BETTER Shrubs for BIRDS + POLLINATORS! - (Ditch Your Forsythia!)

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Despite Forsythia being prolific in North American gardens, it provides almost no value for local birds and pollinators! Check out these beautiful North American native shrubs that are BOTH beautiful in the garden, AND provide tremendous benefit for our local food webs! These are shrubs with beneficial flowers and berries for birds and bees, and that ALSO serve as host plants for native butterflies.
Hopefully this gives you some new ideas for your garden this spring! Happy planting!
Music: 1997
Musician: EnjoyMusic
Site: enjoymusic.ai
Photo attributions:
- "Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens, The Ohio State University", by Dan Keck from Ohio, Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
- "Spicebush swallowtail papilio troilus black butterfly with yellow and orange dots and neon blue shading", by Barnes Dr Thomas G, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
- "Spicebush swallowtail caterpillar" by USFWS Headquarters is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- "Botanical specimen in Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Rd, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.", by Daderot, Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
- "A closeup photograph of the flowers of Fothergilla major.", Chhe (talk), Public domain
- "Fothergilla leaves make the transition from green to red in the National Herb Garden at the U.S. National Arboretum.", by U.S. National Arboretum, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain
- "Fothergilla major, Année de plantation : 1979, Position exacte : Arboretum Robert Lenoir (S48B) - Rendeux (Belgique).", by Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
- "Hamamelis vernalis (Ozark Witch-hazel, Vernal Witch-hazel)", by Plant Image Library, CC BY-SA 2.0
- "Location taken: the New York Botanical Garden. Names: Hamamelis vernalis Sarg., Ozark Witch-Hazel, Ozark Witchhazel, Vernal Witch-Hazel,", by David J. Stang, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
- "Shrubby St. John's Wort Hypericum prolificum flower close-up, photographed in Ocean County on July 3, 2020.", by BeckyLaboy, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
- "Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) in a meadow at State Game Land 133, Lycoming County.", by Nicholas A. Tonelli, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
- "Ilex verticillata. Cultivated. National Botanic Garden, Washington, DC, USA. 3 April 2011.", by Katja Schulz, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
- "Melted snow drops on a Pussy Willow Catkin. If you zoom in on one of the droplets, you can see the reflection of the house next to it. It is a hand held shot, not stabilized by a tripod or other pedestal.", by That Compost Guy, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

Опубликовано:

9 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 71

@gardenforbirds 6 месяцев назад

See this list for other native plant replacement ideas for invasive and nonnative species! www.panativeplantsociety.org/uploads/1/7/8/2/17829397/invasiveplant_handout.pdf

@BobbieJeanM 5 месяцев назад

👍😊

@BobbieJeanM 5 месяцев назад

Before watching your video I was going to say I like forsythia and isn’t it ok to plant something you like even if it’s not helpful to wildlife as long as you have other beneficials in the yard. Since you gave several alternatives including some with yellow blooms, I will forgo the forsythia and use those instead. Thank you for the beautiful and helpful suggestions!

@gardenforbirds 5 месяцев назад

I think that’s true, and as long as we’re thinking about this question, I think that’s great! In my area I’m seeing Forsythia taking up real estate in wild areas, so with all nonnative plants I think noticing how they’re interacting with the local environment is key. I see so much Forsythia in people’s gardens in Maryland, but I don’t see many native shrubs - so that’s a big part of why I made this video. My hope was to start some conversation around forsythia alternatives, so people might seek out some other options! 💓

@christophernixon4539 Месяц назад

Vid # 7 for the evening. Your humor makes me smile!

@pollinatorgardenfun Год назад

I love the fothergilla - so beautiful!

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Me too, can’t wait to get one for my own garden! 💓

@Lou_Mansfield 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for ridding the forsythia from your landscape and recommending some amazing beneficial natives!!

