Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: It's Time for Goldenrods

Photo: Goldenrod blooming in Fairfax County, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Alda Krinsman

One hallmark of autumn is the appearance of goldenrods along roadsides and in wild spaces; however, until recently, goldenrods have rarely been used deliberately in gardens. That omission is a shame, because goldenrods, along with asters, are not only attractive to human eyes but also, more importantly, support many pollinator and bird species with their nectar, pollen, and seeds.

There are over 138 species of goldenrod worldwide, the majority of which are found in North America. There are over 40 species of goldenrod native to Virginia alone. Most species of goldenrod belong to the genus Solidago, but some are also classified in the genera Euthamia and Oligoneuron. Perhaps one reason goldenrods have not been widely used in gardens is that many people believe goldenrods cause hay fever and are responsible for their sneezing and watery eyes every autumn. However, the goldenrod pollen is too heavy and sticky to be dispersed by wind. It is usually moved from plant to plant by bees and other pollinators. The true cause of hay fever is ragweed (Ambrosia species), which blooms around the same time of year as many goldenrods and is relatively inconspicuous. Ragweed produces abundant pollen, which is very light and dispersed by the wind. So next time you sneeze, blame the ragweed, not the goldenrod.

Locust Borer on Goldenrod, Judy Gallagher

In late summer and autumn, many bees such as bumblebees, sweat bees, and mining bees seek out the pollen provided by goldenrods to provision their nests. Male bees, butterflies and moths will seek out the nectar. Monarch butterflies will seek out goldenrod nectar on their migration south. The seeds of the plants are favored snacks by birds such as Goldfinch and Chickadees. Earlier in the growing season goldenrods also play an important role as larval hosts to up to 114 species of caterpillars, including Brown-Hooded Owlets and Goldenrod Hooded Owlets.

Goldenrod Crab Spider, Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Goldenrod species tolerate or even thrive in a range of environmental conditions. Some do well in part shade, and some prefer full sun. Some do well in dry soils, and others prefer moist soils. So, when selecting a goldenrod, take those factors into consideration. Although goldenrods provide valuable ecoservices, not every species is right for every situation. Some goldenrod species such as Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) can spread aggressively and are best used in large areas such as meadows and restoration projects. However, there are quite a few species that are good choices for garden situations. Blue-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago caesia) is a good choice for shady woodland gardens. Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) would be a good choice for sunny dry areas, and wrinkleleaf goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) is recommended for poorly draining areas, although it also does well in garden soil with average moisture. Early goldenrod (Solidago juncea), which is one of the first goldenrods to bloom in summer, and anise scented goldenrod (Solidago odora) also are good candidates for average garden situations. 

Even well-behaved goldenrods may naturalize quickly. If you find you have too much of a good thing, control the spread by dividing your plant every few years and give some to your friends!

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Catch up on past Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac articles here.

Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Growing Virginia Native Plants from Seed

Photo: Milkweed seeds, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Laura Beaty and Donna Murphy

Fall is coming and gardeners’ thoughts may turn to collecting seeds for planting next spring. It’s best to remember that seed collecting begins with a knowledge and understanding of protocols and ethics of collecting seed outside of your own garden. Most people are aware they need the owner’s permission before gathering seeds from friends’ and neighbors’ gardens. It’s doubly important to get permission from land managing agencies before gathering any seeds from parks, forests and wilderness areas—even utility rights-of-way. You don’t want to impair the agencies’ conservation efforts.

A prominent native plant grower in our area, Earth Sangha, recommends that hobbyists not gather seeds from wild populations at risk of over-collection, as it also reduces food sources for wildlife. In addition to obtaining permission from the relevant land management agencies, it’s a good idea to seek guidance from local conservation organizations, like NVBA’s Wildlife Sanctuary Program, the Virginia Native Plant Society and local Master Naturalists if you are collecting outside your own garden and those of friends and neighbors.

