Hot Topic
How to Create a Wildlife Haven in
Your Backyard
written by Cathie Tritel
photos by Cathie Tritel except
where noted
California Quail
Courtesy of U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service |
This
native California sage garden provides habitat for bees
and butterflies, important pollinators. Pictured are
Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland’s Sage),
Muhlenbergia rigens (Deer Grass), Salvia apiana
(White Sage), Achillea sp. (Yarrow),
Salvia sonomensis (Creeping Sage), and Eriogonum
umbellatum californicum (Sulfur Buckwheat).
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Photographer Unknown |
No matter what
size land you have, there’s always a way to attract wildlife.
Providing habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and some of the
not so popular with the public (but critical to ecological
stability) animals like snakes and mice, is one of the most
rewarding endeavors. But perhaps even more important, creating a
haven for wildlife is a powerful activity which can play an
essential role in stabilizing wildlife food supplies, ecological
restoration, endangered species protection, and orchard
production. Backyard habitat can save pollinators’ lives, as
well as the lives of migratory birds which may stop over on your
property. It may even help to reverse the trends of development
and global warming.
To create
backyard habitat, begin by reflecting on how your yard
provides for basic needs—water, shelter, and of course, food.
Then evaluate what your property may be lacking and seek a
remedy.
A simple bird
bath will draw many birds to your yard. One that drips is
particularly alluring since the sound is irresistible to many
species. When cleaning up after winter, consider keeping some
piles of sticks and organic matter around. Nesting birds will be
delighted to
have the material for their nests, and quail will be relieved to
have a place to hide. Put up nesting boxes for bluebirds, bats,
and ducks. Be sure to provide protection from predators: keep
cats inside the house; take precautions when mounting bluebird
boxes to discourage predators; don’t place bird baths near the
ground. Consider keeping some grasses long to provide cover for
the many animals who need it so desperately. It may take a while
for wildlife to start feeling comfortable coming to your yard,
but once they do, you’ll find they’re there to stay.
Providing food
for wildlife is a great source of fun. Putting up bird feeders
is, of course, an obvious way to provide food. Feeders are not
necessary, though, if you grow plants which have high wildlife
value. Gardening with native plants is ideal, since wildlife
species have co-evolved with local native plants. This is
particularly true in California which has such a diversity of
plant communities which have adapted to specific soils and
climates. Natives also require less water, fertilizer, and pest
control.
When buying
plants, it is most helpful to know the botanical name to ensure
you are getting the right plant.
Some good
native plants for attracting wildlife are:
Epilobium
canum (California Fuchsia). Hummingbirds love the tubular
bright orange flowers of this perennial which blooms starting in
August and continuing through November when few flowers are
still around.
Muhlenbergia
rigens (Deer Grass) is a graceful golden grass which
provides cover for birds, such as quail.
Eriogonums
(the buckwheats) are great attractants of butterflies.
Eriogonum umbellatum californicum (Sulfur Buckwheat) in mass
provides a gorgeous display of yellow flowers which couple well
with the native sages, such as purple Salvia clevelandii
(Cleveland’s Sage).
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Native Penstemon spp. (Beardtongue) provides
the best tubular-shaped flower that hummingbirds
could love.
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Eriogonum umbellatum
californicum
(Sulfur Buckwheat) |
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Other valuable native plants for
wildlife include: Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon),
Acer macrophyllum (Big-Leaf Maple), Dicentra formosa
(Western Bleeding Heart), Ribes nevadens (Sierra
Currant), Amelanchier alnifolia (Western Serviceberry),
Calycanthus occidentalis (Spice Bush), and Salvia
leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage).
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Some non-native plants also
have high wildlife value. Among them are:
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Callistemon citrinus (Lemon Bottlebrush), the
qualities of which cannot be overstated. It blooms at
least twice a year in spring and fall (even winter).
Hummingbirds love the bright red flowers, which add a
beautiful splash of color on cold rainy November days.
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Fragrant Erisymum
‘Bowles Mauve’ (Wallflower) seems to bloom
continuously from fall to spring and attracts
butterflies. Combine it with Iris sp., another
pollinator attractor, and you have an enchanting cottage
garden. |
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Even in snow,
Chaenomeles japonica (Flowering Quince) can help
hummingbirds get through a late winter. Its thorns make
it resistant to deer and it does well in clay soils—two
important characteristics for California foothill
gardens.
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Other non-native plants of high
wildlife value include Chrysanthemum maximum (Shasta
Daisy) (finches love the spent seedheads in fall), Buddleia
davidii (Butterfly Bush), Pyracantha coccinea
(Firethorn) (of high value for its rich red berries), and the
various Lavandula (Lavender) species.
Making your land a haven for
wildlife could be one of the most important things you do.
Get started on it today! It’s such a positive way to make a
contribution.
Please call Bluestar Landscape
Designers at (916) 624-1984 or (530) 878-1984 to set up an
appointment for us to assess how we can accomplish this on your
property. Or email us at
cathie@bluestarlandscapedesigners.com.
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