@gardenforbirds 5 месяцев назад

Oh boy, I’ve still got a ways to go before it’s gone 😂 but I’d say I’ve gotten rid of 2/3, so that’s something! I’ve been making sure to replace it as I go with shrubs and small trees that the birds can use for food and shelter, and am excited to see how some the replacement shrubs do this year!

@syrpentina 6 месяцев назад

Great video! Such a positive spin to offer alternatives to what you like about this non native plant. We have several spicebush and service berry bushes we'll be planting come spring, and last year i had a whole bunch of winterberries and it kept the bluebirds, sapsuckers, robins, and purple finches happy and fed all winter long!❤ theyve picked them (and the cedars) clean, so spring needs to get here soon, and i will clearly have to plant more for next year😂

@gardenforbirds 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for the kind words! Wow, that’s amazing! I am only just starting to get berry producing plants in my landscape but am very much looking forward to stalking them in the future to watch the birds!

@judithsears8145 Год назад

St. John's wort is so invasive!

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Hmm, maybe you're thinking of the species that aren't native to North America (like the Eurasian Hypericum perforatum)? Totally agree - those can be quite invasive! And we have so many beautiful Hypericum species that are native to North America, buying a nonnative is unnecessary! 💕 The latin names can be pretty crucial when talking plants - it's definitely something I worry about when making suggestions 😕

@kelliott7864 Год назад

Cornelian cherry is also a good forsythia replacement--super early yellow flowers and edible fruit.

@gardenforbirds Год назад

I just took out a chunk of my own forsythia and planted a Highbush cranberry and black chokeberry - both make edible fruits as well!

@mmps18 6 месяцев назад

Wow! Didn't know Forsythia wasn't native. I'm gonna get mine replaced since it's kind of taking over. Thank you so much.

@gardenforbirds 6 месяцев назад

Mine is a beast - I've been gradually carving it back and planting in chunks to try to preserve some of the structure that the birds use for shelter (as well as my budget 😅). We have forsythia growing in a few places, so I've been working my way around the garden to reduce and replace it over the past few years!

@happierinthesunshine 4 месяца назад

This is wonderful information!! I just subscribed! I’m trying to transition my entire property to natives to western NC and I’ve been loathe to remove the forsythia since there are 6 or 7 mature thickets. I’ve already planted a spicebush and fotheragilla, but love the idea of planting the spring and fall blooming witch hazels. I also have ilex on my list now, too! Thank you!

@gardenforbirds 4 месяца назад

Awesome, welcome aboard! I hear you - I removed a few, but I actually still have the one very large forsythia thicket that was in the video. And I probably won’t try to phase it out for some time. It does provide shelter - I’ve seen bees nesting in mine this spring. If your garden has space to include native plants elsewhere, then I think uprooting things like forsythia isn’t so critical! Sounds like you have a very lovely garden! 💓

@happierinthesunshine 4 месяца назад

@@gardenforbirds Thank you! I'm currently focusing on filling empty spaces. I have .66 acres and when we moved in, it was almost entirely nonnative turf grass. I think what I'll do is wait until my new natives become more mature, and then transition the forsythia areas into other plantings. I'm not in love with how they were originally planted (a kind of hedge with space in between and two spots that are missing forsythias altogether.) I just placed an order with Carolina Native Nursery for 3 ilex verticillatas to be picked up later today! 2 female/one male. Thanks for the recommendation! SO glad I found your channel!

@gardenforbirds 4 месяца назад

@@happierinthesunshine Awesome! Someone commented about having the ilex verticillata in their garden, and it being devoured by bluebirds! I haven't managed to plant any yet, but that's definitely high on my priority list - hopefully this fall!

@theweirdospfan.28 4 месяца назад

Another replacement, Fothergilla. For a small one; Fothergilla gardenii, medium one; Fothergilla x intermedia, large one; Fothergilla major

@gardenforbirds 4 месяца назад

Absolutely! Fothergilla is a beauty!

@JoseMartinez-df2db Год назад

I never had one and never will plant it.

