The Lovely Crabapple
Like their more famous relative, the Domestic Apple (Malus domestica), which is a descendant of a wild apple (Malus sieversii) native to Central Asia, crabapples provide beautiful (and often fragrant) white or pink blossoms and edible …
Improve Tree Health With Rubber Sidewalks
Rubber sidewalks are a promising new technology that offers many benefits for urban tree health and longevity.
One of the biggest threats to urban trees is being removed because their roots crack or ruin sidewalks. Rubber sidewalks, which are typically …
Feeding Birds With Autumn-Fruiting Shrubs and Trees
Autumn-fruiting shrubs and trees provide important sources of energy for birds during fall migration, and the fruits of many autumn-fruiting trees and shrubs linger into winter or even early spring, providing one of the most important sources of food for …
The Messy and Delicious Mulberry
In recent years, the mulberry family (Morus sp.) has lost some popularity as an ornamental plant due to the messy berries, which resemble blackberries and (like blackberries) stain sidewalks, clothes, and more. However, for many years mulberries were tremendously …
Feeding Birds With Summer-Fruiting Shrubs
Many bird watchers take their bird feeders down during the summer months in order to save money, but you can continue to attract birds to your yard throughout the summer months with the help of mast-producing trees and shrubs. …
Conservation Reserve Program
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) offers qualifying landowners technical and financial assistance to convert crop land and certain types of marginal pasture land into riparian buffers, windbreaks, and other plantings designed to improve wildlife habitat, conserve water and soil …
Native Plants for Dry Shade
Trees with spreading, shallow roots such as beech, maple, and some conifers often leave the surrounding soil both shady and dry.
Dry shade is considered the trickiest type of shade by many gardeners because many shade loving plants prefer …
Five Great Native Perennials for Full Shade
Some gardeners are reluctant to plant mast-producing trees and shrubs because they feel that shade is too difficult to plant attractively. Areas of full shade in your garden certainly do limit your options where some popular annual and perennial flowers …
Attracting Squirrels With Mast-Producing Trees
Mast is the most important source of food for squirrels, including gray squirrels, fox squirrels, and red squirrels. Squirrel populations are closely tied to the level of mast production. After a good mast year, female squirrels are in excellent breeding …
Using Mast-Producing Trees in Riparian Buffer Zones
Riparian buffer zones are areas of vegetation, including trees, shrubs, and grasses, that line the sides of rivers, streams, and other riparian areas and are used to shade and protect the water quality of the aquatic environment. Riparian buffer zones …