Nature News from Daily News-Record – Page 4

Jolly For Holly At Christmastime

©Marlene Condon

December 5, 2020

120520_dnr_Holly — Hollies tend to be slow growing, but they do bloom while small so you don’t need to wait a long time for them to provide food for the birds. Marlene A. Condon

December brings the official beginning of winter and Christmas, a statement that can be linked to holly plants. At Christmastime and throughout the winter season, you are quite apt to see holly branches — either on woodland or yard plants, or as holiday decorations.

Most of us recognize holly because of its widespread use for wreaths, greeting cards and other decorations during the Christmas season, a tradition that was begun in England and brought to America by English settlers. However, holly has been used since ancient times to signify many different things to many different peoples, undoubtedly in part because the leaves of evergreen hollies do not wither when they are cut from the plant. Fortunately, the red berries that these hollies make also last a long time, providing wildlife with food when other kinds of berries have long since disappeared.

The use of holly berries by birds became quite apparent to me in 1993 when my mother was ill. When she lost the ability to walk, the doctor said her only hope of getting back on her feet was to spend a few weeks in a nursing home where physical therapists could work with her every day.

It just so happened that there was a big holly right outside my mother’s room where I could see it through the window. A blizzard had dumped 14 inches of snow on the ground, covering all the short plants that might have held seeds for the birds. The holly, however, was tall and loaded with red berries. It very quickly became a popular eatery. I watched as a male and female Northern Cardinal eagerly consumed the fruit, alongside several House Finches, House Sparrows, and American Robins.

Other resident birds (those that remain in our area all the year-round) that eat holly berries are Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Towhee, Mourning Dove, Northern Bobwhite Quail, Ruffed Grouse, Northern Mockingbird, Pileated Woodpecker, and Wild Turkey. Winter birds (those that come south to Virginia for the coldest months of the year) that will also partake of this fruit are Cedar Waxwing, Hermit Thrush, White-throated Sparrow, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Birds that return from farther south in the spring to nest in Virginia, such as Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird and White-eyed Vireo, willingly eat any holly fruit that has been overlooked by the birds that have been here throughout the winter.

So, if you want to feed birds as well as decorate your home for the holidays, a holly is a great plant to grow in your yard. However, be aware that you need to have a male and a female holly in order to get fruit.

When you have hollies in your yard, it can give you attractive decorations not only in December, but all the way to spring — if you enjoy the vision of beautiful birds eating beautiful berries in a dark green shrub or tree. You might think of holly as a plant that extends the holiday season. I hope yours is a great one.

A Thanksgiving Bounty For Cedar Waxwings

©Marlene Condon

November 7, 2020

110720_dnr_CondonWaxwings — On chilly mornings, it’s not uncommon to see flocks of Cedar Waxwings high in trees where they can enjoy the warmth of morning sunshine. Courtesy Of Marlene A. Condon

One Thanksgiving week I happened to visit a place of business landscaped with many Bradford Pear trees (Pyrus calleryana). I was astonished to see that the trees were not only loaded with fruit, they were also loaded with Cedar Waxwings, birds that migrate from more northern states to winter in Virginia or areas farther south. (Some of these beautiful birds do nest in the higher elevations of Virginia, but most nest from southeast Alaska across Canada and into the northern United States.)

Although a Bradford Pear is very much a pear tree, related to the Common Pear (Pyrus communis) that provides us with large sweet edible fruits, the Bradford Pear only makes little fruits that are comparable in size to those of many crabapple trees.

The first time I ever saw Cedar Waxwings (they winter in flocks), I was looking out my kitchen window at, appropriately enough, a big Virginia Cedar (Juniperus virgianiana) that was covered with blue, berry-type fruits. I could not help but smile to myself that my very first view of these birds should be in a cedar tree, just as you might expect given their common name.

However, I realized that while the species name for this bird is indeed cedrorum, from the Latin meaning “of cedars” and does indeed result from this bird’s fondness for the blue fruits of the Virginia Cedar, our cedar is a juniper and not a true cedar. The true cedars are of the genus “Cedrus” and there are no naturally occurring representatives in North America. True cedars are found in the western Himalayas and in the Mediterranean.

The genus name of the Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla, comes from a combined Latin and Greek word meaning “silky-tailed”, referring to the soft, silky-looking plumage (feathers). These birds are called “waxwings” because they have bright-red, hard, wax-like tips on some of their wing feathers that may help with mate selection. This waxy material is unique to the two species of waxwings in the United States and a third species that is subarctic.

