Notes from a Texas Master Naturalist about native plants and why they matter to wildlife.
So maybe you’ve been thinking you would like to add a tree or two as a screen from the neighbor’s yard since they put in that pool, or got a dog that barks, or…whatever. But what if you could add a tree line that also brings some of your favorite wildlife into your yard?
Maybe think about mid-size trees such as Wax Myrtle or perhaps Parsley Hawthorn. And there are certainly plenty of additional choices to make from readily available native species. Many are fast-growing tall shrubs or small to mid-size trees, our native birds and butterflies love as nutritional food sources throughout the year. Trees such as those mentioned produce flowers to feed butterflies and other pollinators. Bonus is that lots of native plants serve as “host” plants for pollinators to lay their eggs. That means lots of caterpillars for birds to eat to gain the protein needed for best health. Second bonus: flowers on those same trees become the fruits and berries both resident and migrating birds make a big part of their diets, especially in fall and winter.
Interactions in nature can be easily forgotten when we choose our landscape vegetation based simply on looks that fit in with what the neighborhood yards contain. But wouldn’t it be amazing to have real habitat features that draw in so much colorful beauty to your yard in the form of visiting birds and butterflies? Your yard could become the guide to what others choose to plant, turning your street into a true flyway for everyone’s favorite wildlife.
Your Native Texas Landscape representative is a terrific source of knowledge that can help you decide how to fill your landscape needs while also benefiting the environmental needs of wildlife in serious decline from loss of native habitat. What a great choice for any landscape!
Teri MacArthur has been a certified Texas Master Naturalist since 2001, and is an environmental educator offering a broad scope of adult and youth nature programs in the region.
