Planting Trees and Plants for the Long Term
Native trees do more than add beauty to your yard — they provide essential habitat for pollinators like bees, butterflies, flies, and beetles. Forests and tree cover offer shelter, nesting sites, and vital food sources such as pollen and nectar. When native trees disappear, pollinators suffer. By planting native trees, you can be part of the solution and help restore the habitats these species depend on.
For example, oaks are true powerhouses for biodiversity. Trees in the genus Quercus are considered keystone plants because they support more wildlife than almost any other tree. According to renowned entomologist Doug Tallamy, oak trees support over 500 species of caterpillars, making them essential to the survival of countless native moths and butterflies. Whether it is Quercus alba (White Oak), Quercus bicolor (Swamp White Oak), Quercus coccinea (Scarlet Oak), Quercus palustris (Pin Oak), or Quercus rubra (Red Oak), adding an oak to your landscape creates a strong foundation for a thriving pollinator oasis.
Maples are another high-performing tree for biodiversity. Maples like the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) bloom slightly later than red maple but are equally important for early pollinators. Its small green April flowers provide nectar for many native bees, while the tree serves as a host plant for over 225 species of moths and butterflies, including Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Mourning Cloaks. The abundance of caterpillars attracts birds such as finches, nuthatches, and grosbeaks, which commonly nest in its branches.
Luckily for residents trying to add trees to their landscapes, native trees have proven reliability in their home ranges. Naturally compatible with our region’s soils and weather patterns, native plants require less maintenance and will persevere through New England lows and highs better than Asian or European alternatives.
Beyond wildlife and pollinator benefits, the deep root systems of native trees and shrubs play a vital role in preventing soil erosion and enhancing water infiltration in the region, helping to improve water quality throughout our watersheds. To bring these benefits to your backyard, consider rain gardens where appropriate.
Rain gardens are a simple and natural solution for treating polluted stormwater runoff from footing, roof, and driveway drains, and from lawns and parking lots in both urban and suburban settings. Runoff directed into a rain garden is slowed down, filtered, and cleaned before being released into groundwater, drinking water aquifers, and other valuable water resources.
Rain gardens work best in well-drained soils. Some examples of good rain garden plants include grasses like Big or Little Bluestem; flowers like Blue Lobelia, Blueflag Iris, Swamp Milkweed, Coreopsis, Joe-pye Weed, Columbine, Black-eyed Susan, and Purple Coneflower; and trees and shrubs like Buttonbush, River Birch, Silky Dogwood, Red Maple, Serviceberry, Winterberry, and more. For assistance in designing a rain garden on your property, contact the Northwest Conservation District at info@nwcd.org or 860-626-7222.
For these benefits and more, plant with purpose this Earth Day. Add native flowers, shrubs, and trees to your property and support your local ecosystems. Native plants can be sourced at many local nurseries, online, and other plant sales hosted by garden clubs or local conservation districts.
To see what NWCD will have at its 44th Annual Earth Day plant sale, hosted at the Goshen Fairgrounds April 24 to 26, visit nwcd.org/shop.
