WOODY PLANTS, particularly timber, might be pure ecological powerhouses, however most of us don’t have room for a whole forest in our backyards. So on a backyard scale, which shrubs particularly actually get the job finished finest?
Dan Wilder, a longtime native plant knowledgeable who’s director of Utilized Ecology for Norcross Wildlife Basis in Massachusetts, shared some concepts about simply that.
Dan urges us to make room for extra shrubs in our landscapes to help birds and caterpillars and different animals, whereas on the identical time attending to take pleasure in their magnificence in flower and fruit and even the showy fall colour that a few of his favourite species boast. Along with his work at Norcross Wildlife Basis in Wales, Mass., and its 8,000-acre sanctuary, Dan’s a board member of the Ecological Panorama Alliance and in addition co-author with Mark Richardson of the e-book “Native Crops for New England Gardens.” (Above, native steeplebush, Spiraea tomentosa.)
Learn alongside as you hearken to the Might 5, 2025 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant beneath. You possibly can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
powerhouse shrubs with dan wilder
Obtain file | Play in new window |
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Margaret Roach: Joyful spring. I assume it’s lastly spring.
Dan Wilder: Sure, it’s lastly spring [note: this was recorded April 18]. Issues are popping out of the bottom. The buds are beginning to look inexperienced. I’m so excited. It’s been a form of quiet, sluggish spring, however now’s an excellent time.
Margaret: Sure, sure. In order I stated within the introduction, woody vegetation are such sturdy performers in so some ways ecologically, however a few of them are actually massive. However the shrubs, I feel it’s simply this untapped… They’re simply my favourite vegetation of all, I assume. And I really feel fortunate that at first after I began making my backyard, I had kind of a pure affinity for them and added heaps and much, which at the moment are even larger than ever. They usually do plenty of work, don’t they?
Dan: Yeah, they undoubtedly do. Your intro set us up completely. I’m an ecologist by commerce, and so I’m continually what we will do on the panorama to make the panorama extra ecologically viable. And after I have a look at the lists of timber, or have a look at the lists of vegetation for birds, for bees, for caterpillars, it’s oak timber, it’s willow timber, it’s cherry timber, it’s all of the timber, and so they’re so essential.
However that may work for me at Norcross, the place we’ve received plenty of land to work with. However then after I speak to my neighbor who’s received a half-acre lot and I say, “Hey, go plant like 40 oak timber,” that simply not life like [laughter]. It doesn’t work for lots of people. And I discover that shrubs are form of, as you talked about a bit, it’s not that they’re not getting used, however I don’t suppose they’re getting used to their full potential.
Most gardens, you get your shrub specimens in what’s in any other case a herbaceous backyard, and there’s completely nothing fallacious with that. However I feel we’re doing that nearly as a result of we don’t understand that it may very well be a shrub backyard with some herbaceous vegetation blended in as effectively, and possibly just a few timber. They usually’re very, very adaptable, and admittedly vary from as massive as a tree to smaller than most herbaceous vegetation. So that they actually can do absolutely anything. It’s actually only a lack of what we’ve finished with these vegetation up to now. I feel they’ve much more to supply.
Margaret: Yeah, completely. And my “backyard,” as a result of it’s not like a elaborate formal place—Versailles isn’t, the palace at Versailles it’s not—nevertheless it’s actually an assortment of very, very massive shrub borders, simply islands, lots of them close to the sides of the property, which are full of shrubs, a range of shrubs. And I’m telling you, the birds from the start and now because the shrubs have matured, they know the place the motion is, and that’s the place they go to. And I’ll get complete flocks of whether or not it’s cedar waxwings or robins or another form of thrush or no matter—everyone is aware of the place the goodies are in these massive shrub borders.
And it’s much less mowing these areas as a result of they don’t seem to be turf. They may very well be turf, they’re adjoining to turf, however I form of carved them out and planted them with shrubs. In order that’s the opposite factor is that they’re not meadows. I didn’t flip my garden into meadow, nevertheless it’s shrub borders. That’s an alternative choice to what to do with a few of our ineffective garden. Proper?
