Wildlife-friendly trees offer varying silhouettes and year-round appeal.
1 Norway spruce
PICEA ABIES, ZONES 3 TO 8 This well-known spruce has a pyramidal shape with shiny dark green foliage. It prefers full sun and moist soil, but it does tolerate most garden soils. The aptly named weeping variety adds a rustic, organic element when draped over fences or walls, or when grown in a rock garden.
Why we love it:
For years, Norway spruce has been a favorite tree for large landscapes. But now many dwarf varieties are available, and they’re perfect for smaller-scale home gardens.
2 Common juniper
JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS,
ZONES 2 TO 6
If you’re in the market for a small-space evergreen, look no further than the dwarf varieties of common juniper. They need full sun, adjust to poor soil and require minimal maintenance once they are established. Some members of this species max out around 15 feet high.
Why we love it:
Common juniper serves as a secure roosting and nesting site for many bird species. Fruit-eating fliers like waxwings enjoy the berrylike cones in fall.
3 Bald cypress
TAXODIUM DISTICHUM, ZONES 4 TO 11
You’re likely to find large varieties of this tree (which is deciduous but bears cones) in the swamps of the eastern U.S. It needs full sun and acidic soil to thrive, growing best in moist, deep soil with good drainage. Slow-growing species include Secrest, which reaches just 6 feet.
Why we love it:
If you’ve got a soggy spot that collects water, this moisture-lover is the tree for you.
4 Mugo pine
PINUS MUGO, ZONES 2 TO 7
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Esta historia es de la edición October/November 2018 de Birds & Bloom.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Sense or Nonsense? - Why some birds can taste and smell - but others can't
Does a porcelain berry taste like a blueberry to a gray catbird? Does a block of lard smell like frying bacon to a northern flicker? The short answer is no. While some avian species do have a well-adapted sense of taste or smell, they can't distinguish between flavors and odors the way humans can. They're not picking up every ingredient in the suet you put out, says José Ramírez-Garofalo, an ornithology researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the director of Freshkills Biological Station in Staten Island, New York.
Maple Mania - Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Food-Focused and Fierce - Meet Canada jays and learn why they eat almost anything they can find
Even if you haven't heard of Canada jays, you've heard of their relatives. Members of the corvid family, they belong to the same group as American crows, blackbilled magpies, and jays including blue, Steller's and scrub. "Unlike many of the other jays, a Canada jay doesn't have a crest of any kind; it just has a rounded head," says Dale Gentry, director of conservation for Audubon Upper Mississippi River.In 2018, the Canada jay's name was changed from gray jay, but Dale thinks the former adjective was fitting. "Most of its body is shades of gray with some white," he says. "There are different subspecies that have different physical traits, but most of them have some lighter coloring on their foreheads, upper breasts and throats, each with a darker streak that starts at each eye and goes back."
IN GOOD COMPANY
BIRDS OF A FEATHER MAY FLOCK TOGETHER, but what about other collectives of critters-and what do you call them when they do?
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Distinct sounds help separate these similar species
Embracing the Darkness
From black plants to moody decor, Gothic garden elements can offer a unique outlet to express your dark side
Red-Hot Plants
Scarlet-hued berries add a pop of color to any garden
