Rooted Ramblings: The benefits of native shrubs

By Lynn Vogel, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer

Would you like to add beauty and restore environmental function to your landscape? Native shrubs are a great place to start. Their extensive root systems reduce storm water runoff and soil erosion while also providing critical habitat for wildlife. Fortunately, many homeowners have already developed a consciousness about the need to add native plants to their landscape.

Plant breeders have responded to this increased interest in native plants and have recently introduced some ‘new and improved’ cultivars of native woody shrubs. Woody shrubs are especially important for birds

by providing shelter from weather and predators, and nesting sites for raising young. Native shrubs are particularly beneficial as they host native insects, which are a crucial food source for baby birds. Planting a variety of native shrubs creates a year-round, bird-friendly habitat. And the way nature works, when something is good for birds, it is also good for soil and water quality, pollinators, and other native insects.

Fall is a particularly good time to add native shrubs to the landscape! As the leaves fall from trees and perennials die back, it is easier to determine how much space you have to work with. Is the understory (the space between the tree canopy and the ground) in your landscape underutilized? Is there space behind your perennial plants to add? Could you create more privacy if you installed native shrubs along your property borders? Fall is also a great time to take advantage of ‘end of season’ sales to stretch your budget while creating a living landscape that is beneficial to birds, bees, butterflies, moths and other wildlife.

Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind when shopping for native shrubs. Native plants that have not been altered in some way by plant breeding are referred to as ‘straight species’ and will provide the greatest ecoservice function. Plants that have been cultivated to improve desirable aesthetic traits are referred to as ‘cultivars’. Cultivars will have their name in quotation after the common or botanical name, such as ‘Ruby Spice’, which is a lovely cultivar of Clethra alnifolia.

Several conservation organizations are researching these aesthetic alterations to determine if and how they impact wildlife. Many woody shrubs have been bred to create a more compact form, making them more suitable for smaller yards. Research indicates that a more compact form does not generally deter wildlife or reduce other ecoservices. The following recommendation is certainly not true for all species but is more a general rule of thumb. Flower alterations that result in sterile flowers may still attract pollinators visiting for nectar, but these plants will not produce pollen, rendering them less useful for pollinator reproduction. Sterile plants will not produce fruit, which is another strike for hungry birds.

A frequent aesthetic change with cultivars is leaf color and research indicate that dark colored leaves may deter insects. Caterpillars (major food source for baby birds) do not eat dark colored leaves. So, before you add a native shrub with dark red or blackish leaf color, take an inventory of what native trees and shrubs you currently have in your yard that can provide food for hungry caterpillars.

The following compact cultivars still provide wildlife benefits and will tolerate seasonally wet spaces.

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) cultivars such as ‘Sugar Shack’ reach 3–4 feet in height and feature bird-attractive red fruit, while ‘Magical Moonlight’ grows to 5–7 feet, notable for its excellent form and glossy green foliage. Both perform well in full sun to part shade.

Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) includes compact options like ‘Sugartina’, which attains a height of approximately 3 feet. The cultivars ‘Vanilla Spice’ (white flowers) and ‘Ruby Spice’ (pink flowers) each grow to 4–6 feet, while ‘Hummingbird’ produces white blooms at a mature height of 3–5 feet; all thrive in full sun to part shade.

Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) varieties such as ‘Low Scape Mound’ (2–3 feet) and ‘Viking’ (4–6 feet) are both compact selections suited to similar light conditions. It is important to note that the Chokeberry cultivar ‘Low Scape Hedger’ has predominantly sterile flowers, reducing wildlife value; nevertheless, it remains a superior hedging choice compared to Burning Bush or Barberry.

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) cultivars ‘Red Sprite’ and ‘Berry Poppins’ both achieve 3–4 feet in height with prolific fruit production and demonstrate tolerance to a range of lighting. These deciduous hollies offer significant winter interest for gardeners and essential forage for avian species during colder months.

Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) cultivars including ‘Invincibelle’, ‘Haas Halo’, and ‘Total Eclipse’ excel in full sun to part shade environments. The performance of these varieties was affirmed by the Mt. Cuba wild hydrangea study.

Additional Resources:

OSU Native Shrubs: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Bees, Butterflies & Other Beneficials

The Mt. Cuba Center (for native plant cultivar research and native plant education)

Pollinator Planting Guides Tufts University

Ohio State University Extension Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer program. Questions/comments/suggestions/want to find out more/become a PCMGV: 330-296-6432 • OSU PCMGV web • portco.mgv.oh@gmail.com • FB PCMGV • PCMGV Speaker’s Bureau