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Incorporating conservation practices into your life often brings questions…lots of questions. We are here to help. From general to specific, we’ll tackle what you give us, reach out to experts, and post the questions and answers on this page so others can benefit.
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Ask Plant Girl About Natives
How can I attract butterflies with natives? What’s the best way to control invasive species? What’s an easy-to-grow native flower? Plant Girl can help you turn your garden into a native plant showplace.
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My neighbor and I are planning to rip out a lot of invasives and put in a privacy hedge. Any natives that could fit the bill? Anything deer resistant? --Molly
Molly,
Kudos for taking action against our invasive plants! It's important that you replace invasive populations as soon as possible with native plants to hopefully out-compete the nasties. I'm not sure which plants you're dealing with, but in many cases it may take more than one 'pulling' to eliminate a populations and often very difficult to do without herbicides! Let me know if you need control suggestions for a particular species, and I will try to help.
As far as an evergreen that may serve as a good screen, some good native choices could include eastern hemlock, white pine, and eastern red cedar, depending on site characteristics. All can be shaped and trimmed to your liking to keep a 'hedge-like' appearance. Deer will feed on eastern red cedar, but if you're working on a dry, very sunny site, this might be a good option. Mountain laurel is another nice evergreen that can grow into a 6' tall or so hedge with beautiful blooms this time of year, and is fairly deer resistant.
Hopefully that gives you some ideas. Let me know if you have anymore questions, and good luck!
Carrie
Groundhogs ate my natives!!! I planted an iConserve seed packet in some pots last year, and got a lot of little seedlings that didn't do much. This spring I transplanted the ones that over wintered into a small bed. They really started to grow vigorously, and I was excited for the results. We went away for a weekend last month, and the family of groundhogs that lives under my deck ate them down practically to the ground. Some are regrowing now, but I'm afraid it will happen all over again. The groundhogs seem to particularly enjoy eating the natives. Any suggestions of groundhog deterrents? No luck so far with a havahart trap. -- Ian
Ian,
Sounds like you are battling the same varmint my father wages a small war with every year around his gardens! Groundhogs are tricky, because there really aren't any 'deterrents' that work, unless you have a dog or cat that really forces them to move their home. So, unfortunately, if you're not the pet type or your pets don't hassle to groundhogs, the only other option is to physically trap and move them or ... euthanize the family, which may be difficult since they're so close to your house. Although you haven't had any luck with a havaheart trap, you may want to call your local Game Commission biologists or Animal Control folks, who may be able to give you some tips on how to trap the groundhogs and will likely lend traps and remove the animals for you, making your life easier. Not knowing where you live, I can't direct you to your nearest GC or AC offices, but you may have luck in your local phone book.
Good luck, and sorry I couldn't provide you with a more definitive answer!
Carrie
I’ve got a steep hillside covered with the dreaded English ivy and would like to transition to natives if possible. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks. --Stu
Stu,
English ivy is a tricky invasive to tackle. It is fairly aggressive with evergreen leaves that don’t always take up chemical herbicides effectively. You’re likely in for some labor-filled invasive eradication work! I don’t want that to discourage you, however, because eradicating invasive species is important for conserving and improving native plant communities. Besides, you’ll feel so accomplished at the end of the day! I always felt a sense of duty and accomplishment after volunteer days to cut and treat acres of non-native honeysuckles at a local park – it felt great!
Below are a few websites with information on English ivy and suggested treatment options. Take your pick, whether chemical, mechanical, or manual treatments are your preference. Just be aware that multiple treatments may be necessary before complete eradication and you may have to monitor the site to ensure the plant isn’t creeping back in.
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/hehe1.htm
http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/moredocs/hedhel02.pdf (This one is for the Pacific Northwest, but has some very useful information)
http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/ParksRecreation
/scripts/parks/ivy.pdf
Because you mentioned the ivy to be growing on a steep bank, you probably want to establish an alternative quickly, so severe erosion due to lack of vegetation does not become a problem. Since I don’t know your exact site conditions, here’s a list of native species that could be used as groundcovers, depending on what you’re interested in:
Ferns – there’s numerous native ferns that would likely colonize the area quite well. You’re likely to have more success with a spreading, rather than a clumping fern species, such as Dennstaedtia punctilobula
Hayscented fern, which can be quite aggressive also.
Carex pensylvania Pennsylvania sedge
Danthonia spicata Poverty grass
Asarum canadense Wild Ginger rich woods
Eurybia divaricata (Aster divaricatus) White wood aster dry woods, clearings
Geranium maculatum Wild Geranium rich woods
Maianthemum canadense Canada mayflowerWoods
Mitchella repens Partridgeberry dry acidic woods
Phlox stolonifera Creeping phlox rich woods
Tiarella cordifolia Foamflower rich woods
Viola hastate halberdleaf yellow violet rich deciduous woods
Vioa sororia Common blue violet dry to moist woods, thickets
Vaccinium angustifolium lowbush blueberry dry woods, barrens, rock outcroppings
Vaccinium palidum (V. vacillans) early lowbush blueberry dry woods and barrens
Hopefully this gives you some options and alternatives to think about.
Thanks and good luck!
I am going to try, over time to have my landscape contain a majority of native plants. I was wondering about Rhododendron x kosteranum. It is a hybrid sold by the Arbor Day Foundation. Would it be considered a native plant? I also have been told that the Japanese Silk Tree, or Memosa, is an invasive species. I have one in my yard currently, and I adore it. It will have a dozen hummingbirds feeding on it at a time. It also attracts hummingbird moths. I have no problem with saplings popping up. Is this tree really harmful?
Thanks,
Shannon, from Pittsburgh
Shannon,
Thanks for your inquiry!