Dan: Oh, definitely. And I’ve seen your backyard. It’s incredible. I want I’d had the instincts you probably did after I was first planning mine. I feel I used to be too busy planting a bunch of non-native perennials and I don’t know, planting burning bush and pruning it right into a meatball.
Margaret: [Laughter.] I did a few of these issues too, Dan, actually, belief me.
Dan: I imply, all of us must be taught, if anybody will get on their excessive horse and tells you you’re doing it fallacious, it’s like I do know I realized by way of errors extra successfully than I realized by way of my successes.
And I feel what you actually hit the nail form of properly there may be whether or not or not it’s the ineffective garden or whether or not or not it’s the Versailles-style backyard or something approaching that, gardens could be a very high-maintenance factor. And for some people who’s what they’re in search of. However I’m a lazy gardener. I like to simply stroll out and have a look at the sweetness that’s my backyard and suppose, “Oh my God, this seems to be wonderful. And I haven’t truly needed to do a lot to perform this.” And so I discover myself typically working with vegetation which are actually the tried-and-true species, ones that are inclined to unfold extra vigorously than I feel plenty of extra delicate gardeners choose.
And I really like working with the woody shrubs since you get them established, and then you definately simply form of overlook about them and revel in them.
And as you talked about, the fowl interactions: You’ll discover birds in your herbaceous vegetation; it’s not that they’re not enjoying a task. However fowl interactions on shrubs are by way of the roof. I used to at all times speak to fowl of us, and lots of people would put a fowl feeder out on their garden and so they’d take pleasure in seeing just a few birds, and I might commonly inform them, I stated, “You already know what? Go put that fowl feeder by the shrub border or beneath the tree, or possibly even simply plant just a few shrubs round it,” and the quantity of fowl visitation simply goes by way of the roof. It’s not simply the shrub itself that the birds are possibly consuming or consuming the bugs in, nevertheless it’s nice protecting cowl. Little birds want that, and so that you see a lot extra due to it.
Margaret: So if we’re going so as to add shrubs, are there explicit ones, whether or not explicit genera or—I imply you and I are each within the Northeast and a few of this should be tailored by individuals listening from elsewhere to a kind of parallel species, native to their space, however genus by genus. Are there some actual home-run form of vegetation that you simply need to advocate?
Dan: What do we start undoubtedly imply, and as you talked about, I’m an East Coaster, so I’ll throw a few of my favourite species at of us, however plenty of these are genera which are fairly frequent throughout the nation and admittedly even exterior of the nation.
So I’d say fowl cherry, which is commonly often extra known as chokecherry, however I by no means appreciated the title. That’s Prunus virginiana [above], a incredible plant in my area, and when you’re on the West Coast, I’m fairly assured there’s a shrubby cherry out your means that will just do as effectively for you. I’ll again us up a fast second although and say do what works in your panorama. I’d let you know that I actually like Bebb’s willow [Salix bebbiana], and when you’ve received a dry web site, that’s a horrible alternative. It likes moist areas. So discover the vegetation that work effectively for you.
However the ones that soar out to me instantly are, I really like the shrubby cherries. I feel they’re actually underutilized. For some motive, my native chokecherry has a popularity for being weedy and form of overly vigorous, and I’ve by no means discovered it to unfold practically as shortly as I wished it to. I feel it’s simply form of received a nasty rap.
I’ll throw willows within the combine. I’ve a smooth spot for the upland dry-loving willows. On the whole, willows have a tendency to love it moist, however there’s some actual standouts for the form of the drier websites. There’s a dwarf prairie willow that I’m completely obsessive about as of late. That’s a beautiful form of quick, slowly colonizing willow that grows effectively in sandy websites and is simply beloved by bees and caterpillars and birds and every part else.
Margaret: What species is that one dwarf prairie willow?
Dan: Nicely, it relies on which taxonomist you’re feeling like arguing with that day.
Margaret: [Laughter.] O.Ok.
Dan: So after I labored in Native Plant Belief, it was going beneath the title Salix occidentalis, which I feel might be most correct. I’ve additionally seen it listed as Salix humilis selection… oh, I need to say tristis. It’s a wide range of humilis, which is the prairie willow, the dwarf prairie willow. However particularly with our viewers from in all places, check out the willows, and don’t assume that all of them prefer it moist although. If in case you have a moist space, willows are incredible. You might have numerous selections. Take a look at a few of these dry-loving willows. There’s some actually cool ones on the market.
