Native Plant Performers: Significant and Beautiful AlternativesWoody Species-Shrubs and Trees

Presented by Shawn Jalbert

We have seen the first generation of native plants being introduced into the common market place, mostly as “improved” varietal

forms, including-• Highbush blueberry• Witchazel (Hamamelis)• Multiple Viburnums including witherod and arrowood• Summersweet (Clethra)• Dogwoods (Cornus spp.), including-Flowering dogwood and red osier

dogwood• Red maple (Acer rubrum)• Winterberry (Ilex)• Chokeberry (Aronia)• White pine (Pinus strobus)

This presentation will focus on natives that are not readily available “off-the-shelf”.

• To find them you will have to look a little harder. The best places to find them is at specialty nurseries and native plant organizations.

• The scarcity of these plants in the market place is an opportunity not a deterrent.

A business opportunity exists here-• Consider obtaining these plants as plugs or liners, growing them out, and offering them for sale,

or at least having them available to install in plantings.

• One of the biggest hurdles to integrating these plants into landscaping plans is availability.

• This may be a case of just knowing where to find them, or that they just aren’t being grown.

Some points to ponder during the presentation…….

• When planting we can and need to do so much more then simply plant with the sole purpose of human interest.

• We need to increase the availability of native plants, especially non-varietal material, and uncommon species like the ones we will go over today.

• We have an amazing variety of beautiful native plants growing in our state and region that provides a multitude of ecological services while also being pleasing to the eye.

• This presentation is meant to show case many of the lesser known native plants we should be seeing in our designed landscapes.

• To get us thinking about the many opportunities we have when designing our landscapes- creating habitat, providing food for wildlife, pollinator stations, erosion control, and soil enrichment.

• Wean us off using non-native species and potentially invasive species, like the ones recently outlawed by the State of Maine.

• We need to start rethinking our current resource intensive, high maintenance, disruptive (i.e. damaging), landscapes that we are installing.

• Many of our native plants have special adaptations that allow them to thrive in difficult areas-poor soils, wet soils, salt spray.

• Instead of heavily modifying soil conditions and inputting large amounts of water and nutrients, lets just put the right plant in the right place, using a native.

• After seeing the amazing plants we have growing in this area it will be hard to believe we have not paid more attention to them in the past.

Some points to ponder during the presentation…….

Acer pensylvanicum, Moosewood

Striking bark coloration is moosewood’s most defining feature. The smooth green

bark is accentuated in infinitely variable patterns of white and blackish colored

stripes.Some individuals show

relatively no markings while others , like the ones here,

are quite spectacular.

Stays shrub like but in some areas can grow up to six

inches in diameter.

Acer pensylvanicum, Moosewood

Moosewood in flower; unlike the large maples

such as silver and red maple which are wind pollinated, moosewood is appears to

be largely insect pollinated.

Moosewood is an obligate shade plant, growing under

the canopy of other deciduous trees and sometimes conifers.

Moosewood is more flexible when it comes to soil conditions, where it can be found growing in

moist to dry soils.

Amelanchier spicata, Running shadbush

Many flowers yield many berries a month or so later feeding flocks of

hungry birds.

Berries are sweet and palatable to humans too; tasting a little like

blueberries. A closely related western species called saskatoon (Amelanchier

alnifolia), is grown commercially for its berries.

Feeding marks on leaves underscores importance to supporting all stages of

native insects, critical to the ecological web.

Amelanchier spicta, Running shadbush

Densely covered with flowers, running

shadbush attracts pollinators by the

hundreds.

This shadbush is unique in that it suckers

profusely and spreads horizontally, not vertically

like other shadbushes.

One of the best choices for making native hedges.

Carpinus caroliniana, Muscle wood

Muscle wood gets its named from its furrowed rippling growth habit.

Unlike many species, it is not especially adaptable to drier up land areas. Best suited

for consistently moist soils in the shade.

In the wild it is always an understory tree along streams, in flood plains, and swamps.

Cephalanthus occidentalis, Buttonbush

Despite its preference for wet areas in the wild, it grows well in upland gardens as long that there is plenty

of organic matter in the soil.

Buttonbush attracts a diverse number of pollinators.

Buttonbush grows in forested wetlands and in shady areas beside

ponds and rivers.

Comptonia peregrina, Sweetfern

An early pioneering plant of disturbed sites, sweetferngrows in the most sterile of soils like roadsides and in gravel pits. Nitrogen fixing bacteria in its roots helps enrich the soil.

The leaves look a little like fern leaves and have a very distinctive minty

sweet smell when crushed.

Sweetfern sends runners

underground and rapidly colonizes

areas.

Excellent plant for stabilization of

hillsides and erosion control.

Seeds are exceptionally long

lived in the soil bank.

Corylus americana, American hazlenut

Husk like bracts contain tasty nuts relished by all manner of animals.

American hazelnut grows in open habitats with access to full sun.

Tolerates a wide range of upland soils as long as they are well

drained.

