242). Advertised for ornamental fruit, not all serviceberry nativars produce (see Spring Trees, Serviceberry Cultivar/Nativar Note, p. 78). At this time, only female inkberry nativars are commercially available.51 The female shrubs need a male to produce fruit, so birds go hungry. Sterile nativars are “bad news for goldfinches, who want the seed,” and doubled flowers are “bad news for pollinators, who can’t effectively reach the pollen and nectar.”52 An insect’s mouthparts can only pollinate plants with “a particular morphology” [form and structure of an organism or any of its parts], so “altering a flower’s shape might make it incompatible with pollinators.”53
Nursery industry marketing strategies call for frequently offering new, trendy nativars featuring different colors and shapes. What can a consumer do when nearly every plant currently available is a nativar?54 Patronizing native plant landscapers, nurseries, and plant sales, and being selective when visiting generalist purveyors, are ways to overcome these challenges. Midwesterners can create gardens, yards, and communities composed of true native plants.
The idea of restoring all of North America’s ecosystems to a pure, pre–European immigrant state is unrealistic. But perfection is not required. Recognition of the fundamental connection between native plant species and wildlife is essential. This insight leads to pitching in and planting native species in areas over which we have unique control (yards, gardens, condominium balconies). Choosing natives is a practical, direct, and enjoyable way to help wildlife and achieve immense good. To our readers we say, before planting a shrub or tree, think about the beauty and the environmental benefits provided by our true native midwestern woody species.
Each gardener and landscaper should decide on the pace at which to convert to native shrubs and trees. Substituting natives for nonnative species need not require a drastic overhaul of a garden. Homeowners may choose to proceed gradually, adding or replacing nonnative shrubs and trees as they decline or die. Some may opt to do it themselves, others to employ a professional native plant landscaper, or some combination of these approaches. Going at one’s own pace is essential to achieve the most joyful and ultimately successful results. Before you start planting and rearranging, consider the essential items (cover, food, water, reproduction) for birds and butterflies, and plan so that you use the space you have in the most effective manner. To maximize space, create layers of taller trees, shorter trees/shrubs, and herbaceous plants. While you are planning your yard, remember to plan places for yourself. Place birdbaths and wildlife-attracting native plants within window view. Keep bird, butterfly, caterpillar, and plant identification guides at the ready. Put a bench in a quiet place and enjoy.
We’ve examined a range of well-documented reasons that inspire midwestern gardeners to choose true native shrubs and trees. Regardless of the concepts that resonate most with you, we offer some great choices. For the best results, take your time. Go beyond our suggestions. Develop your own ideas based on observation and your own research. Enjoy the aesthetic—and bird and butterfly results—with friends and neighbors. Share the seedlings, root sprouts, seeds, nuts, and acorns that can grow into treasured trees and shrubs. Include native flowers, grasses, and sedges in your yard or garden and create an even more varied, beautiful, and welcoming natural habitat. Collect native plant nursery catalogs and spend time marveling at images of beautiful native trees and shrubs. Ask your local nursery or garden center to stock true native species.
For yards, gardens, and landscapes, large and small, our book can serve as a handy guide for choosing true native midwestern shrubs and trees.
Purveyor Note
Locating purveyors of native plants can seem challenging, but native plants can be obtained from a variety of sources. (Please see Selected Resources in the bibliography.) Check local newspapers for native plant sales held by park districts, forest preserves, municipalities, local environmental and native plant organizations, and individuals seeking to share the bounty produced by their beautiful native gardens. Ask these entities to suggest nurseries, retailers, wholesalers, and landscaping services that specialize in native plants. For a wide variety of native midwestern species, access online native plant sellers. Obtain catalogs to peruse at leisure; they are informative and sometimes suggest garden layouts. Their large inventories, the ease of ordering, and the convenience of deliveries right to one’s door are attractive features. If a local retail nursery, “big box” garden center, or all-purpose online plant seller offers some native selections, be sure the listing or the label substantiates that the plants are true native species. “In scientific names, cultivars are mentioned within single quotes, as in Juniperus virginiana ‘Taylor’ for Eastern redcedar. But in commercial names (common and scientific), quotes are sometimes missing.”55 Even without quotes, names like Taylor put one on notice. Purchasing true native plants will become easier as customers let sellers know they want the true or straight midwestern native species.
Environmental Reminder
Removing native plants from their natural environments increases their vulnerability. Removal also decreases survival chances for the beneficial insects, including butterflies and specialist bees that depend on the native plants for survival. We urge you to patronize purveyors of native plants, shrubs, and trees (see the Selected Resources section in the bibliography) and to share native plant bounty among friends, relatives, and neighbors.
1
SPRING
THE MIDWEST’S LONG, cold winters inspire dreams of flowering shrubs and trees, musical birds, and colorful butterflies. Serviceberries, cherries and plums, and crab apples and roses are prized by homeowners and landscapers for their fragrance and beauty. In centuries past, Native American foragers esteemed these species for their fruits. They were eaten fresh or dried, in soups and stews, but the most common use was to add them to pemmican, an ancient mixture of pounded dried meat and fat. Archaeologists have discovered the pits from chokecherry, serviceberry, and American plum at prehistoric prairie Indian sites.1 Early explorers, travelers, military expeditions, and settlers also enjoyed eating the wild fruits.
Nature captivated 1830s Illinois pioneer Eliza W. Farnham. “It is always pleasant to resume communication with the world around, when the icy fetters of winter are cast off. . . . The spring of ’37 opened with delicious beauty on the prairie land!” She appreciated “a floral hedge six or eight feet in height” farmers planted. She felt “a thrill of gratitude” toward men she saw planting a tree. “Though set on private property,” a tree “is a public blessing. . . . Its beauty may be seen, its glory appreciated by all. And the rapid growth which the locust, cotton-wood, aspen, and some other species have in the strong soil leaves no excuse for living long in a treeless and birdless home. Oh, I love nature. Living much with nature, makes me wiser, better, purer, and therefore, happier!”2
Walking through the woods in the spring of 1900, naturalist and writer Alice Lounsberry was struck by “the music passing through the tree-tops and quivering in the insects’ wings, and . . . the subtle unfoldings of spring. There is no passing it by; it is one of the spirits of nature that the dullest eye must see and admire. . . . It is then that the knowing ones sigh as with relief and feel grateful that the spring is indeed on its way. The winter has passed.”3
Most home landscapes are dominated by lawn and by Eurasian ornamentals, some of which Lounsberry identified as they were becoming popular. Most “native” plants are cultivars (nativars) of a native.4 Gardeners occasionally remember once-abundant birds, butterflies, and fireflies, but rarely connect their declines to plant choices and landscaping practices that ignore