Margaret: They usually are inclined to have choices… In addition to being enjoyable to have a look at, and plenty of them are engaging, however they have a tendency to, a few of them, get up early and do plenty of service early on.
Dan: Undoubtedly.
Margaret: Which is actually fantastic to stretch that season of providing sources to bugs and so forth.
Dan: As a lot because it’s essential to be feeding bugs by way of the summer time by way of the season, I discover oftentimes I make some extent of specializing in spring and fall as a result of they’re the simpler ones to overlook, and I need to ensure that to not miss them. And willows are incredible for that.
I’ll throw blueberries in that blend, too. We have a tendency to consider the berries after we consider blueberries, form of a summer time factor. However the flowers that seem within the spring are important bee meals, together with for lots of actually specialised form of blueberry-loving bees, after which it won’t be very ecological by way of its fall form of use, though there’s undoubtedly worth there, however the fall foliage on it occupied with my backyard aesthetic: The blueberry fall foliage rivals a burning bush any day. After which who’s not going to benefit from the berries within the midsummer? I feel we have to give blueberries slightly extra of a glance past simply their berry worth, which could be very excessive. The flower from fall foliage can also be incredible.
Margaret: I don’t know that I’ve ever truly eaten a blueberry that I’ve grown, however I’ve many, many, many blueberry bushes that I’ve had for a lot of, a few years [laughter]. All people else will get to the fruit, however I don’t domesticate them like a farmer would, or perhaps a meals gardener would. They’re form of tucked in right here and there amongst different shrubs once more in a few of these shrub borders. They usually’re at all times the place the motion is. And it may very well be a chipmunk at some point and birds the subsequent day. However the pollinators on the flowering time—and the flowers are simply tiny little white; they’re form of inconspicuous, however you possibly can inform they’re flowering even from a distance of the sound you’ll hear. It’s actually busy.
Dan: I completely love that. I’m the identical means with my serviceberries, a plant of many names—serviceberry, shadbush, Juneberry, shadblow, it’s all the identical factor. Amelanchier is the genus. And I’ve planted and grown so many of those, and I feel I’ve possibly eaten a half-dozen berries in all of my time. They’re absolutely the first one the birds get, and it’s nice. Sooner or later I’d eat just a few extra berries, and within the meantime I see all these birds flying round, and I’m very pleased to not be consuming my berries due to all the opposite advantages I’m getting from this. I feel that’s an underutilized genus, the serviceberry genus. [Above, flowers of A. canadensis.]
Margaret: They usually have fall colour too, I feel. Sure?
Dan: Yeah, wonderful. A showier flower in spring then the blueberries, a berry that’s arguably simply as tasty, after which actually wonderful fall colour. And in contrast to the blueberries, they don’t want the acidic soil, which actually opens up their skill for lots of city growers and individuals who won’t have the acidic soil that I’m used to in New England.
Margaret: Proper. However boy, among the blueberries, among the low-bush blueberries, particularly that I’ve grown, I imply, my goodness, the purple of that foliage. And the foliage is a thicker texture, so it’s nearly shiny. Are you aware what I imply? At the moment, it’s simply, wow.
Dan: Of all of the blueberries, I feel low-bush is probably the most underutilized. I deal with low-bush in lots of instances like a filler in between different vegetation panorama. And also you would possibly have a look at certainly one of my gardens and be like, there may be extra low-bush blueberry on this backyard than anything, together with all of the herbaceous vegetation. It’s simply, I really like the concept of a blueberry barren or a blueberry heathland or a blueberry kind of ecosystem. And I can take clues from these form wild varieties that I’ll discover out within the pure zone and take that into the backyard. All of my highbush blueberries are underplanted with low-bush blueberries. All my serviceberries are underplanted with low-bush blueberries.
Being the nerd that I’m I get into how there’s a bunch of various species of each highbush and low-bush blueberries past the frequent ones that we’re most acquainted with. So you possibly can actually delve into this if you wish to. [V. corymbosum in fall color, below.]
