If you’re like most well-intentioned gardeners, you probably put a lot of thought into planting the “right” plants to nourish pollinators and other wildlife, with nectar, pollen, seeds and fruits. But have you thought about the habitat of these animals?
In addition to sustenance, beneficial insects and creatures need a safe home where they can rest, hide, reproduce, and pupate.
A crucial area for their life cycles is around the base of the trees.
“We talked about the importance of (native) trees in generating the caterpillars that power the food web,” Doug Tallamy, an entomologist and author of best-selling books like “Nature’s Best Hope” and “Bringing Nature Home,” told me the last time we spoke.
“But those caterpillars fall from the tree and pupate on the ground. And the way we design the landscape under those trees determines whether those caterpillars will survive or not,” he said.
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Giving a “soft landing”
So how do we landscape under our trees? Raise your hand if your grass reaches right up to their trunks.
Instead, Tallamy says, “we want uncompacted areas where we don’t walk, which means (planting) beds around our trees. If you mow the grass or walk under them, you’ll crush all those caterpillars.”
Caterpillars feed birds, which provide pest control services in our gardens by feeding their young thousands of insects each year. They are also a crucial food source for reptiles and spiders. And they themselves devour garden pests such as aphids.
Later in life, they transform into moths and butterflies, becoming important pollinators of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Creating a “soft landing” for them, while also providing habitat for native bees, fireflies, beetles and other beneficial insects, is essential for a healthy ecosystem. And it’s easy to do if you follow two simple steps.
How to do it
For starters, allow the leaves to rest directly under the trees, where they fall. Those caterpillars in the process of transforming into pupae will settle into their natural blanket, and you will save yourself the work of raking.
Then, plant groundcovers and other plants under the canopy of the tree, which is the upper area that extends across the width of the tree from tip to tip of the branches. “Choose plants that will support the food web, those that will share more energy with other living beings”advises Tallamy.
That means opting for ferns, woodland phlox, sedges and other native groundcovers, shrubs and perennials.
Enter your zip code in the native plant search engine. National Wildlife Federation to find out which plants are best suited for your region, based on Tallamy’s research.