Waxwings are lovely birds to see, so a good way to attract them is to grow the kinds of fruits that they eat while spending the fall, winter, and part of the spring in our area. Besides the Virginia Cedar and Bradford Pear fruits, Cedar Waxwings will also consume the fruits of American Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana), Pyracantha, American Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum), American Holly (Ilex opaca), and Inkberry (Ilex Glabra).

Although the Cedar Waxwing gleans insects from leaf surfaces and catches insects in the air like a flycatcher during the warmer months, it eats nearly all fruits in fall and winter. If you plant some of the fruiting trees and shrubs mentioned above, next Thanksgiving you might be thankful not only for your own nice meal, but also for a wonderful view of Cedar Waxwings outside your home consuming the bounty you have provided. That would be a wonderful treat for you and the waxwings, surely a happy Thanksgiving for all!

Proper Water Garden Maintenance

©Marlene Condon

October 3, 2020

Dragonflies, such as this female Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa), mate at ponds and leave behind fertilized eggs from which aquatic larvae hatch. Help these young insects survive winter by keeping most of the muck at the bottom of your pond. Courtesy of Marlene A. Condon

If you have a water garden situated at ground level, you’ve undoubtedly created a home for a variety of wildlife. Therefore, it’s not a good idea to thoroughly remove the water to get all the muck out from the bottom of your pond every fall, as advised by most books and garden centers. Water insects (such as dragonfly larvae and water striders), frogs (adults and tadpoles), and salamanders (such as Red-spotted Newts) require this organic substance that builds up over the course of the year in order to safely hibernate out of sight of predators.

Instead, reach down into the pond with a plastic measuring cup to scoop out just a bit of it each year. (Be sure to wear gloves, such as those made for doing dishes). This material is extremely fine so bring the cup back to the surface as slowly as you can to avoid clouding the water. It’s easier to see what you are doing if the water remains clear. Your goal is to keep the pond no more than about half-full of muck.

Although dead animals and decaying plants or plant parts (such as leaves) can deplete the water of oxygen and cause a change in the pH, you don’t need to find every single bit of plant debris. Take the big pieces that are easy to net or grab with your hands and forget about anything smaller; it serves as food for numerous organisms (such as aquatic worms and snails) that transform it into the muck that benefits so many kinds of critters.

Always place the objects taken from the pond into a basin (I use an old dishpan) so you can check for animals before bringing it to your compost pile. (If you wear reading glasses, you may need them for this task). I carefully check everything (such as leaves and twigs) as I grab them from the dishpan one by one to place around shrubs to decay. If creatures are clinging to the plant debris, I can return them to the pond. Some critters follow the water from the draining plant matter to the bottom of the dishpan. I pour them back into the pond after I’ve taken out all the leaves, twigs, etc.

If your pond has attracted wild animals that have made it their home, you undoubtedly have achieved a balanced ecosystem that can function effectively practically on its own, just as natural ponds must do.

Sadly, in our modern world, wetlands — large and small, permanent and temporary — are often treated as nuisance or undesirable areas. They are drained, filled in, or otherwise destroyed, leaving aquatic animals high and dry. Salamanders and frogs that need these habitats to survive are either killed or forced to locate to another wet area, but this is increasingly difficult for them to do. Our wildlife is losing ground, literally, but gardeners can help by making their artificial ponds welcoming all the year round to our wild critters.

Be proud of your oasis for wildlife!

Help Wildlife: Don’t Tidy Up the Garden!

©Marlene Condon

September 5, 2020

Condon Nest — A Carolina Wren’s nest is constructed from moss and the dried leaves, pine needles and plant stems it finds from the previous year’s growing season. Marlene A. Condon

Come fall, most gardeners clean up the garden and put it “to bed.” But if you care about our natural world, you should consider leaving it alone. Numerous kinds of wildlife are getting ready for winter, and a hands-off attitude in autumn will benefit them. They will repay you next year when you begin a new gardening season.

The falling leaves that pile up along your garden fence create a haven where Gray Treefrogs and Spring Peepers can hibernate. Next spring, as temperatures rise and these amphibians awaken, they will climb up into your trees and shrubs to feed upon insects and spiders, and thus limit their numbers to a level that your plants can support without incurring serious harm.