Corylus cornuta, Beaked hazlenut

Closely related to American hazelnut, but different in a number of significant ways.

Beaked hazelnut can only tolerate partial sun, and in fact, is quite happy in the extensively shaded understory of a

deciduous forest.

Husks surrounding nuts look like elongated beaks and are covered with

fine, minute, sharp bristles .

Nuts are often consumed before they are fully ripened by animals, especially

squirrels.

Dirca palustris, LeatherwoodAn uncommon and reclusive shrub

found growing in the shade of hardwood forests.

Slow growing specimen shrub for the shade garden; will take glances of sun

in cultivation.

Native peoples used bark for making footwear; it pulls off in long strips and

is tough but pliable like leather.

Seeds form under leaves, they never turn color to indicate ripeness. Maturation is indicated by ease at which they pull off from plant or when they simply drop to the ground, getting lost in the leaf litter.

Lindera benzoin, SpicebushBrilliant clusters of yellow flowers form in April illuminating an otherwise still dreary landscape.

Flowers will remain on branches through the month of May, albeit not as bright.

Brilliant yellow foliage in Autumn

Good substitute in place of Burning bush for many planting

areas.

Lindera benzoin, Spicebush

Spicebush can grow up to 10 feet tall.

Understory shrub growing in forested wetlands and

pocket swamps.

Does well in upland cultivation but typically

grows a bit shorter.

Bright red fruit ripens in September and is rapidly

consumed by birds.

Fruit and leaves have a distinctive aromatic, spicy

scent when crushed.

Ilex mucronata, Mountain Holly Deciduous holly found in

scrub shrub wetlands, at all elevations, not just the

mountains.

Like many other wetland plants, it is adaptable to upland cultivation, but

maintains a shorter height.

Leaves are an outstanding bluish green color.

Berries are a luscious red with a velvet sheen,

reminiscent of Christmas ornaments.

Ilex mucronata, Mountain Holly

Typical form of a mature Mountain holly showing its multi-stem habit.

Outstanding bark coloration and patterns that look like black and white camouflage gives this species

all season appeal.

Juniperus communis, Common juniper

Hardy ground cover well suited to growing in poor

dry soils.

Tolerant of salt spray and punishing conditions found

on the coast.

Root system is a stabilizing force in erosion prone areas.

Juniper berries important food source for a variety of animals

Unlike most junipers it can tolerate some shade.

Juniperus virginiana, Red cedar

Red cedar can take the form of a shrub or tree; same species, just different growth forms.

Like most junipers it is hardy and drought tolerant; it thrives right on the edge of the coast.

“Berries” are an important food source for wildlife

Nyssa sylvatica, Black Tupelo

The zig zagging arthritic silhouette of a mature Black tupelo is unmistakable as it towers above its

wetland habitat.

Deeply furrowed bark forms on one side of the tree when mature. Old

timers claim buttons and other useful items were

carved from these segments of bark, hence

the tree’s colloquial name of Button bark.

Nyssa sylvatica, Black Tupelo

Brilliant red foliage lights the tree on fire in the

fall.

With color like this there is no excuse for planting

Norway maple for fall color.

Most often found growing in wetlands in

the wild, but grows happily in upland areas.

Fruit matures in the late summer-early fall and is relished by wildlife

Pinus rigida, Pitch pinePitch pine can grow in a variety of

demanding and variable habitats-bone dry excessively drained Pitch Pine Woodlands, water saturated Pitch Pine Bogs, and salty

Pitch Pine Dune Woodlands.

Pitch pine is the larval host for a number of rare moths sporting really cool names –pine barrens itame, pine

pinion, oblique zale, and the pine devil moth.

Pine devil moth

Oblique zale moth

Pinus rigida, Pitch pine

Pine needles grow in groups of 3.

Slender spines are found at the end of the pine cone scales

Quercus ilicifolia, Scrub oak

Medium growing shrub that bears large numbers of

acorns.

Grows in poor, excessively, drained sandy soils, which makes this species suitable

for xeriscaping.

Often found growing in Pitch Pine barrens where it is the dominant component

of the shrub layer.

Rhododendron canadense, Rhodora

Spectacular orchid-like flowers come out in early Spring before

leaves emerge.

Grows in wetlands in the wild; full to part sun; probably our most common native rhododendron.

Usually reaches no more then 3 feet in height.

Used to create the ‘Orchid Lights’ hybrid, part of the Northern Lights

series.

Rhododendron maximum, Great rosebayGreat rosebay is a large

growing species attaining heights in excess of 12 feet

tall and capable of spreading over multiple

acres.

Although native to Maine, Great rosebay is very rare in

Maine, where its at the northern most edge of its

range.

In the south Great rosebay forms large impenetrable

patches appropriately referred to as

“rhododendron hells.”

Rhododendron maximum, Great rosebay

Intensity of floral displays peak every 3-4 years. This can be reduced if old

flower stems are removed.

Flowers attract large bumblebee species in particular.

The orange pigmented areas on the top part of the flowers are called

nectar guides. They are particularly bright in the ultra violet portion of the

light spectrum, visible to bees.