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Works for me! The previous owners of our house planted a few of these, and they're trying to take over! :D

@mianaomipost9885 Год назад

I love this plant because it’s a happy plant-mood brightener 🤩🤩 Just planted my Forsythia

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Wonderful that you’re finding joy in your garden! 💓

@gigimoore3738 Год назад

A town near me has a Forsthia Festival every spring.

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Aw, that’s pretty sweet actually 😊 - is it named that because it’s held while they’re in bloom? It’s a hard time of year, when everyone is kind of in need of some signs of life after winter, so seems a great idea to have an early festival to get people together! 💓

@Flower_hoarder 5 месяцев назад

🌼FORSYTHIA SAYS SPRING‼️🌼

@gardenforbirds 5 месяцев назад

This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot this spring! I have been watching my forsythia over the past month to see if any pollinators are using it for food forage - early spring is such a hard time for bees coming out of hibernation. They need nectar and pollen right away, and most of our gardens have very little blooming so early. I haven’t seen a single bee eat from my forsythia, and for me it is equally (and more) important to include plants that can help bees to survive AND are beautiful to look at! Most North American gardens seem to rely only on foreign plants for early blooms, and I hate to think of all the hungry bees out there! Just my two cents! 💓

@ramirofuentes4408 Год назад

One of my favorite shrub's. Cat bird's love nesting in them do to the multiple branches. Will leave in my yard.

@gardenforbirds Год назад

It’s always cool to see how the different birds like to nest differently!

@qiaoningwang3001 Год назад

we are in Canada, we love Forsythia, they are sign of spring.

@gardenforbirds Год назад

I know especially in colder climates winter can feel like it goes on forever, and those early signs of spring can truly save your sanity! I’m hoping to get some willow and spicebush into our garden soon, so I can see more early blooms! 💓

@nangel270 Год назад

I agree. It doesn’t offer enough to earn a space in my garden here in Canada.

@TygerValleyFarm Год назад

I have 5 native Lindera's on my property. I planted them shortly after I moved in about 5 years ago. They were twigs when I planted them. No taller than say 6 inches at the most. They are growing and look healthy and the butterflies are loving them for laying their eggs😊, but I have yet to see any flowers. Not a single flower. They are not all growing at the same rate. The ones in more shade are growing faster than the ones in full sun. My question is: When should I expect flowers on these beautiful shrubby trees? I have been thinking all along they need to mature a bit before flowering, but it has been a few years now. What is your advice? Thanks!

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Hmm, that’s interesting. I don’t have any yet, myself, but am seeing that they usually are expected to make fruit within 3-6 years, if you’re starting from a 2-3 foot tree. How big are they now? So cool that you’re seeing caterpillars!!

@TygerValleyFarm Год назад

Two of them are now about 2.5 feet tall. One is about 2 feet. One, unfortunately, had a traumatic experience and is now recovering and is about 6 inches tall. The last one is about 1.5 feet tall. I have had them now for about 5-6 years. Maybe they are getting near maturity and will start flowering soon. The females also produce berries, and you can't tell if they are male or female until they mature, so I am hoping I have at least one of the five to get berries😊 They came with caterpillars! LOL! I had to order them online because you can't find them locally around here. When they arrived I had to put them on the back porch because I had gotten into poison sumac and was unable to plant them right away. I noticed caterpillars crawling around the porch and realized it came from the tiny little spicebushes. I had to quickly get them in the garden. I had lots of caterpillars and they are so fun to peek at from time to time!

@gardenforbirds Год назад

@@TygerValleyFarm Yeah, it’s no fun not knowing if you got both male and female - I hope they bloom and fruit for you next year! Haha - too funny about the caterpillars! Your note about a trauma made me wonder if it’s possible a deer or rabbits might be eating off the buds before they can bloom…🤔 Our rabbits chewed my newly planted oakleaf hydrangea stems about half way to the ground this winter 😣

@alliehamilton-calhoun162 8 месяцев назад

They have tiny, plain flowers about the size of your pinky fingernail that don't even look like flowers. Could it be that you aren't recognizing them as flowers? I have 3 lindera that are around 8 years old, but no berries or caterpillars yet. Mine must all be the same sex.

