Which is better?

 

Which leaf is "better"?

I like to take daily walks through my neighborhood, visiting favorite trees and other plants.  I count these trees among my friends, though some are just acquaintances. I like to think as I walk, and one of the things I think about is why are certain plants selected by landscapers?  I think you know where this is going.

Landscapers and landscaping advice books often recommend that homeowners and business owners select plants that show little or no insect damage, among other things. That way, these plants stay pretty much unharmed by nibbling creatures. This creates a uniform and "tidy" landscape...and one that is often full of non-native plants. From this perspective, the leaf on the left in the photo above is better ans it has no insect damage.

But what does this mean for our ecosystem and the life cycle of native creatures?  For example, trees with leaves that are not eaten are useless to many creatures.  They might as well live in a sand desert. Native insects evolved to feed on native plants, and other native creatures evolved to feed on these native insects.  Did you know that an overwhelming majority of birds need to feed caterpillars to their young so the young can survive?  No caterpillars, no next generation of birds. Generally, seed eating is sufficient for some adult birds, but inadequate for almost all developing birds.

Here's an example:

"Quercus—Oaks support an astounding 543 species of Lepidoptera, including Polyphemus and Imperial moths, Banded Hairstreak, Striped Hairstreak, White M Hairstreak, Juvenal’s Duskywing, and Horace’s Duskywing. There are about 60 native species of Oak in the United States, which are divided into two groups: the white oaks, and the red oaks." from:http://www.ecosystemgardening.com/top-10-best-woody-plants-in-conservation-gardening.html

It's great that native oak trees are such champions at feeding butterfly larvae, and, as stated above, these larvae are essential for birds.  This kind of thinking addresses the concept of "ecosystem services," that is, what does the plant do for the ecosystem as a whole?  Does it feed native creatures, provide food and shelter for wildlife? Does it clean the air and water, produce oxygen, provide shade, and prevent erosion?  These are far more important than having a pretty and undamaged plant and a tidy landscape.  From this perspective, the leaf on the right is far better!

I have just touched on this topic, for more info, and to learn what to plant, check out Doug Tallamy at

https://homegrownnationalpark.net/

Do some good, plant native!

The Saddest Sound...

 

One of the saddest sounds that I know is the sound of a tree service crew taking down a majestic tree specimen, presumably so that the homeowners can have more grass. We seem to have a spate of this happening in my neighborhood lately. The neighborhood is in an age transition, with older couples moving out and younger families moving in. And it seems the first thing they want to do is take down trees. As I walk every day in the neighborhood, I'm pretty sure that very few of these trees were diseased or in danger of falling. Those are two reasons where I believe taking down a tree is reasonable.

From an economic perspective, taking down a large specimen tree does not make sense. These large trees can increase the resale value of the house, as they turn an ugly box house into something far more attractive. Large trees provide shade and can make your house cooler, reducing cooling costs. They can also cool off your yard. Think about it, when you go to a park and want to sit in the grass, where do you sit? In the summer, it's in the shade. (This was recently illustrated to me. I've been weeding and edging native trees we planted in our back yard. These tree were small, 2 year trees when we planted them in 2019, now some are 8-10 feet tall.  As I was weeding, I noticed that I was keeping to the much cooler, if currently limited, shade cast by them). 

But far more important is the ecological value of these trees. Trees are key to mitigating the effects of climate change. Native trees, especially, host hundreds of creatures, and many native creatures depend on them. Here's an example. A native oak tree hosts many different kinds of caterpillars. While that might not sound exciting, caterpillars are the only food that 80 to 85% of native birds can use to feed their young. Birds do not feed their young seeds or other insects, because they are low in fat and protein. If you love native birds, and want to keep seeing them for the years to come, keep and plant native trees.

By the way, you know the phrase "fall is for planting?" That is very true especially in Virginia. Fall is the time to plant trees. So why don't you consider planting one this fall?  The Virginia Native Plant Society has free PDF regional native plant guides, that give ideas about all sorts of native plants including trees!  Go to: https://vnps.org/virginia-native-plant-guides/