Often found growing on the edges of wetlands and forested swamps.

Rhododendron prinophyllum, Early azaleaAnother rare rhododendron species in Maine,

found in only the southern most counties.More common further south.

Found on wooded slopes and ravines; along swamps and streams.; needs to be in the shade.

Flowers have a distinctive, clove-like fragrance.Said to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Early azalea was used to create the Northern Lights hybrid line produced by the University of

Minnesota .

Well suited to the garden environment; thrives in organic rich, well drained soils;

appreciates a well maintained layer of mulch.

Rhododendron viscosum, Clammy azaleaClammy azalea is native to Maine but is very

rare here being at the northern end of its range. It is more common the further south

you move down the eastern seaboard.

Found growing along swamps and lake shores in the wild; tolerant of soggy poor draining

soils.

Clammy azalea gets its name from the sticky glands that cover the flowers.

Prolific white flowers bloom in June or July, well after many other azaleas.

Does best in acidic soils; spreads by means of adventitious roots, forming colonies.

Rubus odoratus, Purple flowering raspberryPurple flowering raspberry is unique among raspberries because they are

thorn-less. Piercing thorns are replaced by sticky glands covering stems and

leaves.

Prolific showy flowers range from light pink to deep pink/purple.

Grows in shady spots on the edges of fields and clearings with rich organic

soils .

Rubus odoratus, Purple flowering raspberry

Fruit is tasty and sweet, but not very juicy. The flesh peals off the receptacle in a hollow single layer, unlike

the solid 3-d fruits of other raspberries.

Flowers are breathtaking-they are more like rose flowers then anything you would expect to see on a

raspberry. Both plants are in the rose family.

Sassafras albidum, Sassafras

Easily recognized by the three lobed and mitten shaped leaves, Sassafras is a character in any

garden.

Found only in extreme southern Maine, this is another species that is at the northern most end

of its range.

Understory species that appears to form clonal colonies.

Shepherdia canadensis, Canada buffalo-berryAnother rare species in Maine, being found only in northwestern Somerset

county.

Its preference for high pH (alkaline) bedrock may be the reason we do not find it more widespread in Maine. Low pH soils predominate across

most of the state, especially in the southern half.

This species is at the southern end of its range. More common in the western US

and throughout Canada.

Buffalo berry can be found growing on lake and river shore outcrops.

Shepherdia candensis, Canada buffalo-berry

Berries are said to be bitter or sour tasting, but are an important food source for wildlife.

Closely related to the problematic Russian and Autumn olives, in the plant family Elaeagnaceae.This might be a native replacement for these two

invasive species.

Scaly underside of leaves is characteristic of this family of plants.

Berries are palatable to humans if made into jams or jellies or mixed with other berries, like raspberries.

Spiraea alba (latifolia), Meadowsweet

Tolerates salty sea spray and soils near the ocean.

Dense thickets of Meadowsweet are

important havens for wildlife supplying shelter

and food through-out the year.

Thrives in both wetlands and upland fields.

Spiraea tomentosa, Steeple bush

Striking flower displays of pink candles are eye

catching to people and insects alike.

Grows in wetlands in the wild where it grows up to 3 feet tall. Tolerates drier

garden soils but stays shorter.

Densely pubescent (hairy) leaves make this plant

attractive throughout the season.

Staphylea trifolia, American bladdernutAmerican bladdernut does not grow in Maine, but is found in western CT, MA, NH, & VT. This photo was taken in southwestern Massachussettes at Bartholomews Cobble natural area.

Viburnum acerifolium, Maple leaf viburnum

Fruits will often stay on all winter and then disappear in the late winter or early spring

Flowers are born in clusters typical of most viburnums; they are rather

petite and inconspicuous, but attract many pollinators.

Viburnum acerifolium, Maple leaf viburnum

Spectacular fall color is perhaps the best attribute of this plant. Intense purples and reds light up the fall landscape.

Understory shrub species tolerant of dry acidic soils and shady conditions.

Viburnum lantanoides, Hobblebush

Flower clusters are about the size of tea plates.

Bright red berries ripen in August and are readily consumed by wildlife; high ornamental value as well

Viburnum lantanoides, Hobblebush

Hobblebush gets its name from the way the stems grow in and out of the ground, tripping or hobbling the

passerby.

Does best in moist acidic soils; often found growing in forested wetlands or

along swamps and streams.

Intolerant of anything more then dappled sunlight; prone to scalding.

Takes two years to germinate from seed; can be grown from cuttings but timing is

tricky.

Shawn Jalbert is the principle of Native HauntsLocated in Alfred, Maine

207-604-8655www.nativehaunts.com

nativehaunts@gmail.com

Native Haunts offers the following-

Products

Native trees, shrubs and perennials of local provenance.Locally collected seed of native trees, shrubs and perennials.

Consultation servicesIdentification of native plants on your property.

Integrating native plants into your landscape plan.Identification and control strategies for invasive plants.