var. sanguinea). Height/Spread: 3–8 feet. Note: Threatened or endangered in parts of the Midwest. Nature Note: The berries are high in carbohydrates and protein and ripen early in the growing season when fruit availability is scarce. They are top favorites for more than 40 species of birds, including cedar waxwing (p. 36), American robin (p. 62), northern cardinal (p. 61), Baltimore oriole (p. 167), brown thrasher (p. 219), eastern bluebird (p. 61), northern mockingbird (p. 256), wood thrush (p. 175), rose-breasted grosbeak (p. 200), red-bellied woodpecker (p. 55), tufted titmouse (p. 169), scarlet tanager, pileated woodpecker, and gray catbird (p. 79), as well as chipmunks (p. 94) and squirrels. “Because they blossom as early as mid-April, serviceberries supply nectar for emerging insects when little else is available,” writes naturalist and author Mariette Nowak.15 Birds eat the insects and feed them to their nestlings. Serviceberries host 124 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies/moths), including the red-spotted purple (p. 18), striped hairstreak (p. 18), eastern tiger swallowtail (p. 18), and viceroy (p. 54). Ruby-throated hummingbirds (p. 91) and adult butterflies, such as spring azure (p. 95), visit for nectar. Serviceberry has special value to important pollinators, including native bees. Zones: 4–8.
Serviceberry spp. (Amelanchier) Also see pp. 77, 271
See Spring Trees for more SERVICEBERRY SPP., p. 77.
More Native Alternatives:
BLUEBERRY SPP., p. 27; CHOKEBERRY SPP., p. 13; DOGWOOD SPP., p. 48; FOTHERGILLA SPP., p. 27; NATIVE HONEYSUCKLE ALTERNATIVES, p. 38; RED BUCKEYE, p. 33; RHODODENDRON, AZALEA SPP., p. 56; VIBURNUM SPP., p. 69; WAFER ASH, p. 45.
See Summer Shrubs for HYDRANGEA SPP., p. 143; ST. JOHN’S WORT SPP., p. 145.
See Spring Trees for AMERICAN PLUM and other native plums, p. 78; CAROLINA SILVERBELL, p. 80; CRAB APPLE SPP., p. 89; FRINGE TREE, p. 105; REDBUD, p. 92.
Nonnative:
CHINESE FRINGE TREE. See Spring Trees for FRINGE TREE, p. 103.
Nonnative:
CORNELIAN CHERRY, CORNELIAN CHERRY DOGWOOD. Family: Dogwood (Cornaceae). Genus: Cornus (C. mas). Origin: Europe, Asia. Height/Spread: 15–20 feet. Ornamental Attributes: Pale yellow flowers in April. Red fall fruits; reddish fall leaves. Cultivation: Full sun, moist well-drained soil. Dense shade beneath mature specimens prevents growth of other plants. Zones: 4–7.
Cornelian cherry flowers (Cornus mas)
Native Alternatives:
SPICEBUSH, NORTHERN SPICEBUSH, COMMON SPICEBUSH, ALLSPICE BUSH, FORSYTHIA OF THE WILDS. Family: Laurel (Lauraceae). Genus: Lindera (L. benzoin). Height/Spread: 6–12 feet. Ornamental Attributes: The tiny, bright yellow, very fragrant flowers bloom March to April. “In the North this plant is thought of as the ‘forsythia of the wilds’ as its early spring flowering gives a subtle yellow tinge to many lowland woods where it is common,” notes the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.16 “The combination of the yellow foliage and red berries really makes this shrub pop in the fall,” writes Jason Sheets.17 Cultivation: Fast-growing, moist woods, understory shrub. Partial sun to light shade; best in rich moist soil, takes wet to moderately dry soil. Needs male plant for berries on female plants. Deer resistant; tolerates black walnut tree toxicity. Nature Note: Preferred host of spicebush swallowtail butterfly; also hosts an additional 10 species of Lepidoptera, including the eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly (p. 18), giant leopard moth, and promethea silkmoth. Birds and their nestlings eat the caterpillars. Mammals seek the July to October fruits, as do 17 bird species, including eastern kingbird (p. 55), wood thrush (p. 175), northern mockingbird (p. 256), great crested flycatcher, red-eyed vireo (p. 112), gray catbird (p. 79), American robin (p. 62), and white-throated sparrow (p. 108). The nutritious high-fat, protein-rich fruits enable migrating warblers to store a special, high-energy fat in their bodies to survive what might be several weeks without eating. The flowers attract small native bees, flies, and other tiny insects that warblers and other nesting birds feed to their young. Wood thrush (p. 175) and other mid-canopy species nest in the larger shrubs. Zones: 4–9.
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas)
Spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus)
Promethea silkworm caterpillar (Callosamia promethea)
Spicebush flowers (Lindera benzoin)
For