Milkweed seeds. Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Seed collecting begins after flowering is completed and ideally late in the bloom season, giving the plant an opportunity to complete seed maturation. When collecting, use clearly marked bags with the plant’s name, date and location (site). You can custom-design envelopes to provide the information you’ll want to have on the seeds you collect for future use. Too often we have all assumed we’d remember what seed we’ve collected--Wrong! Keep good records. Brown bags (not plastic) help the seeds to dry out slowly. It’s fine to delay cleaning the seeds (separating seeds from dried flowers) for a rainy day when you have indoor time. 

Always look for fully ripened seeds, which ensures a mature embryo. Keep in mind that when seeds turn from green or yellow to tan, brown or black, and mature fruits turn red, orange or blue, they are ready to collect. When the fruits are ready the game is on for who will get to them first. Don’t wait! Many of us have missed collecting them on time and lost out to the birds and other wildlife.

When pulp, a germination inhibitor, is cleaned from fruit seeds, the seed is ready to grow when time and temperature are right. Timing is important. Once a seed is separated from the parent plant, its viability for producing a new plant is limited. It either germinates successfully or fails to germinate before it uses up the energy reserves it stores. Nature has provided a longer “viability” period to some seeds, but following regular protocols of processing is best practice. Most seeds require a cold period to ensure a viable embryo. Therefore, over-wintering the collected seeds in a safe/secure un-heated outdoor room, shed, or garage will prepare them for spring germination. 

You can prepare seed trays ahead of planting time in mid-March. Just cut coco-rolls to fit into the bottom of the trays for good drainage. There are a number of prepared seed-planting mixtures, or you can develop your own. Planting directly into the ground is iffy: Many birds will be watching, not to mention the squirrels. As the seedlings grow you can transfer them to individual small pots for better root development; in time, larger pots will accommodate their expanding roots—that’s a success!

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Catch up on past Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac articles here.

Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Creating Habitat for Butterflies

Photo: Monarch butterfly nectaring on a thistle, Judy Gallagher

Cliff Fairweather

Do you want more butterflies around your home? Consider creating a butterfly habitat that will attract not just adult butterflies passing through but will support butterflies throughout their life cycles. A habitat is where a living thing finds what it needs for survival: food, water, shelter, and space. Butterflies undergo a four-stage metamorphosis, which includes egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), and adult. The specific habitat needs of butterflies change as they go through their life cycles, so the challenge in creating butterfly habitat is to meet their needs in each stage. 

Tiger Swallowtails, Virginia’s state insect, nectaring on buttonbush. Photo: Judy Gallagher

Adult butterflies need high-energy fuel for activities such as flight, foraging, mating, and egg laying, and that fuel is flower nectar. Nectar is essentially sugar water produced by flowers to attract pollinators. Butterflies seek it from a wide variety of herbaceous and woody flowering plants. They are opportunistic feeders, mostly without strong preferences for particular species of nectar flowers. They do have preferences, however, for particular flower characteristics. Butterflies have good color vision and are attracted to flowers with bright colors, especially yellow, orange, white, pink, red, and blue. They also are attracted to flowers with floral scents and flowers rich in nectar. 

Flower shape and the arrangement of flowers on a plant influence which nectar plants butterflies choose. They strongly favor flowers with tubular corollas, such as phloxes, which accommodate a butterfly’s long, thin proboscis. Because different butterflies have proboscises of different lengths, plant flowers with a variety of corolla lengths to attract a wider diversity of butterflies.

Nectar plants with clusters of many small flowers offer efficient nectaring for butterflies, such as this Great Spangled Fritillary. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

Butterflies tend to prefer plants with loose clusters of smaller flowers, like milkweeds, or tight clusters of small to tiny flowers, like asters. Clustered flowers offer efficient nectaring opportunities, enabling butterflies to visit many flowers quickly with a minimum of flying. Butterflies also tend to select flowers, such as sunflowers and asters, that provide a relatively flat, stable landing place. This allows them to rest while they feed. 

Most native plants have relatively short blooming periods, so try to offer a diverse mix of nectar plants with varied blooming times to ensure that something is blooming throughout the growing season. This bloom time table from Plant NoVA Natives is a good reference. Different butterfly species often forage at different heights, so offering plants of various heights can draw more butterfly diversity. Avoid cultivars of native species, because they might have undesirable characteristics, such as not producing nectar or producing nectar that is difficult to access. This document lists some examples of nectar plants native to northern Virginia, but there are many others. Consult your local native plant society chapter, butterfly club, naturalist organization, native plant vendors, or nature center for more choices.