Some species of spiders and insects take refuge within your dying and drying garden plants to try to survive the winter in an inactive adult state. Other species will soon perish, leaving behind eggs, larvae, or pupae on or within plants to carry on the line — if they survive the searching eyes of numerous predators still active in cold weather.

Watch your garden throughout the winter and you will see birds, such as Downy Woodpeckers and Carolina Chickadees, clinging to and poking your brown plants. They are looking for the insects and spiders, in whatever form, that provide our avian creatures with the fat and protein they require to survive this harshest time of the year.

If there are plants and food aplenty during the winter, birds that are permanent residents of the area may build nests next spring in your yard. As winter comes to an end, you simply need to cut up the old plant stalks a bit and let them lie where they fall. Many kinds of birds (for example, Carolina Wrens) use these old stems, along with those dried leaves that sheltered the treefrogs, to construct their nests and cannot reproduce without them.

The dried plant material that the birds don’t take will be recycled into the soil for the benefit of your growing plants. As snails and slugs become active, they will be delighted to find their favorite food (decaying plant and animal matter) waiting for them to feed upon. When these unusual organisms are provided with such a fine smorgasbord, they don’t bother your growing plants. Instead, they help to fertilize them—which is exactly what their function in your garden is supposed to be.

A nature-friendly garden saves you money, time, and effort because you don’t interfere with Mother Nature’s system of checks and balances that exists to keep the environment functioning properly. You won’t need pesticides that harm nontarget species, or sicken or kill animals that feed upon pesticided critters and get poisoned themselves. Amphibians, such as salamanders and toads, are especially prone to herbicide poisoning because of their absorbent skin.

To enjoy the lovely songs and beauty of birds, the sights and sounds of numerous kinds of wildlife, and a calmer and thus more satisfying manner of gardening, relax this fall!

My Very Own Loch Ness ‘Monster’

©Marlene Condon

August 1, 2020

ARTICLE PIC-08012020 -YOUNG WATER SNAKE adj-IMG_7202 — A young Northern Water Snake in the author’s driveway makes gravel look huge by comparison.
Marlene A. Condon

I’ve had my very own “Loch Ness monster,” or at least that was how I felt about a little snake that appeared one summer in my small pond. The fabled monster of the famous lake in Scotland is typically described as being serpent-like, appearing above the surface of the water only briefly. My first glimpse of the snake in my pond was certainly brief, allowing me just enough time to notice the splotches on its body as it dove underwater.

Every day thereafter I snuck up to the pond, hoping to get a better view of the snake so I could positively identify it. One day I was standing by the pond making notes about what was happening all around and in it. A dragonfly and damselfly were catching insects nearby, and a white waterlily blossom dwarfed the blooms of Anacharis, an underwater plant that makes me think of ocean seaweed. I noticed two tiny dark fish in the water and was thrilled to know that my goldfish had reproduced.

Suddenly, a head appeared above the Anacharis. It was the head of the little serpent and it looked so mysterious that I could not help but think of the Loch Ness story I’d first heard in my childhood. I got a photograph and discovered a juvenile Northern Water Snake was making itself at home in my pond!

My new snake (it was a first-ever sighting in my yard of this species) was about eight inches long. Books report that Northern Water Snakes are about this long when they are born (alive in litters of about eight to 50), usually in late summer. However, this individual had shown up in June.

Although water snakes are said to have “bad tempers,” my little snake exhibited cautiousness instead of nastiness. It eventually even recognized that I did not seem to have any desire to harm it because over the course of time, it got bolder and stayed put in my company. More likely these snakes are of bad temperament when humans are trying to catch them, and who could blame them for doing anything necessary to get away?

Contrary to rumor, Northern Water Snakes aren’t venomous, nor do they deplete fish populations. I can certainly attest to this last statement. Fall came and I still had plenty of goldfish, Eastern Newts, dragonfly and damselfly larvae, water striders, frogs, and many other life forms in the pond. Of course, the young snake did eat some of the critters in my pond, but it was helping to limit overpopulations of them, including my colorful non-native fish.

The young snake disappeared after spending a second summer and fall with me. Perhaps it outgrew my little pond and had to move on. I imagine most people would be just as glad if a resident snake did not reappear at winter’s end, but I was saddened. That little snake had rewarded me with much new knowledge, and I was sorry my learning opportunity had come to a close.

Now Showing: Firefly Fireworks!

©Marlene Condon

July 3, 2020

If you look carefully at the leaves of plants during the day, you can often find a firefly resting there as it waits for dusk to become active. Courtesy of Marlene A. Condon

Now is a special time of year to sit outside as evening falls. If you’ve provided good firefly habitat, you may get to see several species of fireflies, one of which creates a wondrous display reminiscent of fireworks!

Numerous male fireflies — all making their tiny flashes of light — rise from plants at the same time, just like fireworks ascending into the night sky. It’s an enchanting experience for adults and children alike to watch these critters make light, especially because most animals are unable to replicate this feat. Even firefly eggs emit the curious glow.

Some folks know these insects as “lightning bugs,” while others call them “fireflies.” But these animals are not classified as either “true bugs” or “flies,” but rather as “beetles.” They are distantly related to ladybeetles/ladybugs.

All those little flashes of light are a sort of Morse code that males use to find females. Signals range from a simple single flash of light repeated at regular intervals to more complicated groups of flashes that vary in brightness and speed.

Male fireflies start looking for mates shortly after sunset. The females wait on leaves or grass stems and watch the show. When a female sees a familiar flashing that identifies a potential mate, she waits a few seconds before shining her own light.

The length of this pause seems to be the distinguishing factor between species. A male can determine whether he has found an appropriate mate by whether her “answer” comes too soon, too late, or at just the right moment!

When a male firefly does find a female of the same species, he flies towards her while repeating his light signals over and over. The female repeats her light signals until the male reaches her side, and they mate quickly. The male then flies off to find another partner.

The fertilized female lays her eggs five or six days later when they have fully developed. After darkness falls, she finds vegetation, such as moss, that tends to stay moist, not wet. The eggs will be concealed, and the right amount of dampness will keep them from either drying out or rotting.

TIP: If you enjoy seeing fireflies, don’t get rid of the moss in your yard. It serves as your firefly incubation area.

After about a month, the immature fireflies bite their way out of their tough eggshells. They spend their time among leaf litter and soil, hunting for soft-bodied animals, such as worms, slugs, and snails, to eat.

A firefly larva can seize a snail’s soft body with its sharp jaws and hold on even as the snail withdraws into its shell. It injects the snail with digestive juices that dissolve its body so the larva can suck out the softened tissue.

Firefly larvae hibernate for winter, changing into the adult form underground.

They emerge the following spring to reward us with many nights of light shows, especially if we’ve kept moss in the yard. Be sure to make time to enjoy the show!

June Brings June Beetles

©Marlene Condon

June 13, 2020

A June beetle (also commonly known as a June bug) tries to be inconspicuous by remaining on the underside of a leaf of white vervain (Verbena urticifoliain) in the author’s yard. Courtesy of Marlene A. Condon

I truly enjoy seeing insects that are gayly colored. One such insect is the June beetle species, Cotinis nitida, that typically comes out in — you guessed it — June.

However, its exact emergence date depends upon how cold or warm the spring has been. Warmer temps bring about an earlier emergence while colder ones delay it.

The upper side of the adult is usually emerald green with a ring of orange encircling it, making this beetle easy to identify. Many folks know it as a June bug, but the scientific grouping of “bugs” has different physical characteristics.

If you’re observant, you may notice the June beetle looks similar in form to the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), and indeed, they are related. Both species belong to the same Family: the scarabs. You may think of Japanese beetles as “pests,” and online, it seems every entomologist includes the June beetle in that same unbecoming category. But there are no “pests;” there are just people living out of sync with the natural world.

In a nature-friendly garden, your natural system of checks and balances is in place to limit the numbers of insects and other kinds of organisms. Without that natural system, populations become unsustainable, forcing gardeners to poison their world with pesticides that kill numerous other critters along with the ones they’re wanting to kill.

If you wish to be able to enjoy the beauty of these insects (the Japanese beetle is truly a thing of beauty) instead of fretting over their presence, then consider making changes in your landscape. The main step is to limit the amount of lawn you grow. The larvae of these insects, known as grubs, feed upon grass roots.

Obviously then, the more lawn you grow, the more grubs you produce. People often turn to milky spore disease, a microbial agent that might limit populations after a few years. But because it is nonselective and thus kills native grubs that are unlikely to be overly numerous (you shouldn’t object to supporting a limited number of native organisms that are necessary for the environment to function properly), it’s not your best choice.

A better choice is to allow natural predators to control populations. Moles in your lawn advise you of the grubs’ presence and tell you not to worry because they’re making sure there won’t be too many grubs. I know, you don’t like tunnels in the lawn, but the moles will move on as soon as they’ve eaten so many grubs that it becomes inefficient for them to find the food they need. You can simply squish the tunnels back down with your feet, with no harm done to your lawn.

Additionally, moles don’t charge you for aeration services. Yes, their tunnels naturally aerate the soil so plant roots of all kinds, including those of your grass, can get the oxygen they need, as well as water from rain.

Don’t dislike moles. For just a bit of tolerance on your part, they will take good care of you!

The Wildly Popular Tulip Poplar

May 2, 2020

Tulip Poplar flowers are huge and showy, but perhaps more importantly, they feed a large variety of wildlife. Courtesy of Marlene A. Condon

In the southeastern United States, we’re fortunate to have the Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) growing extensively in our midst. (Although also known as Yellow or Tulip Poplar, it’s a member of the Magnolia, rather than Poplar, Family.) The shape of its leaves and flowers makes us think of tulips, hence the origin of its most common name.

Horticulturists mostly recommend Tulip Poplar for folks with a large yard where it can provide shade during hot summer months. The horticultural industry includes it under their “flowering tree” category, but its showy flowers can only be seen well on lower branches. Perhaps more importantly, Tulip Poplar is a superb wildlife tree!

You might notice that Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive in April only to disappear in May. Many birdwatchers think the hummers they see at their feeders in early spring must leave to continue their migration northward, but that is not necessarily correct.The tiny birds are hanging out in blooming Tulip Poplar trees! The huge blooms provide an abundance of sweet nectar that the hummers apparently relish. Indeed, they most likely will not return to your feeder until the Tulip Trees have finished blooming.

If you use binoculars to look up high into these big trees, you’ll be able to see not only hummingbirds zipping around the blooms, but also numerous insects attracted to the nectar. Humans enjoy honey produced from this same nectar, which is much darker in color (due to its mineral content) than the honey sold year-around in local supermarkets. Its deep-amber color tells you the flavor is more robust, which is why it’s used mostly in baking.

Hummingbirds and insects are responsible for pollinating the Tulip Poplar’s flowers, which results in cone-shaped structures composed of samaras. A samara is a dry, one-seeded (in this case) or two-seeded winged fruit surrounded by a fibrous, papery material. When a samara is ripe, it’s dispersed by the wind, twirling around as it falls and garnering it the name of “helicopter”, “whirlybird”, “whirligig”, and “spinning jenny”.

FUN NOTE: Samaras were studied to aid in the design of helicopters. Throw one into the air and you can readily see why!

Gray Squirrels and other small mammals, as well as many species of birds, such as Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, and Northern Cardinal, readily eat these seeds that become easily accessible on the ground in late fall to early winter. Deer Mice have cached poplar seeds in my birdhouses.

I know when the seeds are ready to be eaten because they start to show up in modest numbers on my deck, in the yard, and on the driveway. Following a windy day or night, I’ll find seeds by the hundreds or perhaps even thousands.

You’re very likely to find row upon row of old Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sap wells on the trunks of big Tulip Poplars. Sapsuckers, birds that winter in our area, survive in large part thanks to these magnificent trees. Their age makes abundantly clear that sapsucker wells do no harm to woody plants.

April Showers Bring May Flowers (Not ‘Weeds’)

April 4, 2020

Dried Broomsedge, a grass much used by many kinds of wildlife, glows in the early-morning light. Courtesy of Marlene A. Condon

As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. Sadly, many of the plants that show up in spring are viewed as “weeds,” a word suggesting “pestiferous” and/or “useless.” But these native and naturalized plants are either necessary food plants for some kinds of organisms, such as butterflies, or helpful to wildlife in other ways, such as by providing nesting material.

One of the best ways you can help wildlife, as well as learn the names of some of our wildflowers, is to clear a small area (a few square feet) of ground and just leave it be. Plants will soon appear, and identifying them is a fun and interesting project. Children could learn a lot from this activity, too.

If you are lucky, some of the seedlings will become lovely wildflowers you will be delighted to get for free! But don’t despair about plants that aren’t beauties. All native plants are used by wildlife of some sort, and if everyone grows only the prettiest, many animals will be shortchanged.

