Choose native shrubs for year-round splendor
Gardeners purchase native trees and shrubs because of their contributions to sustaining pollinators and wildlife. In the spring and summer, native shrubs burst with blooms laden with pollen and nectar to feed bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. These blooms evolve into seeds that provide sustenance for birds and wildlife. In the autumn season, native shrubs and trees reward gardeners a colorful display of foliage that lasts until early winter. Understanding the characteristics of native shrubbery allows gardeners to supplement their landscape with interesting foliage color and texture, bark, berries and structure.
When adding native shrubs and trees for autumn interest, set a goal for the desired change in landscape. Are shrubs added to provide a natural fencing, or is one tree needed as a focal point? What colors are you interested in adding to the landscape? Photograph the existing landscape where you want to add plants and take the photographs with you to the garden center or nursery. Measure the size of the area, and take note of the color, size and shape of existing plants. Decide upon shrubs and trees based on not only their visual appeal, but their suitability for the landscape in terms of sunlight, soil composition and growth rate and size.
Visit local nurseries, taking note of the size, shape and color of appealing native shrubs and trees. Compare their stock with your landscape photographs and choose plants that will contrast or complement your existing landscape. Make your selections, and plant the shrubs and trees according to the recommended depth and width.There are many native trees and shrubs that add visual interest based on their leaf color. For example, the sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboretum) offers vibrant burgundy and red leaves, while the leaves of summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) turn a bright yellow. In the summer, both of these specimens are an important source of nectar for honeybees and native bees.Berries are prominent features of autumn too. The tiny clumps of white flowers on the native beautyberry (Callicarpa) become bright purple in the fall, standing out against pale green or yellow foliage. These berries, like the red berries of the winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), remain on their stems after the leaves fall away.Bark adds texture to the landscape. The peeling bark of river birch (Betula nigra) is a light cinnamon color and has a striking appearance against its yellow leaves. This birch grows in clumps or three or four main trunks. Another native tree, the seven son flower (Heptacodium miconiodes) has peeling gray and tan-colored bark. The seven son flower's white blooms, sought after by honeybees in the summer months, turn into reddish seed capsules in the autumn.According to the Penn State Extension, there are 133 species and subspecies of trees native to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's native trees and shrubs have not disappointed us this autumn season with their dazzling display of foliage color continuing into November. Gardeners can add native trees and shrubs to their own landscape to appreciate nature's gifts through all seasons.Penn State Extension offers a free webinar on choosing and planting native trees and shrubs. Visit https://extension.psu.edu/extension-at-home-outdoors-selecting-and-planting-native-trees-and-shrubs to watch the webinar.If you have questions about native trees and shrubs, call the Master Gardener Garden Hotline at 724-287-4761, Ext. 7 or email the Master Gardeners at butlermg@psu.edu.<i>Lisa Marie Bernardo, Ph.D., RN, is a Penn State Master Gardener of Butler County.</i>