Massing nectar plants of the same species together, rather than spreading them out, will create beacons for foraging butterflies. Plant taller plants towards the back and shorter plants in front of them so they aren’t hidden from view. If you have space, place trees and shrubs to shield nectar plants from the prevailing winds, making it easier for foraging butterflies to nectar on windy days. These also provide butterfly perching, roosting, basking, and sheltering sites.

Nectar and host plants alone don’t provide all the nutrients butterflies need. Most also need nutrients such as amino acids, nitrogen, and sodium. These are especially important for reproductive success. To obtain these, they engage in a behavior called puddling, where they land on patches of damp soil or sand, often at the edge of water puddles. They use their proboscises to imbibe nutrients from the wet spot. 

Butterfly adults, mostly males, visit damp soil or sand to imbibe nutrients not available in nectar. These are Eastern-tailed Blues. Photo: Judy Gallagher

You can create a puddling site by creating a patch of bare soil or sand in a flat, sunny spot in your habitat that you can wet down every day or so. Puddling sites also can be an important source of water for butterflies. Some butterflies seek additional nutrients from animal dung and carrion. Some also feed on rotted fruit, so putting some out in your habitat, or leaving some fallen fruit from trees, might attract some additional species.

Silver-spotted Skipper egg on a Black Locust leaf: providing habitat for the entire butterfly life cycle will result in more butterflies using your habitat. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

While nectar plants fuel adult butterflies, caterpillars need something more substantial to nourish their enormous and rapid growth to as much as 100 times their size at hatching. To satisfy the appetites of their progeny, female butterflies search out host plants on which to lay their eggs. Not just any plant will do as a host, it must be a plant that their species is adapted to eat. Most plants produce toxins and other defenses to deter insects from eating them. Caterpillars evolve tolerances for or countermeasures against these defenses, giving them nearly exclusive access to their host plants as a food source. Because different plants have evolved different defenses, caterpillars usually specialize in a few species of host plants. 

To help decide what host plants to grow, learn what species of butterflies are likely to be found in your area. Of course, you’ll also need to take into consideration the growing conditions on your site. Host plants include many woody, as well as herbaceous, forms. Many, such as milkweed, do double duty as nectar plants. This document includes a table of butterfly species and their host plants. Butterfly field guides usually list host plants for each species they cover. Also, remember that because the purpose of planting host plants in your habitat is to feed caterpillars, you need to tolerate some damage to host plant foliage. That damage, though, is a sign of success – it means you’re raising caterpillars! 

Monarch butterfly caterpillars feeding on Common Milkweed. Creating butterfly habitat means tolerating some damage to host plants. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

Monarch Butterfly chrysalis: Chrysalises need an undisturbed place in your habitat to transform from caterpillar to adult. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

When they are ready to metamorphose into their pupal stage, caterpillars usually leave their host plant, but they don’t go far. Many species suspend their chrysalises from a plant, branch, or other structure, natural or human-made, while others pupate under leaf litter or in the soil. To support butterflies in their egg, caterpillar, and chrysalis stage, avoid being an overly tidy gardener. Leave leaf litter on the ground, as some butterflies, many moths, and other beneficial insects pupate in the fallen leaves. Also, resist the urge to do a late winter or early spring cleanup by removing last year’s dead vegetation, at least until temperatures have warmed for a while and overwintering eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises have had a chance to move on to their next stage. 

Beyond food and nutrients, butterflies need places to bask in the sun, find shelter from storms and predators, spend the night, hibernate, and perch. A large rock or steppingstone placed in a sunny spot can provide a basking site where butterflies can warm their flight muscles up to flying temperature. They also will use large leaves as basking sites. The underside of leaves can provide a shelter against rain, a hiding place from predators, or a place to spend the night. Tree cavities, loose bark, or even old bird houses can provide short-term shelters or hibernation sites for overwintering butterfly adults and chrysalises. Some male butterflies use rocks, shrubs, or trees as perches from which to watch for potential mates and rivals.

