Berries as a source of food
Our native viburnums are an important source of berries. Cedar waxwings will often finish these off in the spring as they pass through as they migrate north. You'll notice that the leaves are riddled with holes - a consequence of the non-native viburnum leaf beetle that has particularly devastated native viburnums. Non-native viburnums don't seem to be affected as much.
Here's a female bayberry its first year. It will ultimately grow to be about 8 feet tall. Since the plants aren't generally labeled as to whether they're male or female, I've decided the best time to buy them is in the fall when you can actually see berries on the females. You only need one male to pollinate about 7-10 females. (Spicebush and hollies - such as the winterberry following - also come in male and female.)
Here's a winterberry, a native holly plant.
Can you see the robin and catbird eating elderberries? They're a favorite of the birds, and we use some of them, too, to make jam. Besides their habitat value, I enjoy their flowers, too. A nice landscaping plant.
