Tag: Trees for bees
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Allegheny Chinquapin: An underutilized but excellent nut producing shrub
By: Anthony Trimboli When it comes to native nut producing trees and shrubs the oaks get most of the attention. The mostly gone but not forgotten American chestnut also gets a ton of press, even though there is no blight resistant variety available – yet. While trees are excellent nut producers, they are not the…
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Buttonbush: A summer extravaganza for pollinators
Introduction Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a deciduous shrub native to the eastern half of North America. It can be found growing naturally along creeks, ponds, lakes, and other fairly wet areas. Buttonbush can also be grown as a native ornamental in mostly sunny areas where the soil is on the moist side of medium to…
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Recent Nature-related Discoveries in My Yard and Community – April and May 2022
Where did this spring go? The last couple of months have been crazy busy, but so much fun too. I have had the opportunity to make some amazing nature-related discoveries both around my own property and while traveling. Below are a few of the nature-related discoveries I’ve made on our property over the last couple…
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Red Maple: An Early Source of Nectar and Pollen
Introduction Red maple (Acer rubrum) is a medium height tree that can grow up to 100 feet tall. It is native to most states in the eastern half of the U.S. and much of eastern Canada. Red maple is one of our earliest blooming native trees and can be an important food source for a…
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Black gum: A wonderful wildlife tree that also works well in landscaped settings
Have you ever been walking in August or September and noticed a tree with a few scattered red leaves? You may have thought “that’s weird,” because obviously it is still way too early for the leaves to be turning colors. If so, you may have been looking at a black gum. Black gum is a…
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Possumhaw: A deciduous holly
Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) has many common names including deciduous holly, swamp holly, and prairie holly. It is also sometimes called winterberry, but be aware that “winterberry” is more commonly used in reference to Ilex verticillata, which is also a deciduous holly. To make things more complicated, Ilex verticillata is sometimes called “deciduous holly,” even though…
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Announcing the Backyard Ecology Podcast
Over the last few months, I’ve been researching and working on a new project. Today I’m super excited to announce that I am launching a Backyard Ecology podcast! For those who might be wondering, a podcast is kind of like an audio version of a blog. I started listening to podcasts about a year and…
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Planting for Honey Bees: A Guide for Beekeepers – Virtual Class
“What can I plant for my honey bees?” is a question that beekeepers often ask me. It’s also the question that I asked when I began my beekeeping journey. However, there isn’t a single one-size-fits-all answer to that question. Or, at least not a GOOD one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to planting for honey bees.…
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Sassafras – A Beautiful Native Tree Used by Wildlife and Humans
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is native to most of the eastern U.S. It is commonly found growing in fencerows, along the edges of woods, along roads or other right-of-ways, in forest openings, and in other sunny to mostly sunny locations. In more mature forests, small sassafras saplings can often be found waiting for a canopy opening…
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New Jersey Tea
New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) is a low-growing, native shrub that can be found throughout most of the eastern half of the U.S. It is an interesting plant from both an ecological standpoint and from a historical / ethnobotanical standpoint. In the wild, New Jersey tea is typically found in rocky areas, sandy areas, glades,…
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American Persimmon
The American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is a medium-sized tree that is native to most of the eastern half of the U.S. It grows in full sun and a wide variety of soils. The dark green leaves are your stereotypical “leaf shape” so aren’t much help by themselves for identifying the tree. The bark, however, is…
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Ninebark
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) is native to most of the eastern half of the U.S. In the wild, this shrub is often found along streambanks, woods edges, rocky slopes, and moist open areas. Although it is often found naturally in medium to moist locations, once established, ninebark can be very drought tolerant. In recent years, ninebark…
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Plant Native Trees and Shrubs in the Late Fall
Although we often think of planting wildflowers and other herbaceous plants for pollinators, trees and shrubs can be extremely beneficial for pollinators. If those trees and shrubs are native, then they tend to support a wider variety of pollinators than their non-native counterparts, and they provide this support to the adult pollinators as well as…
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Staghorn Sumac
Note: Staghorn sumac and poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) are two different plants. They are both in the cashew family, but poison sumac is more closely related to poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) than staghorn sumac. At one time poison ivy and poison sumac were considered part of the Rhus genus, and some older references still contain…
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American Holly
The American holly (Ilex opaca) is a native evergreen tree that grows throughout much of the eastern half of the country. In the wild, it can be found growing in rich, well-drained (but not super dry), slightly acidic soils. It prefers mostly sunny areas, but can be found growing as an understory tree in semi-open…
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Black Locusts
Black locusts (Robinia pseudoacacia) are tall trees native to the Appalachian region and parts of the Ozarks, but they have been widely planted across the U.S. and in parts of Canada. They have even been imported to other parts of the world where they are often planted as ornamentals. Black locusts grow very quickly but…
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Serviceberry
Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.) are small trees or large shrubs that typically grow to around 10-15 feet tall, but occasionally can be taller. There are multiple different species of serviceberry throughout the U.S. and Canada. In fact, every state except for Hawaii has a native species of serviceberry. In Kentucky, our two most common native species…
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Eastern Redbud
The eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a small tree or tall shrub that is native to much of the eastern U.S. In the early spring, redbuds produce clusters of pink flowers. Redbuds bloom before the leaves have started to appear on most trees and their pretty pink flowers can often be spotted in the understory…
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Pussy Willow
Different species of willow can be found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. There are several species native to Kentucky and several exotic species can be found growing as ornamentals. The pussy willow (Salix discolor) is perhaps our most familiar native willow, even though it is not Kentucky’s most common native willow. In addition to…
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Devil’s Walking Stick
Devil’s walking stick (Aralia spinosa) is a small tree or tall shrub that is native to the eastern U.S. It is often found growing along the edges of forests or in open woodlands. Devil’s walking stick can be a very important plant for honey bees, native bees, and butterflies. From approximately mid-July to mid-August, devil’s…
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Tulip poplars – A source of abundant nectar and pollen for Kentucky pollinators
The tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), a.k.a. yellow poplar, tulip tree, or tulip magnolia, is a common and important part of our forests. Despite the name, tulip poplars aren’t poplars. Instead, the tulip poplar is in the magnolia family and is part of a genus that only has two species – the other species is found…