Monarch Butterfly nectaring on a thistle. Photo: Judy Gallagher.

Planning and managing your butterfly habitat needn’t be complicated, but there are some basic things you should consider. First of these is where to locate the habitat. Monitor your property to see if butterflies are already visiting and where they linger. Also, look for any existing native nectar or host plants. Butterflies are “cold blooded,” so select an area that gets sun for at least six to eight hours a day. The space needn’t be large, just enough room for some host and nectar plants and some other habitat elements. Even a patio or balcony can provide some habitat with container-grown plants

Once established, a butterfly habitat should be fairly low maintenance, but it is not maintenance-free. You will need to manage invasive exotic plants and thin out natives that are trying to take over. Pesticide use is incompatible with raising caterpillars, so consider non-toxic alternatives to pest control, including just waiting out infestations. Often, a predator or parasite will come along and handle the problem. 

Creating a butterfly habitat will do more than provide a home for butterflies. Other wildlife, from fireflies to songbirds, will use your habitat as well, and you will be making a valuable contribution to local biological diversity. Also, it’s just plain fun to have butterflies around!

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Catch up on past Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac articles here.

Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Pollinators

Photo: Sweat Bee with pollen, Judy Gallagher

Judy Gallagher

Pollinators are important to our daily lives. Without insects, around 80 percent of flowering plants would not be pollinated. Depending on the country, flowering plants make up 50 to 90 percent of people’s diets. Without food from flowering plants, many humans would likely starve. Obviously, we should support pollinators however we can. 

Sweat Bee with pollen, Judy Gallagher

What does it take to provide a positive environment for insect pollinators? If you want to attract a specific insect, it's important to know its natural history. Is the insect attracted to flowers of a particular color or shape? Does the larval stage require a specific plant? For instance, Monarch butterflies require Milkweed for their larvae, but they can get nectar from many other flowers including Joe-Pye Weed, Black-eyed Susan, Narrow-leaved Mountain Mint, New York Ironweed and shrubs like Buttonbush. And while they're dining on nectar, they may be picking up pollen that will be transferred to another flower. Long tubular flowers attract insects with long tongues or proboscises, like Sphinx Moths. Native plants attract native insects. 

Flowering plants can grow in both shady and sunny locations, but what kind of environment does your pollinator want? Some, like butterflies, like to bask in the sun and some of their favorite wildflowers grow best in full or partial sun with some protection from the wind. 

The insect's first concern is finding a food supply. Having different flower sizes, shapes and colors, and varying plant heights and growth habits helps support a great number and diversity of pollinators. You'll have a larger pollinator population if you have a lot of flowers. And pollinators like to eat throughout the season, so you should try to have flowers that bloom at different times so that you have nectar and pollen from spring through fall. 

Insect pollinators also need shelter and a place to nest. Insects that overwinter stay in protected places under soil, inside rotting logs, inside plant galls, in leaf litter and under rocks. Having leaf litter, woody debris and dead flower stems and stalks in your habitat helps them survive during cold weather. 

Nesting requirements vary by species. Many ground nesting bees like bare, undisturbed patches of soil, preferably close to food plants. Some bees partition their nests with mud, so it helps to have a water source in or near your habitat. Other pollinators lay eggs on plants, in rotten wood, in crevices, or in hollow stems. If your habitat is diverse, you'll support more species. 

Our Wildlife Sanctuary program can help you create a vibrant natural environment. More information is available here. You can request a visit by a Wildlife Sanctuary Ambassador, who will advise you on habitat. 

Many pesticides, especially insecticides, but also fungicides and herbicides, are harmful to pollinators. Sometimes the pollinators are killed by pesticides, but even sub-lethal doses can affect their ability to navigate, and can compound the effects of other environmental threats. It is important that you don't buy plants that have been treated with pesticides. 

Finally, we all need to spread the word about protecting pollinators. Our voices are necessary in discussions on agricultural policy, land use and conservation.

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Catch up on past Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac articles here.

