different than in the heavier loamy clay soils to the north.

You will see many beautiful native plants, such as American holly, on the sandy trails in Wakulla Springs State Park. Photo by John Ruter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.

So many plants native to this area thrive and perform extremely well in sandy soil. The abundance of birds and wildlife around my immediate neighborhood is a testament to the power of native plants. The thin sandy soil in the Woodville area where I live sustains a wide variety of natives. If you want to get a good idea of what will grow in these soils, take a walk at Wakulla Springs State Park on the Sally Ward Spring Run, which starts on the main road up from the Lodge at Wakulla Springs. The shady trail wanders through a beech-magnolia forest unique to our area. Besides the over-story of beech, magnolia, hickory, sweetgum, pines, and oaks you will find an understory of red buckeye, sparkleberry, yaupon holly, American holly, sugarberry, many species of hawthorne, saw palmetto, native azaleas, and beautyberry.

Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) is a hardy native perennial that grows in the understory of various deciduous hardwood forests in Florida. Photo by David Stephens, Bugwood.org.

On my own property, I’ve found many of these same natives that require no maintenance to thrive. Wildflowers that flourish on their own include ironweed, goldenrod, blue curls, rosin weed, ruellia, elephant’s foot, ageratum, horsemint, partridge pea, butterfly weed, and coralbean. I’ve encouraged the indigenous deep green partridgeberry, which is the dominant groundcover in the forest. A woodcock shows up every year about the time the berries appear on this plant, and I wonder if it could be a food source for this prehistoric looking ground nesting bird. Alongside these plants, I have added many other native species that have basically managed with not a lot of attention, watering only when absolutely necessary. These include Indian pink, scarlet sage, purple coneflower, salt and pepper, and white wild indigo. Most are attractive to ruby-throated hummingbirds and many species of butterflies.

Ashe magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla var. ashei) is native to Florida, but it is endangered and can only be found in a few counties in the Panhandle. Photo by John Ruter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.

A few other natives surprised me by doing well in this sandy soil. Not usually found here, but native to Florida, firebush, Ocala anise, and Ashe magnolia have thrived on my land. I skeptically planted the deciduous Ashe magnolia and also a needle palm, both found over in Torreya State Park, and both have done remarkably well. The magnolia is now five years old, over 12 feet tall, and has bloomed every year since it was first planted. The Ocala anise fits the criteria for an evergreen screen between my house and the neighbor’s perfectly. In a severe drought I do put the soaker hose on it occasionally.

Additionally, I’ve added a fast-growing sycamore (the rapid growth on this is phenomenal) for shade to replace an unhealthy laurel oak that needed to come down and a pine that was hit by lightning and was too close to the house to leave. Other pines have been lightning struck and I left them standing. The snags are the perfect resting place for swallowtail kites in summer and the pileated woodpeckers constantly work them for bugs. My favorite tree is our state tree, the cabbage palm. I planted many over the years as memorials to loved ones. Some are now 10 feet by 10 feet, starting from one-gallon pots nine years ago.

As with all landscaping ventures, the right plant for the right place is crucial to success, as is watering the first six months to a year. You can’t put an Ashe magnolia in full sun and expect it to survive. You also can’t plant trees and then go on vacation expecting to come back to healthy plants. Protect your efforts and hire someone to water while you are gone. Help our native bees, butterflies, insects, birds, reptiles, and mammals by planting what they need to survive and thrive.

Adopt a New Landscape Attitude

Native bee on Purple Coneflower

The interest in native plants around the country is driven by two concepts. First is the realization that using American native plants in residential and commercial landscaping is a patriotic act. People are beginning to ask why we fill our yards with plants from foreign lands when there are strong ecological reasons to select American plants.

The other reason native plants are so important is their benefit to all types of wildlife. Whether pollinators or the myriad other American insects, they all depend primarily on American native plants for survival. Native plants are the base of the food web feeding native insects that are then eaten by birds, lizards, frogs, spiders and on up the food web. The insect world provides abundant food for wildlife from songbirds to grizzly bears.

The underlying reason native plants are so important to native wildlife has to do with leaf chemistry. In general, native insects can only digest native plants. Over eons native insects have developed ways to handle toxins in native plants. In most cases, American insects cannot digest plant matter from other continents.

Pollinator Patch an integral part of the landscape for insects.

Most landscapes in our neighborhoods are 90% foreign (non-native) with only a few native trees such as live oak, pines, or dogwood. The great majority of plants making up hedges, foundation plantings or small trees are non-native and some, like Nandina, may be invasive.