Margaret: The genus Vaccinium is a powerhouse for certain. So do some homework on that. Sure, completely.
Dan: Hear hear.
Margaret: [Laughter.] So blueberries, we’re undoubtedly voting two very sturdy constructive votes for: thumbs up, thumbs up. Another genus that you simply need to shout out?
Dan: Let me throw two at you that I like to consider nearly in a herbaceous method. These could be our dogwoods and the native spiraeas. And what I imply by that’s I’ll typically incorporate these two genera, dogwood and spiraea, into my herbaceous plantings, typically into meadow-style plantings. And what I like about these—and I’ll throw willows into this combine, though we’ve already talked about them—is you could minimize this stuff proper to the bottom actually at any time you may want, and they’ll deal with that and sprout up from the roots once more.
And it makes them very helpful in plenty of landscapes the place you may want the worth of a woody species, but in addition have the choice to handle it in a extra cutback perennial method. It’s notably helpful in meadows, as I discussed, but in addition beneath drip strains on homes the place you would possibly get a heavy snow pack that smashes up your shrubs. You continue to need that form of construction, nevertheless it would possibly get form of broken over the winter. And also you come by in spring and it seems to be fairly bedraggled and it’s good to understand it’s like, “O.Ok., I can simply minimize this complete darn factor down. It’s going to develop proper from that no downside.”
They usually additionally occur to be ecological powerhouses, and I feel the one which’s popping into my head is a species known as steeplebush. It’s Spiraea tomentosa [photo, top of page] in my area. It’s received these pretty pink form of spiky flowers that mature into form of a maroon-burgundy and finally flip brown and dry and stand on the shrub. I don’t know why this plant isn’t extra well-liked. It grows anyplace from moist to dry. It doesn’t get any taller than about 3-1/2, 4 ft tall. You possibly can minimize the factor down if you wish to or simply depart it up. It’s an ecological powerhouse, and it’s received a flower that isn’t too dissimilar from one thing like a lilac. It’s actually showy. And each time I am going to the nursery, I see a bunch of non-native spiraeas—and no knock towards them, however I don’t suppose any of them have something to carry on our native spiraea. They usually undoubtedly don’t have the ecological worth.
Margaret: Proper? I appeared on the Girl Hen Johnson Wildflower Middle web site, the place they’ve the plant search. And when you simply put within the genus title for the Spiraea, I imply, it’s simply attention-grabbing to see these native species—and as you say on the backyard heart, we by no means see these native species. In order that’s one other one which’s simply form of an eye-opener to consider that we will add that’s stunning in addition to does plenty of service ecologically.
Dan: Undoubtedly. I feel we want extra consideration to a few of these underutilized species. A few of them are slightly odd and slightly onerous to form of discover the suitable spot for. I’m pondering of some mountaintop willows that I’m actually into, however one’s like Spiraea tomentosa or our native grey dogwood [Cornus racemosa] that doesn’t have the identical colour of the twigs because the purple twig dogwoods, however the flower is showier. The berry is extra constant—and it’s by no means used within the panorama. And I feel we have to spend slightly extra time exploring a few of these shrubs. They’re incredible within the wild, and from the ecological standpoint, it doesn’t must look good to achieve success. However I feel there’s loads to be stated for backyard use of plenty of these species that we would run throughout within the wild and by no means see within the nursery.
Margaret: I’ve plenty of the purple twig dogwoods and I actually love them, within the winter particularly. I imply for me, selfishly, it’s only a pleasure to look out at them.
Dan: Yeah, that’s one thing the shrubs provide that the herbaceous don’t is that late season curiosity, each the autumn foliage, but in addition that winter curiosity. I imply, the purple twig dogwoods are incredible. Winterberry holly [Ilex verticillata] pops proper into my thoughts. After which issues like hydrangeas that offer you a very cool dried flower that might form of hang around all winter lengthy. You don’t have a tendency to consider gardens within the winter fairly the identical means as we do the opposite occasions a 12 months. However there’s some actual standouts within the shrub world for the winter panorama,
Margaret: The winterberries [above], I feel I might need the nationwide assortment of…[laughter]. I’ve plenty of winterberries now for some motive, and I actually don’t know why. I purchased possibly sufficient for 4 massive teams, possibly 10 or 12 shrubs in every group. And this was 30-something years in the past. I sited every group, every border, kind of on axis from a key window in the home, in order that I imagined searching at these massive scenes of purple fruit at a distance. They usually’re all at an ideal distance from the home, and now they’ve turn out to be gigantic in any case these years of rising.
