Share some Landscaping-for-Wildlife Resource Materials

[Ernie McLaney]

Most of us are aware that the landscaping we do in our yards has a direct affect on the local wildlife. The native plants we should be using vary by what garden zone and location we live in (mountains vs. the coast, zone 7 or zone 8). Most "big box" garden stores don't do justice to providing native plants and many of us have trouble knowing just what is and is not native. This discussion is to offer your best source for information on landscaping for wildlife with native plants.
What book have you found to be most useful? What website or other source of information?
Please offer your best resource and share with the rest of the group.
Good Advice: Right click on any link and select "Open in New Window" and you won't lose the NCWF page.

Here are three of my favorites:
1.Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants

2.Attracting Birds, Butterflies and other Backyard Wildlife

3.The Lady Bird Johnson Native Plant Database

[Theresa Morr]

Ernie, great idea.
Some of my favorites:
Book: Wild Flowers of North Carolina, by W Justice, C Bell and A Lindsey
Websites:
http://plants.usda.gov/
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/index.htm
http://www.ncwildflower.org/plants/plants.htm

Also, great job on Charlotte Talks the other day! You and Carole really got a lot of good information out to the general public!

[Ernie McLaney]

Thank you, this site is all about networking and sharing. I hope we can all take advantage of the opportunities. You have some great sites listed here!
As for "Charlotte Talks", Carol was the star - she's a natural!

[Carol Buie-Jackson]

Here's a link to a great list of natives by Meck County. It gives a lot of information about the plant (location, soil type, sun/shade, etc) and also what it produces for wildlife (fruit, nectar, etc) and what kind of wildlife uses it. The links to excel spreadsheets are on this site, click on trees, shrubs, grasses, wildflowers to download separate worksheets.

There are also links to the "Dirty Dozen" and other invasives.

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/LUESA/Solid+Waste/PLANT+Program...

And Ernie did great!

[Jean Woods]

Here are some more sites on growing native plants:

http://www.ncwildflower.org/natives/basics.htm

http://www.ncsu.edu/goingnative/

The PLANT program offered by Mecklenburg County is a 4 hour program that covers sensible gardening with an emphasis on natives. The fall schedule will be out soon. It is taught at libraries around the county. Carol and I are both instructors for this class.

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/LUESA/Solid+Waste/PLANT+Program...

Another good book is "Gardening with Native Plants of the South" by Sally Wasowski and
"Growing and Propagting Wildflowers" by William Cullina.

If you plant native plants, the wildlife will come! After all, our natives and our wildlife survived together for millions of years.

[Laura Gleason]

Hello,
I have found the mentioned websites to be of great help as well as the P.L.A.N.T. book and I am looking forward to getting a few of the resources listed in Noah's Garden by Sally Stein.

Here's another question - where might we find said native plants? I am looking for fruit and nut shrubs and trees from paw paws to american hazelnuts. I have a list; now need to find a nursery. www.carolinanativenursery.com and www.elk-mountain.com have a few shrubs/trees on my list; but not Paw Paws, hazelnuts, etc.

My next step is to begin calling the nurseries listed in the 'P.L.A.N.T. Piedmont Landscape and Naturescape Training from wipeoutwaste.com which will take quite a bit of time.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Laura

[Ernie McLaney]

Laura,
You make a great point. Identifying great natives for our landscapes is one thing, finding a place to purchase them can be another. I sometimes go to on-line catalogs for some by using google. Also, some nurseries will make a special order for you.
I use the Monrovia website to learn about some plants. They have a nice printable plant page. Use these to sites to do a search for Paw Paws and American Hazlenut:

http://www.monrovia.com/#

http://www.waysidegardens.com

Good luck, and keep those resources coming!