Examples from China or Japan are azaleas, camellia, Loropetalum, boxwood, crape myrtle, Chinese fringe tree, Ligustrum, Drake elm, mimosa, loquat, and Taiwan cherry. The last five are invasive non-native plants that should not be planted due to their propensity to spread by their abundant seeds.

Azaleas and camellias are prized in the landscape for good reason. Not only are they beautiful, but they also do not spread into wild areas. In my yard I have a gorgeous Japanese magnolia, one male Podocarpus (does not produce berries like females do), and some azaleas and camellias all planted by the previous owner. We love them. Over time, however, we have removed all female Podocarpus, all Nandina, some azaleas and boxwood to make room for 46 species of native trees and shrubs, 37 species of wildflowers and 9 species of native vines and ferns. This represents a huge shift from non-native to native species in our yard. Twenty-eight years ago, 100 percent of the landscaping at our house except for the large trees in our yard were non-natïve. Now at least 90% of our plants are native.

Another important aspect of your landscape to consider is the reduction of lawn area. Eastern North American birds evolved in and with forests. To keep maintenance simple, remove a section of lawn, cover the soil with pine straw mulch and plant trees. Mulched areas under existing trees, rather than lawn, are needed to provide habitat for insects and other invertebrates. For example, a caterpillar high in an oak tree usually drops to the ground and hides in the oak leaf mulch to make its cocoon or chrysalis and turn into a moth or butterfly. It cannot do this if lawn is under the tree. It is sure death.

The shift to native in your yard can happen over time but will require a shift in attitude. You may have to alter your traditional sense of what a landscape should look like. Do not expect all plants to be evergreen. Give up your notions of perfection and a super neat and tidy trimmed look. Instead, ask yourself what will a plant do for songbirds or for pollinators? Will this plant feed caterpillars of swallowtail, monarch, or zebra longwing butterflies? What plants will provide nectar or pollen for sweat bees or pollinating flies or bumble bees?  Does a plant like pokeweed support insects that songbirds will feed their young? Will it provide fruit for migrating birds? Can I plant a range of plants that will provide native berries for birds over several seasons?

Forested habitat is also good for insects and songbirds. Photo by Les Harrison

For pollinators, keep two factors in mind. First, 3,954 species of bees in North America make small burrows in the ground for nests and are not aggressive at all. For an example of this, see the video by googling tickle bees Portland on vimeo.

Secondly, remember that all types of plants on the planet, about 95%, need to be pollinated by insects to create the next generation of plants. This means not only pretty flowers like black-eyed Susan or sunflowers need pollinators but also shrubs like blueberries, American beautyberry, and wild azaleas. Also, most all our trees need native bees and other insects to pollinate flowers to make seeds. Dogwood, greybeard, redbud, magnolia, tupelo, and tulip poplar are examples. Locally oaks and pines are the two most common species of tree that use wind for pollination. Your pollinator plants can include trees, shrubs, wildflowers, as well as judiciously selected non-native annuals and perennials.

To provide berries for birds, try planting American beautyberry, arrowwood, hearts-a-bustin’, bluestem palmetto and pokeweed. Some of these plants will be planted in your yard for free by birds, and others can be purchased from nurseries. If the birds plant too many, weed them out and keep a few nice specimens. Keep in mind that by planting any of these native plants, whether wildflowers, shrub, or tree you are providing insects, quite often caterpillars, for your birds to eat.

All the above information and lots more can be found in Dr. Doug Tallamy’s two books, Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope. He reminds us that ninety-six percent of our land birds must feed their babies insects that live only on American native plants. His research shows that when a landscape dips below eighty percent native plants, the reproduction rate of Carolina chickadees declines.

Maturing beautyberries are currently offering stark contrast to their foliage. This native species, along with many others, are producing food for overwintering wildlife. Photo by Les Harrison.

You can help our native wildlife by just replacing a foreign species of tree with an American tree. By replacing “window dressing” landscaping with ecologically functional plants you can convert your yard to a functioning part of our ecosystem. You may need to put your personal preferences aside. No more flower colors to meet your personal preferences or to match the color of your front door or curtains in the house. Color choices will be based on what attracts pollinators. Some of the shrubs around your house may be bare in winter but will have produced nectar and pollen in spring and berries in autumn. Shrubs may not be neat and trimmed. Shift your attitude to favor nature! Start the process this fall or winter by planting an American tree rather than one from China or Japan. Go American! Go native!

Native viburnums amplify fall color and biodiversity

Arrowwood viburnum displays a kaleidoscope of colors in e the fall that range from yellow to shades of red and purple.

