with Kim Eierman
Ask EcoBeneficial!
Helpful answers to readers' questions. Go ahead – just ask EcoBeneficial
Question:
I have a couple beds of Ninebarks and Viburnums and they’ve been there about two or three years. So I’m thinking it’s time to create a living mulch around them. Can you recommend a few plants for ground cover that have ecological benefits, and will fill in around these shrubs? I live in south central Illinois.
Answer:
You are a step ahead of many gardeners by contemplating living mulch ground covers instead of an endless expanse of shredded bark or wood chips. …
Question:
What are some native, deer-resistant flowering perennials for wet meadows in the Northeast?
Answer:
As you likely know, no plant is deer bomb-proof. In the absence of adequate forage, deer will browse just about anything. Young fawns and does may nibble on plants that make them sick, as they have not yet figured out the menu.
Here are some typically deer-resistant, native flowering perennials suitable for wet meadows or landscapes with moist to wet soils. Make sure that your deer get this list!…
Question:
I understand that berries of some winterberry cultivars may be too big for birds and may have less nutrition. Should I buy winterberry cultivars? I am in Maryland and have not seen the straight species anywhere. Will deer browse winterberry?
Answer:
I prefer to use straight species plants whenever possible, thinking that Mother Nature really does know best and provides the best resources. We lose some genetic diversity when we rely upon cultivars and favor our own aesthetic tastes. Sometimes our selections (i.e….
Question:
Some areas near me have added native plants to their gardens and I want to demonstrate to the residents how much of an impact they have had on the environment in doing so. Do you know of a resource that could explains which specific animals/birds/insects are supported by specific native plants?
Answer:
You definitely have the right idea in trying to show how important native plants are to wildlife (and to us humans!). I call it “connecting the ecological dots.” …
Question:
It’s September and I’m noticing a lot of bugs on my Butterflyweed. What are they and should I do anything about them?
Answer:
Your Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) has a robust population of two types of insects, commonly found on milkweeds – Oleander Aphids and Large Milkweed Bug nymphs. They are just some of the amazing variety of insects that use milkweed – it’s a micro food web. A terrific little book was written about these many insects: Milkweed,…
Question:
My clients want to leave their landscape natural, to support wildlife, but don’t want it to look like a mess. Help!
Answer:
Thanks for your question. There can be a lot of confusion with clients about native landscapes and what they can or “should” look like. First, as with food labeling, the word “natural” is not really useful. “Natural” is frequently used to describe a landscape that is unmanaged or “let go” such as a turf lawn that has been allowed to grow un-mowed. …
Question:
A number of years ago, my trellised legumes were inundated with kudzu beetles for the first time. I have not seen one since. What happened?
Answer:
Thanks for your question. The kudzu beetle or kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria, is an invasive insect from Asia. It was first noticed in the U.S. in Georgia in 2009 and is now prevalent throughout the Southeastern U.S. This little pest has piercing-sucking mouthparts and feeds on the stems and petioles of various legumes. …
Question:
What can I do so attract lady beetles to help control aphids? How about buying them?
Answer:
Most species of lady beetles, also known as lady bugs, are predators both in their larval and adult stages. They can be effective and voracious predators on aphids, eating up to 5,000 aphids in their lifetime. To attract and support lady beetles in your garden, you need to include the plants that are most appealing to them, supplementing their diet with the pollen and nectar which many adult lady beetles eat in addition to pest insects….
Question:
I just found five small spiky caterpillars on a tree sapling and checked online that they are poisonous. Should I get rid of them and if so, how?
Answer:
There are some caterpillars that sting as a defensive mechanism against predators. An example is the fantastical Saddleback Caterpillar that Dr. Doug Tallamy discusses with me in this video interview.
This compelling caterpillar turns into a rather mundane looking adult moth that is harmless.
When you touch a Saddleback Caterpillar, or other stinging caterpillar species,…