@marcor6284 Год назад

Unfortunately, here in Germany Forsythia is also very common and very popular. People say it's colorful, it's beautiful, it represents spring. My alternative if you really want yellow as a color of an early blossom, replace Forsythia with 'Genista tinctoria'. You then have to wait until Junge for yellow blossoms but this plant is very easy to handle and also very important for insects. It replaces the flowering of apple, pear and other fruit trees, which often ends in late May.

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Oh no, sounds like our gardening industries are similarly uncreative! 😅 That’s a beautiful plant, thank you for sharing - I hadn’t seen it before! Yes! Planting for succession blooms is so important and I find it’s a fun mental exercise to plan our gardens with the dimension of time in mind!

@lindyc.2552 Год назад

Glad I ran across your video. I have two forsythia bushes that I would replace in a heartbeat, if I knew what native shrubs to plant to benefit pollinators...Thanks to your video, now I know. Was wondering if you could tell me about Spirea. I have about 10 Spirea bushes along my fence. The white flowers are pretty in early Spring...but, I'm not sure if these Spirea do much for pollinators or my backyard birds (other than provide cover). Do you know if Spirea has any benefit to backyard birds and pollinators (other than providing cover)...and if one of the substitutes you mention here (or any other shrub you could suggest), would be better? I am in central N.C. Thank you! 🐦🐝🦋

@gardenforbirds Год назад

That's very kind, I'm so glad to hear it was helpful! 💕I have never had a spirea myself, but I believe Japanese spirea is unfortunately considered invasive in the south east. I just replaced a hunk of my own forsythia with some black chokeberry - that's a great one for both pollinators and birds, and has white flowers in spring, fruit for migrating birds, and beautiful fall color! Here's where I ordered mine: www.prairienursery.com/black-chokeberry-aronia-melanocarpa.html There are also a few native spireas you could check out, they're listed at the bottom of this page: www.gardenia.net/guide/native-plant-alternatives-to-spiraea-japonica Hope this helps!

@lindyc.2552 Год назад

@@gardenforbirds Thank you so much for your input. I will check those links out. Best wishes to you!🙋

@jamesbarron1202 7 месяцев назад

Do you not see honeybees on your forsythia? I planted one just for my beehives out in my pasture but it died to the ground in our brutal Texas summer this year. Second hottest ever and only missed tieing #1 by 1/10th of a degree. 4th driest ever and I’m a pecan farmer and need summer rainfall. My forsythia came back from the root this winter and is about 3” tall.

@graffic13 Год назад

Yeah not my favorite... I'd rather have spicebush!!!

@gardenforbirds Год назад

I’ve been trying to work out a place for one in one of our shady sites, they’re beauties for sure!

@susanallen8214 Год назад

What gardening zone are you in ? (in N. America)

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Hi! I’m in Maryland right on the border of zones 6-7

@lillired857 Год назад

Mine died on its own, I cant find it! I think my elder may have crowded it out!

@gardenforbirds Год назад

I’ve never heard of it dying on its own, haha! I wish mine would take a hint and do the same! 😂

@ivettesantana4319 Год назад

is because Aldis sell them for $4 dollars and they are a no fail plant lol

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Our native plants are pretty fail proof, too! 😉

@alliehamilton-calhoun162 8 месяцев назад

This was a great video! I love my forsythia and can't justify removing a perfectly healthy plant. I prune it pretty heavily, so it isn't overwhelming my yard. I follow prof. Tallamy's 70% native plan. I have a pussy willow tree, St. Johns wort, and 3 spicebush plants. Fothergilla is beautiful, I'll have to see how well it does in zone 5. Thanks for the informative video!