However the one factor is that there’s all these birds that know my tackle, and so they don’t really need me to see them in winter. They need to eat them in fall. [Laughter.] So as soon as you start on the map of the birds fall visiting, overlook about it. Now one factor is that in addition they include yellowish and yellowish-orange fruit, paler-colored fruit, and people fruits won’t be eaten as early or as shortly by the birds. So if you wish to have a little bit of a egocentric factor occurring the place you’ve gotten one group that you simply get to stare at longer that lasts into possibly January or February, decide one of many lighter fruits, not the purple ones.
Dan: I feel you’ve finished it completely the place you’ve received the stuff that the birds really need and also you’ve received an excellent form of ecological backyard going, however then you definately’ve additionally received some that you simply get to take pleasure in your self earlier than the birds get to them. And that’s good. I feel that’s a sensible means of form of gardening a panorama.
Margaret: And naturally I’m pleased once they come and go to when a complete flock once more of waxwings or one thing is available in and there’s no better pleasure. So job finished.
Dan: However I do get slightly skeptical after I go to the nursery and I see the winterberry that’s marketed as berries that’ll final all through your entire winter. And I’m like, “Oh, meaning the birds don’t need to eat them. What’s occurring with this shrub?”
Is that actually what I would like on my panorama? After which getting form of life like. If that’s what you need on the panorama, go forward and plant it. Plant among the wild varieties as effectively, and also you get one of the best of each worlds and also you don’t must really feel responsible about it. You get to take pleasure in and in addition feed the birds. It’s nice to have the ability to form of do all of it.
Margaret: What about viburnums? Do you utilize any viburnums?
Dan: Oh, I completely love the viburnums. What I at all times dig concerning the viburnums is you title the habitat, whether or not or not it’s sunny, shady, dry, moist, and there’s a viburnum species, typically just a few that develop effectively in that kind of habitat. So as a substitute of telling you, I actually like say the nannyberry viburnum [V. lentago] or the maple-leaf viburnum [V. acerifolium, below], what I’ll do after I’m speaking to somebody to say, what’s your panorama? The place are you rising? What are the circumstances? And there’s at all times a viburnum that matches.
I’ve received some Viburnum prunifolium, the blackhaw, that’s rising on a ridge prime. It’s full solar and dry soils. I’ve received cranberrybush viburnum [V. trilobum] rising in full solar in moist soils. I’ve received maple-leaf viburnum within the full shade, dry soils. I imply, it’s simply totally different species for various websites. It’s wonderful how a lot range there may be inside that genus.
And plenty of the others we’ve been speaking about, they’re ecological powerhouses, particularly these blue-berried ones. The berries are chock filled with carbohydrates, which is one thing that’s actually beneficial for the birds. They’re consuming them within the late fall, that’s when most of them are ripening, and that’s form of proper earlier than the chilly season. So getting a very nutritious berry then is actually essential. So I at all times are inclined to favor these.
Margaret: I’ve fairly numerous these as effectively, and so they do have the engaging flowers, and so they have their fruit, and lots of of them have a form of wine-colored or darker fall foliage, which is nice.
I even have plenty of Aronia, the chokeberries. And people have nice fall colour, and that fruit is ripens very, very, very late. In order that’s feeding creatures at a special time. However I like these as effectively. And people flower; these are well-liked among the many bugs once they flower as effectively. A minimum of they appear to be. So I take pleasure in these, too. They usually’re simple to develop.
Dan: I agree. I’m glad to listen to extra individuals speaking concerning the Aronias currently, however they’re one other, they’re not as underutilized as among the others, however undoubtedly are nonetheless in that underutilized class. I feel you want a reputation change. Chokeberry is simply not an ideal title. And it’s form of humorous. I used to be trying within the grocery store the opposite day, shopping for juices, and I’m realizing that Ocean Spray incorporates a bunch of chokeberry juice into plenty of their juice mixes—very, very excessive in antioxidants. They don’t name it chokeberry, they name it Aronia berry. And the genus is Aronia. And after I appeared it up, I see all these items about how Aronia is a brand new superfood, and I feel it’s getting a little bit of a PR marketing campaign that it deserves.
