BACKYARD NATURALIZATION - Attracting Birds and Other Wildlife Species to Your Premises

 As environmental awareness increases, it is only to be expected that some of this interest might be directed to our own backyards. There are concerns about what we are putting on our properties to create that "perfect lawn." Do we need a perfect lawn? What can we do make our properties, be they large or small, more attractive to wildlife? And how much is too much of a good thing? This page will attempt to address the increasing interest we are taking these days in naturalizating our backyards, how to attract wildlife, how to manage what we have, and how to dissuade those species we don't want. It is all about doing things "naturally", with native species of plants, natural fertilizers, composting - all those things all of us should have started doing much earlier in our lives. Watch this page regularly for more tips on how you can enhance your property and make it more attractive to wildlife. 

 THE LOWLY RED CEDAR - Juniperus virginana

Some people refer to call them junipers, for that is what they are. Others who live in Prince Edward County where the tree seems to be the dominant species, simply call them “cedars,” and everybody  knows what species of cedar they are talking about without defining them further as either red or white.

If there was ever a tree more scorned, and more apt to be considered a weed, it is the red cedar. Farmers who neglect turning a field for a couple of years will find them sprouting like so many weeds. If the field continues to be neglected, within three or four years the field is lost. They then begin to grow so thickly the field soon becomes impossible to penetrate, even on foot.

When nurtured though, red cedar wood is prized for the lining of closets and trunks because of its strong and pleasant aroma. The wood is also sometimes used for fence posts as its hard texture tends to be resistant to decay.

However, it has only been recently that the red cedar has been gaining some attention among property owners who wish to attract wildlife to their backyard. Of course, cultivars of this species have been used for many years for landscape purposes. But is there anything wrong with entering an abandoned pasture or a roadside ditch and digging some up for the backyard? Certainly not, as the species is hardy and will thrive under conditions when most other less hardy species would succumb to drought or nutrient poor conditions.

When planted in clusters, the tree provides ideal habitat for wintering birds. In the wild, it is not uncommon to encounter flocks of many species of birds seeking shelter from the cold winds in groves of red cedars . The tree also has other attributes. The twigs and foliage are eaten extensively by hoofed browsers including deer. The dark blue fruiting berry on the female trees are an important food item in the diets of many wintering birds, especially the cedar waxwing. Pine grosbeaks have been seen feeding on the berries, wintering robins gorge upon the berries, and wintering flocks of yellow-rumped warblers are also attracted to the berries when insect food is no longer available to them.

When planted as a landscape species, red cedars will attract birds and mammals to the backyard, the same as they do in the wild. Chipping sparrows, mourning doves, robins and song sparrows consider red cedars as one of their favourite nesting sites, and other species use the dense foliage as protective shelter. If your yard is not landscaped yet and you are experiencing difficulties attracting birds to the feeders this winter, a few cedars procured from the wild and leaned up against something in the vicinity of the bird feeder will do wonders at providing the shelter birds require around the feeder as an escape route should a hawk appear. Although cut and deprived of their roots, the cedars will remain green throughout much of the winter.

However, there are a few precautions. Red cedars are hosts for cedar apple rust and if placed in the vicinity of an apple orchard or related species such as cherry, plum, pear or flowering crab, you could have problems. Cedar apple rust is a fungus that produces those fleshy, orange tentacles one often sees dripping from cedar boughs after a heavy rain. The tentacles dry up, the spores are released and are carried by the wind to neighbouring apple or related trees to continue its cycle. However, I have had a red cedar growing within four feet of a flowering crab for over 25 years, and have never experienced any problems.

Red cedars are an inexpensive alternative to planting nursery stock as long as you don’t get carried away and wind up with a monocultural forest. At the same time you are planting a native species that wildlife have been utilizing for centuries. Planting a few here and there in your dooryard makes sense. This month is a good time to plant a few since the trees soon will be entering their dormant period. They also do well planted in the early spring. And if the fool things do happen to die - just go out and dig up some more! Before doing that though, be sure to ask permission before entering on private land. When landowners hear of your intentions, they will be more than happy to part with a few their red cedars.

I would be happy to supply you with additional information. E-mail