The mollis azalea, or Rhododendron x kosteranum, is a hybrid that I had a little trouble gathering information on (you gave me a couple tough questions!). I'm not sure what species were originally used to create this hybrid, but if you want to stick strictly to native azalea species, I would recommend pinxter-flower (Rhododendron periclymenoides) or mountain azalea (Rhododendron prinopyllum). Both of these species will grow to about 3 meters tall and have beautiful pink to white flowers in the spring. These do not have the orangish flowers of kosteranum, but hopefully you will also find delightful and a suitable addition to your garden.
Mimosas are generally invasive, mostly in the southeastern states. What you decide to do with your Mimosa is totally your decision. However, this species is becoming more and more common in Pennsylvania and competes with native species. Many gardeners battle mimosa seedlings in their flower beds for years after planting the tree in their yards (I don't know if you have - or will have - this same problem). This is a short lived tree that is highly susceptible to insect and disease, and is often not considered desirable in a natural setting. They are quite beautiful, though, and attract loads of hummingbirds. Good native alternatives to mimosa to attract hummingbirds include the trumpet creeper vine (Campsis radicans) and trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens - not to be confused with non-native, invasive honesuckles!!!). Although not native to Pennsylvania, red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is native to North America and should be another good alternative. My parents have one in their yard and they just adore the brilliant red flowers in the spring. Good luck with whatever decision you make regarding your mimosa tree.
Hopefully I provided some useful insight to you garden questions. Please let me know if you would like any other information. Visit the iConserve website for more information on where to buy native plants: http://iconservepa.org/buynatives.html
Thanks and think spring!!!
I am planning on removing patches of Multiflora rose from my property. Even though it is invasive, I have mixed feelings about removing it because I see that birds and some small animals seem to like the Multiflora rose. Do you have any recommendations for native plants that I can place where the Multiflora rose is/was that the birds and animals will enjoy just as much?
Some of the Multiflora rose is also beside a pond and is hanging over the water (pond has about a 20 feet radius). This overhang gives the sun fish a refuge. Do you have any recommendations for native plants that can be placed beside ponds that would provide good cover for small fish?
Do you have any recommendations for native plants that I can place on the banks of a small stream to keep it from eroding?
I suppose my questions may not be specific enough, but when I remove the Multiflora rose, I would really like to replace it with something that will benefit birds and wildlife. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks, Ross
Hi Ross!
Many of our invasive plants are used by wildlife, but the short-term benefit to these critters does not outweigh the long-term consequences of using invasive plants in the landscape. Native rose species, such as pasture rose (Rosa carolina), wild rose (R. virginiana) or swamp rose (R. palustris), would be good alternatives to multiflora rose, especially for the wildlife value you wish to maintain.
For along your pond, you may also use native roses, but they likely won’t have the same ‘arching’ characteristic of multiflora rose and may not serve the same purpose. If you want a fair amount of shade and coverage directly over your pond, you may want to silky willow (Salix sericea) or pussy willow (Salix discolor), which can grow to 4 meters tall. Without having personally seen the site and actual growing conditions, some other natives I can recommend are winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), and alder (Alnus serulata or A. incana spp. rugosa). Choose a species based on suitability to your site. To find your desired plant, visit our website’s link to places that sell native plants in the state and beyond: http://iconservepa.org/buynatives.html
The plants I mentioned for along your pondbank may be suitable also for a streambank, but it depends on the amount of light and growing conditions. Another species I can recommend is switch grass (Panicum virgatum), commonly used in riparian management on farms. I would definitely steer away from other invasive species that were once used for streambank management, such as knotweed (Fallopia japonica and Fallopia sachalenensis) and some invasive ground covers.
I hope you find this information useful. Please let me know if you would like additional info.
Thanks for your inquiry and think spring!!!
Do you have any suggestions for procuring seeds or plants? Any businesses you recommend?
--John
John,
Kudos to you for starting to garden with native plants!
Our iConserve website has a link to sources across the state and beyond to find native plants: http://iconservepa.org/buynatives.html
Some sell seeds and stock, but hopefully there’s one near you. Many of these places also do internet sales, so if you don’t find one near where you live, you can explore their websites to gather more info and order seeds. I don’t necessarily have one or two places in mind to recommend, but I hope you find what you’re looking for on this website. Please, let me know if you need any more info.
Good luck and think spring!
What is your favorite native plant?
--Andy, from Halifax
Andy,
I’ve always been particularly found of brilliant reds in my garden to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Perhaps my favorite native garden flower is Mondarda didyma, or scarlet beebalm. This mint species grows to about 3 feet tall and contains bright red tubular flowers in July through September, a perfect temptation for hummingbirds in search of nectar! In Pennsylvania’s forests, scarlet beebalm is typically found in moist woods or along stream banks in filtered to open light. In your garden, it will probably flower best in more open sunlight conditions, but may tolerate shadier conditions if not too dry. This plant is susceptible to powdery mildew, but some cultivated varieties found in your local garden centers may be resistant. As a member of the mint family, this plant was often used in medicinal tea remedies by Native Americans and early colonists.
If you’re dealing with dryer gardening conditions, but still want to attract hummingbirds, let me also recommend another favorite, Aquilegia canadensis, or wild columbine. This perennial will grow to about 2 feet tall and produces many nodding, red and yellow bell-like flowers in April through June. When not flowering, the round-lobed, compound leaves of wild columbine will add interesting green foliage to your native garden. This species is naturally found in rich, rocky woods, and often along slopes, cliffs, and roadside banks. Do not confuse this species with other cultivars of different colors from Europe, which are not native to Pennsylvania. Wild columbine is easy to cultivate in a garden and will propagate naturally for years through rapid self-seeding.
Thanks for your question and interest in Pennsylvania’s native flora!
© 2007 Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources