April Showers Bring May Flowers (Not ‘Weeds’)

©Marlene Condon

April 4, 2020

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!