Providing for Three
Basic Requirements
There are
three basic requirements wildlife need
to survive: food, shelter and
a place to raise young. All of these requirements
can be provided by plants. To better attract
wildlife to your property, you should select
a variety of plants that will offer all
three of these requirements.
Food
Select plants that provide natural foods, such as fruits, seeds,
nuts and nectar. Make sure you plant a variety of plants to provide
food for wildlife throughout the year. Some plants have more nutritional
value than others.
Shelter
Wildlife need shelter from predators and weather at all times
of the year. During the summer, deciduous shrubs, such as white meadowsweet
(Spirea alba) and steeplebush (Spirea tomentosa)
offer cover for nesting and escape from predators. Evergreen trees
and shrubs provide year-round protective cover. Good choices are inkberry
(Ilex glabra) and Canada yew (Taxus canadensis) as
they provide food as well as cover.
Places to Raise Young
Raising young is risky business for wildlife. To keep their
young safe from predators, most wildlife avoid wide open, mowed lawns.
Make sure your shoreline property offers a variety of trees, shrubs
and herbaceous plants that provide nesting and predator safe feeding
areas for young wildlife. And don't forget that dead
and dying trees provide nesting sites for owls, flying squirrels, woodpeckers and many
other species.
The
Best Plants for Wildlife
You may already
have quite a few plants valuable to wildlife
on your property. For example, the buds,
twigs, foliage and fruit of black cherry
(Prunus
serotina) and beech
(Fagus
grandiflora)
trees are highly valuable to both
birds and mammals. For more information
about which woody plants are most valuable
to birds and mammals visit the Add
Enhancements
page.
Often
one type of plant will attract a
variety of wildlife. For instance spicebush
(Lindera benzoin) and
blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)
are used by both birds and butterflies.
The list
of Recommended Plants for the Lake
Ontario Shoreline [653KB PDF] will
help you select the best plants for
the wildlife you are trying to attract.
A Word of Warning!
Some plants have no value to wildlife and can actually
crowd out other important wildlife plants. These
plants are called invasive species. Make sure you
aren't sabotaging your efforts by visiting the Invasive
Plants page.