Planting for the Picky Eaters

Photo: from Plant NOVA Natives video

Plant NOVA Natives

Many insects are picky eaters, only able to eat the plants with which they evolved, meaning the plants that are native to their region. Butterflies are a good example, since although the adults can sip nectar from non-native flowers, their caterpillars depend on specific native plants. The majority of bees are more flexible than that, able to eat the pollen and nectar from a variety of species. They are known as generalist species, although even in their case they have their own favorites. The European Honeybee for example, is a generalist but chooses certain flowers in preference to others.

Of the approximately 400 native bee species in Virginia, about a fifth are plant specialists. Examples include the Spring Beauty Bee and the Blueberry Bee, which (unsurprisingly) depend on the flowers of Spring Beauties and Blueberries. These bees are short lived as adults, emerging when the plants they depend upon are in bloom and quickly gathering the pollen they need to store in their nests for their larvae, thus pollinating the plants while they are at it.

Our local ecosystem requires the full spectrum of plant/animal interactions to flourish. It is easily knocked out of balance when too many native plants are displaced by introduced species, something that has happened in many of our yards. We can restore that balance by planting a lot of native plants. One strategy could be to start with flowers that feed various specialist bees from early spring to late fall, because they will also supply food for the generalist bees. Since many of these flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds as well, they make a winning combination. A list of popular native garden plants that feed specialist bees can be found on the Plant NOVA Natives website. It feels good to help the bees, whose numbers are in decline.

One of the many charms of native bee species is that they are highly unlikely to sting you, assuming you don’t try to grab one or otherwise threaten it. While they are foraging on a flower, you can get your face (and your camera) right up to them, and they will almost certainly ignore you. Gazing at bees brings surprises, as they come in many sizes and colors, including metallic blues and greens. It is particularly mesmerizing to watch bees on plants such as White Turtlehead, where they pry open the flowers and crawl inside, then back themselves out again, butt first. You can get a peek at those and other cute native bees on this two minute video, filmed in Fairfax County.

Many insects are picky eaters, only able to eat the plants with which they evolved, meaning the plants that are native to their region. The majority of bees are more flexible than that, able to eat the pollen and nectar from a variety of species. They are known as generalist species, although even in their case they have their own preferences. The European honeybees, for example, are generalists but choose certain flowers in preference to others.

Of the approximately 400 native bee species in Virginia, about a fifth are plant specialists. Examples include the Spring Beauty Bee and the Blueberry Bee, which (unsurprisingly) depend on the flowers of Spring Beauties and Blueberries. These species are short lived as adults, emerging when the plants they depend upon are in bloom and quickly gathering the pollen they need to store in their nests for their larvae, thus pollinating the plants while they are at it.

Our local ecosystem requires the full spectrum of plant/animal interactions to flourish. It is easily knocked out of balance when too many native plants are displaced by introduced species, something that has happened in many of our yards. We can restore that balance by planting a lot of native plants. One strategy could be to start with flowers that feed various specialist bees from early spring to late fall, because they will also supply food for the generalist bees. Since many of these flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds as well, they make a winning combination. A list of popular native garden plants that feed specialist bees can be found on the Plant NOVA Natives website.

“The Pollinator Victory Garden” with author, Kim Eierman

Co-sponsored Event with Prince William Wildflower Society

When: February 21, Sunday, 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Where: VIRTUAL
Registration: Here

ASNV/Audubon at Home is partnering with the Prince William Wildflower Society to co-sponsor a presentation with Kim Eierman, author of The Pollinator Victory Garden.

From PWWS: In keeping with our string of annual author events in the month of February, Kim Eierman, author of The Pollinator Victory Garden, will be our guest speaker on Sunday, February 21 at 2 pm through Zoom. As Kim says, “You don’t have to be an entomologist to realize that pollinators are in trouble, and you don’t have to be a professional landscaper or horticulturist to do something about it.”

Kim asserts that the passion and urgency that inspired WWI and WWII Victory Gardens are needed today to meet another threat to our food supply and our environment—the steep decline of pollinators. The Pollinator Victory Garden offers practical solutions for winning the war against the demise of these essential animals.