Native viburnums are a beautiful and diverse group of plants with some of the most unusual and varied autumn coloration. They bloom in spring with a display of white flowers that offer plentiful support to early season pollinators.

The prolific flowering gives rise to a multitude of berries that are loaded with valuable fats for fall migrating birds. Eastern bluebirds, cardinals, brown thrashers, northern flickers, robins, vireos, grosbeaks and cedar waxwings are just a few of the birds that will visit our local viburnum species.

There are a handful of viburnums native to Florida, varying in size, growth habit, evergreen vs. deciduous, soil preference, and bloom times. All are prized in the landscape for their year-round beauty, wildlife value, and versatility. Whatever vision you have, there is a native viburnum species to suit it.

Here are a few noteworthy examples:

Walter’s viburnum, known botanically as Viburnum obovatum, hails from the Southeastern coastal plain, commonly found growing in thickets in moist settings. It is an evergreen shrub with a dense, rounded form, eventually developing into a small tree. Walter’s viburnum will spread by underground runners, so consider mowing around the plant as a preventative.

It blooms in early February, about the same time as redbuds, with slightly fragrant white flowers. If the flowers are pollinated, they will form berry clusters by late summer that shift from red to black when fully ripe. It generally requires moist soils, although it is tolerant of short periods of drought once established. The most important time to water is the first six to 12 months after planting to encourage deep roots.

Walter’s viburnum makes an excellent specimen for the bird garden, offering abundant fall fruit and dense foliage for nesting and cover. Plant as a hedgerow or mix with elderberry, American beautyberry, palmettos, or yaupon holly for a naturalized bird-friendly border.

Selected cultivars of V. obovatum have been bred to remain dense, small shrubs. ‘Mrs. Schiller’s Delight’ grows up to four feet tall and makes a nice formal boxwood substitute. ‘Best Densa’ can grow up to five or six feet tall creating a compact screen or hedge. Plant in light shade or full sun, although if you want profuse long-lasting blooms, full sun with moist soil is best.

Rusty Blackhaw, Viburnum rufidulum, is a small deciduous tree that is much more attractive than its namesake. It has lustrous, glossy leaves that reveal bronze-burgundy fall color and the buds are covered with rusty brown fuzz. With enough sun, they will produce clusters of white flowers in spring followed by berry-like fruits that ripen in October.

The fruit is green as it emerges, turning to red and then blue-black later in the season. Said to taste like raisins, the berries are edible and can be eaten raw, cooked, or made into jelly, though the birds and small mammals usually get to them first.

With enough sun, rusty blackhaw will produce clusters of white flowers in spring, `followed by berry-like fruits that ripen in October and turn to red and then blue-black later in the season

Rusty Blackhaws can be planted in full sun to light shade, however they develop their most attractive form when planted in sun. It tolerates a wide variety of soils as long as the site is well drained. The tree may sucker from the roots, however, mowing around them will prevent those underground runners. Plant as an understory specimen tree or use in a mixed border with dogwood, serviceberry, flowering plums, redbud, red buckeye, or fringe tree.

Arrowwood viburnum, Viburnum dentatum, is a deciduous shrub found in the coastal plain and Piedmont regions. Its long, straight stems were once used by Native Americans to make arrows, hence the common name. This species is highly adaptable to a variety of soil types in full sun to partial shade, so long as the soil doesn’t get too dry.

Glossy green leaves unveil a kaleidoscope of colors in fall that range from drab yellow to shades of red and purple. Its white flowers are not fragrant but appear in dainty flat tops through May and June. This shrub typically reaches 10 to 15 feet in height, with erect stems that arch outwards creating an overall loosely round habit.

Arrowwood produces many highly nutritious metallic blue berries that are essential in providing fuel for resident and migratory songbirds.

Arrowwood has all the wildlife power of the above two species and more. It is a larval host plant for several moth species and a berry-producing machine. Juicy caterpillars are a preferred meal for nesting birds with hungry chicks and the metallic blue, berry-like drupes are essential in providing fuel for resident and migratory songbirds.

In fact, scientists have recently found that arrowwood fruits contain noticeably higher fat and carbohydrate concentrations when compared to other high-yielding berry plants.

Whether it’s for you or your feathered friends, you can’t go wrong with choosing a native viburnum. The more native shrubs we plant in our landscapes, the more food we’ll be providing for the birds we love to watch so much, in the form of berries and insects.

The yards with an abundance of berries will host an abundance of birds and aid in promoting a healthy ecosystem. Next time you are considering a new shrub or small tree for your landscape, I hope you give native viburnums a closer look.