Oregon
Plants for Wildlife Habitat & Conservation Landscaping
Do you enjoy
observing nature...hearing the song of the
chickadee...watching hummingbirds fill up on nectar
from trumpet vines...listening to the chattering of
squirrels...seeing the beauty and grace of a
monarch butterfly perched on a milkweed...
experiencing the antics of a Mockingbird...the
cooing of the Mourning Doves...the swiftness of the
Cottontail...and the brilliance of a Cardinal or
Baltimore Oriole?
If the answer is
"yes", you'll probably want to landscape your
property for wildlife so you can experience even
more from Mother Nature by attracting more wildlife
to your property.
Wildlife doesn't
just randomly appear in a given area. It is there
because of favorable habitat. The essential
elements that you must provide in your habitat are
food, water, cover and a place to raise a family.
To attract the most wildlife, you need native
trees, shrubs, groundcover, vines and wildflowers,
many of which will provide food and
shelter.
Native or
indigenous plants naturally occur in the region in
which they evolved. They are adapted to local soil,
rainfall and temperature conditions, and have
developed natural defenses to many insects and
diseases. Because of these traits, native plants
will grow with minimal use of water, fertilizers
and pesticides. Wildlife species evolve with
plants; therefore, they use native plant
communities as their habitat. Using native plants
helps preserve the balance and beauty of natural
ecosystems.
Remember the
function served by plants and structures is more
important than their appearance. In other words,
don't base your planting decisions solely on what a
plant looks like. Following are WindStar Wildlife
Institute's plant recommendations for wildlife
habitats in Oregon.
Trees
Tall--White, Douglas, Grand & Noble Fir, Lawson
Cypress, Rocky Mountain & Western Juniper,
Shore, Lodgepole, White & Ponderosa Pine,
Western Red Cedar, Western & Mountain
Hemlock
Medium/Small--Douglas,
Vine & Big-leaf Maples, Mountain, Red &
White Alder, Water & Paper Birch, Black &
Columbia Hawthorn, Oregon Ash, Pacific Crabapple,
Quaking Aspen, Bitter Cherry, Madrona, Strawberry
Tree, Chinquapin, Tan & Canyon Live Oak, Bay
Tree
Shrubs
Serviceberry, Bog Birch, Deer Brush, Red-twig
Dogwood; Hazelnut, Oceanspray, Twinberry,
Osobewrry, Mock- Orange, Ninebark, Bitter Cherry,
Chokecherry, Bitterbrush, Wild Azalea, Skunk bush,
red-flowering Currant, Wild Gooseberry, Wild Rose,
Thimbleberry, Salmonberry, Blue, Red & Black
Elderberry, Buffaloberry, Mountain Ash, Hardhack,
Birchleaf Spirea, Red & Black
Huckleberry
Oregon is known for
its forests where about 1/10 of the nation's timber
resides. In fact, Oregon is the leading provider of
lumber in the United States. Oregon's geography can
be divided into six areas; the Coast Range, the
Willamette Lowland, the Cascade Mountains, the
Klamath Mountains, the Columbia Plateau, and the
Basin and Range Region. The Native Plant Society of
Oregon can provide lists of plants for a specific
region.
For more
information on improving your wildlife habitat,
visit the WindStar
Wildlife Institute web
site. On
the web site, you can also apply to certify your
property as a wildlife habitat, register for the
"Certified Wildlife Habitat Naturalist e-Learning
course, become a member and sign up for the FREE
WindStar Wildlife Garden Weekly e-mail
newsletter.
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