Consider Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), a type of grass that you can see growing in the nutrient-deficient and/or compacted soil of cow fields, roadsides, and other disturbed spots. To most folks, this course plant probably seems ugly.

However, it’s a valuable host plant to 11 species of native caterpillars, such as Zebulon Skippers. And although cows don’t like to eat Broomsedge, Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows that visit Virginia from farther north readily take the seeds of this grass in late fall and winter.I allow Broomsedge to grow in areas of poor soil in my yard. In addition to getting to see various butterflies because of its presence, I can also enjoy its golden winter color which brightens the mostly brown landscape of dried plants.

Another common plant that may appear in your natural wildflower garden is the Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis). Its bright-yellow blooms open in early evening on summer days, just as its name suggests. They are a magnet for sphinx moths of various kinds, which show up before it’s completely dark to feed on nectar. Evening Primrose seeds feed American Goldfinches throughout the winter, but you must be sure to leave these plants standing. Cleaning up the garden is highly detrimental to wildlife.

Tree seedlings may come up in your bare plot of ground. If you want to make use of them in your landscape, you can transplant them easily when they are small to more favorable locations. I’ve moved Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)—its flowers feed pollinators—to several locations around my yard.

“Weeds” may come up in your lawn area, too, but you should resist removing them. White Clover (Trifolium repens) and the Common Violet (Viola papilionacea) are superb wildlife plants. Clover blooms feed many insect species, while its leaves feed the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit. Violets put on a nice display and are the food plant of several species of fritillary butterflies.

So, remember: When helping wildlife, don’t base your decisions upon beauty alone!

A Green Plant For St. Patrick’s Day: Virginia Cedar

March 7, 2020

The caterpillar food plant of the Juniper Hairstreak Butterfly (seen here on Shasta Daisy) is Virginia Cedar, more accurately called Virginia Juniper. Marlene A. Condon

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up and the color of green appearing all around the area in honor of this holiday, I’d like to share information about a wonderful wildlife plant that is green all the year around — the very common Virginia Cedar. Also known as Red Cedar, Eastern Red Cedar, Juniper, Red Juniper, and Virginian Juniper, this plant is best looked up in books by its scientific name: Juniperus virginiana.

Its thick growth provides shelter in wet and cold weather for roosting birds, such as Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows that travel south to spend the winter in our area. Virginia Cedar also furnishes nest sites for such common suburban birds as Northern Mockingbirds, American Robins, and Song Sparrows. Virginia Opossums, Black Bears, and many species of song and game birds love its fruit.

The ripe fruit of Virginia Cedar is berry-like and blue-black with a grayish waxy bloom (a delicate coating on some fruits, such as blueberries), but this fruit is technically a cone—tipping you off to the fact that the Virginia Cedar is a conifer (which means cone-bearing). Cones have many overlapping scales that are normally woody, but in junipers, the scales are fleshy and have coalesced or fused together, causing the cone to resemble a berry.

These trees are dependent upon the wind for pollination. Pollen produced by male cones is blown to female cones in which seeds develop. Thus, if you want to grow fruit-bearing cedar trees, you need to have at least one male and one female. Please note, however, cedars are an alternate host for Cedar-Apple Rust (a fungus). If you grow apple trees, you might not want to have cedars near them.

Each fertilized cone contains two seeds that are consumed when animals eat it. The seeds pass through the digestive tract unharmed and produce seedlings in new locations.

One animal that was named for its conspicuous consumption of these cones is the Cedar Waxwing. Appropriately enough, the very first time I ever saw Cedar Waxwings, they were eating berries in a Virginia Cedar tree outside my kitchen window!

Another animal that depends upon cedars is the Juniper Hairstreak. Its caterpillar feeds upon our Virginia Cedar, making this evergreen tree vital to the perpetuation of this species of butterfly.

Because our Virginia Cedar is so common, many folks consider it a “trash tree”. Farmers dislike this plant because it perpetually tries to “invade” their cow fields, but this occurs because cedar is a colonizer.

After half-ton cows have been walking over an area for many years, you can imagine how much they’ve condensed the earth beneath their hooves! Cedars and other colonizers, such as Broomsedge, can grow in such compacted soil and/or nutrient-poor areas to revitalize it for later use by plants with more-demanding growing requirements.

Perhaps if you have thought that this tree was nothing more than a “weed”, you will now think more highly of it. Virginia Cedar is a great tree for both our wildlife and our environment.