Photo © YardMap, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, NestWatch
What You Can Plant to Help
By Kimberly Marsho, Extension Master Gardener
Bringing up Baby
It’s spring! And as you may have noticed from all of the early morning chatter outside your windows, bird parents in Alexandria and Arlington have been hard at work. From dawn to dusk they are busy collecting caterpillars to feed their hungry baby chicks.
This native of northern China was introduced in colonial times as a food source for silkworms. Although the silk industry did not succeed, the non-native tree thrived and has since spread throughout almost the entire U. S. It aggressively colonizes open areas, displacing native species, and is considered problematic in many states. Both Alexandria and Arlington list it as invasive.
This native* member of the Rose Family has four-season interest from showy, fragrant spring blooms to a distinctive winter silhouette. It has high wildlife value, attracting a wide variety of pollinators, serving as the host plant for many Lepidoptera, and providing support to birds.
*In the Mid-Atlantic Region, it is native to DC, MD and mostly the mid-section of PA. Its status is undetermined in DE. It is infrequent but widespread in the mountains and inner and northern Piedmont in VA.
In this moment,
there is the silvery sound of wind chimes,
a soft breeze,
birds chatting,
the rustling of leaves.
Raucous chirping now.
Someone must be telling a funny story.
What would that be in bird?
The worm that got away?
The squirrel that fell off the bird feeder?
The gardener broadcasting seeds in plain view?
We’ll show her!
Wendy Mills
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