@gardenforbirds 8 месяцев назад

Pruning is a great way to prevent it spreading beyond your garden! I’ve been seeing it in the wild spaces near me, so have decided to phase mine out. So far it’s been a gradual process, reducing its size while replacing with natives. Sounds like you have an enviable selection - awesome job! Hope you have a happy holiday!!

@seaknightvirchow8131 Год назад

I fear the rabbits here in eastern South Dakota will eat the shrubs.

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Argh, I’m battling the same - either rabbits, groundhogs or deer eating my babies! 😣 It’s frustrating that even North American mammals don’t like to eat the non-native plants - they could clear out a lot of the invasives if they could turn their chompers that way!

@YSLRD 6 месяцев назад

I have at least 15 forsythia and they are beautiful messengers of spring. If you want nesting thickets, flowering quince ( I know, not an " in" shrub) are outstandingly cat resistant. My cardinals ( who come to the house and yell at me if their birdbath goes dry) love it. Please consider letting go of the plant politics. We can love them all. Sorry, my momentary subscription is removed.

@gardenforbirds 6 месяцев назад

Wonderful to hear you are enjoying your garden so well! I laughed out loud about your cardinals, I've never heard of that! In my own area in Maryland, I've been terribly disheartened as I've learned to better ID more plants. So much (almost all) of the wild spaces in my area are completely devastated by invasive species - nearly all of the trees I see on the side of the road are literally falling over, dying after being smothered by invasive vines (mostly Oriental Bittersweet, multiflora rose, etc.). I am seeing a significant amount of forsythia in the understories of wild spaces in my area. Not as much as barberry, bush honeysuckle, or Japanese Knotweed, but it's definitely present. What I don't see are natives in the understories. The deer eat the native shrubs to the ground and there's very little forage left for birds and other wildlife. So, less than plant politics, I'm interested in sharing alternatives for these nonnative species. As time goes forward, our gardens are some of the last spaces these natives might be able to exist. I wish you all the best with your own garden!

@jjg250 5 месяцев назад

It's not invasive

@gardenforbirds 5 месяцев назад

It’s not registered as an invasive in any states in the US - yet. But I also trust my own observations, as the formal legislation often lags behind, and because invasive properties can evolve with the climate, and differently by region. As I showed in the video, I’ve seen it spreading into wild spaces in my own area, so I am trusting my own observations more so than government mandate. In response, I am working to replace it on my property with something that offers more meaningful wildlife value. Some native plant societies do seem to regard it as invasive, e.g. www.panativeplantsociety.org/uploads/1/7/8/2/17829397/invasiveplant_handout.pdf

@autumninvirginia1229 Год назад

No. I enjoy the color. I only have one.

@gardenforbirds Год назад

The previous owners of our house planted these abundantly and they are trying to form a kingdom 😅 especially since they’re invasive in my area, I’m slowly replacing them with plants that will benefit birds and pollinators. I’ve never seen even a single bee on my forsythia, and find I enjoy my plants the most when they’re full of life! 💓

@NorthCarolinian81 Год назад

No. They're beautiful

@gardenforbirds Год назад

😅 beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder! I personally have lost interest in ecologically inert plants - and think our American natives are pretty beautiful themselves!

@TygerValleyFarm Год назад

@@gardenforbirds I totally agree! I only plant natives. I don't even think about planting something that is not native to my region. They are not only beautiful, but they also require less fertilizers, pesticides and less water. They are more adaptable to whatever Mother Nature brings as far as temperatures and rain etc. Additionally, they are more valuable for wildlife providing necessary food and shelter. 🦋❤

@gardenforbirds Год назад

Yas yas and yas! 💓 I believe gardens are so much more fulfilling when you can see them supporting so much life! And I learn so much watching the plant-animal interactions!

@MrLuridan Год назад

@@gardenforbirds Agree! I’m surprised to see so many people defending the forsythia. They are beautiful, but unused by wildlife. I also prefer beautiful native plants that are used by local species.

@gardenforbirds Год назад

@@MrLuridan I’ve been a bit surprised too! I suppose it might hold a bit of nostalgia for some! 💓