Margaret: Attention-grabbing.
Dan: Are you aware the black one [melanocarpa] or the purple one [arbutifolia]?
Margaret: I’ve each. A number of the black one, although. And once more, the foliage has nice fall colour.
Do you shortly need to shout out any extra vegetation? I do know you’re a lover of sweetfern, Comptonia, which is an uncommon factor. And it’s not a fern, it’s a flowering plant [laughter].
Dan: It’s a shrub, it produces an precise fruit, though it doesn’t actually appear to be a typical one. And it smells like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I like it on path edges. It’s a troublesome plant. I’ll plant it on the sides of my strolling paths that every so often we’ll truly drive an ATV or a UTV over, and we go crushing all of the sweetfern and it comes proper again from it. However in the meantime, whereas we’re driving by way of it, the entire space simply smells like cinnamon.
A couple of others I’ll shortly throw out your means whereas we’ve received the second. So we hear about oaks and the worth of oaks. Clearly most oaks are timber. There may be such a factor as a shrubby oak. It’s known as the scrub oak [Quercus ilicifolia]. It’s a very funky, gnarly, cool species that’s value placing in your possibly record when you’ve by no means found it earlier than.
And there’s a chestnut known as the chinquapin chestnut [Castanea pumila], which is native slightly bit south of my area, however grows simply advantageous round right here. It does get affected by chestnut blight, however not practically as badly because the American chestnut. And whereas the blight is slowly killing stems of it, there’s continually new stems developing, flowers and fruit forming, some actually wonderful specialised bee interactions on that shrub, and one which I feel may use slightly extra consideration. It’s a brand new one for me, and I’ve gotten actually enthusiastic about it currently.
Margaret: Attention-grabbing. Yeah. From different areas of the nation, I’ve plenty of ninebark, the Physocarpus.
Dan: Yeah, that’s an excellent one. Witch hazel we haven’t talked about but; one of many deer-proof shrubs on the market.
Margaret: The sweetfern is deerproof, too, I feel. However the witch hazel undoubtedly.
Dan: And the spiraeas for that matter. And I discover that the deer will eat the blueberry berries, however they not often truly eat the shrub itself, which is sort of good.
Margaret: Oh, that’s good. That’s good.
Dan: Whereas we’re at it, the fowl cherry, that chokecherry we talked about, I don’t suppose I’ve ever seen deer eat that one. I need to examine that one with another of us, however I don’t recall ever seeing deer searching on that one, both.
Margaret: So principally what we’re advocating is make some shrub borders.
Dan: Yeah. Strive extra shrubs.
Margaret: Formal or casual, free or… I imply, they could be a privateness display, they could be a boundary alongside the highway. They are often a decorative backyard of their very own inside your property. Use your creativity, sure?. I imply, it may be something.
Dan: They could be a filler in between your vegetation. They could be a cutback in some locations. I imply, we may even go wild and say, plant some purple maple timber and minimize them again into shrubs. And we may begin getting actually broad with this [laughter], however let your creativeness information you. I feel there’s much more that shrubs can do within the panorama than we have a tendency to consider. Begin pondering loopy and have some enjoyable with it.
Margaret: All proper. Nicely, thanks Dan Wilder from Norcross. It’s good to speak to you once more. It’s been too lengthy. So thanks for making time immediately.
Dan: Oh, undoubtedly, Margaret, at all times a pleasure. Come go to me at Norcross someday. You’ve received the winterberry backyard. I’ve an American holly grove I would like to point out you. It’s wild.
(All plant images by Dan Wilder, used with permission.)
choose the podcast model of the present?
MY WEEKLY public-radio present, rated a “top-5 backyard podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper within the UK, started its fifteenth 12 months in March 2024. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station within the nation. Pay attention regionally within the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Jap, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Might 5, 2025 present utilizing the participant close to the highest of this transcript. You possibly can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).