Louisiana Yards and Neighborhoods

1. www.lsuagcenter.com/lyn Louisiana Yards and Neighborhoods Landscapes For Wildlife

2. Food Fruit-bearing Nectar plants Larval Plants Cover Water Puddling station Birdbaths Managing for Wildlife Weeds Nuisance Animals More Information Attracting Wildlife

3. All Animals Need: • Food • Cover • Water • Space • Animals will only reside or forage in an • area that contains enough of these four • essential elements to maintain daily activities. Habitat

4. Food • Fruit • Seeds • Insects • Nectar • Larval • Meat • Remember to provide food year-round, especially in winter. Attract a variety of birds, reptiles, bats, butterflies and other insects

5. Fruit-bearing Plantsfor Louisiana Muscadine Vitis sp Beautyberry Calicarpa americana

6. Fruit-bearing plants available at many nurseries or retailers

7. FirethornPyracantha spp. Large evergreen shrub Bears flowers and fruit Good wildlife food and cover Full sun to partial shade Does best in well-drained soil

8. Parsley Hawthorn Crataegus marshallii • Large shrub • Flowers in spring • Fruits in fall • Very good for attracting birds that eat its fruit and nest in shrub

9. Pecan Carya spp. • Many varieties. • Prefers deep, fertile, well-drained soil. • Nuts are excellent human and wildlife food.

10. Hickory • In the genus Carya • Includes 12-13 species native to N.A. • Nuts used as food by many species of wildlife and leaves used by some larvae of butterflies and moths

11. MayhawsCrataegus poaca and Crataegus aestivalis • Usually reach 20-30 feet tall at maturity. • Native to habitats that have low, wet and slightly acid soils. • Full sun to partial shade. • Berries ripen from mid-April to mid-May. • Fruit for human consumption and wildlife.

12. MulberryMorus rubra • Large, native tree ~ 40 ft • Full sun • Throughout Louisiana • Edible fruit in spring • Brittle bark, messy

13. Holly Ilex spp. • Native and introduced trees • Sun to partial shade • Range varies • Fruit remains through winter, attracting birds • Salt-, drought- and shade- tolerant • Suckers Gallberry Ilex glabra Dahoon Holly Ilex cassine

14. Paw PawAsimina triloba • Humid growing zones. • Germinating seedlings need partial shade for 1st or 2nd year. • Fruiting mature plants need full sun. • Slightly acidic (ph 5.5-7) well-drained soil. • Mature – small tree seldom taller than 25 feet.

15. Good fruit-bearing plants for wildlife not readily available at retail stores.

16. Chickasaw PlumPrunus angustifolia • Native tree ~10 ft • Full to partial sun • Blooms early spring • Edible fruit • Suckers tend to form thickets

17. Elderberry Sambucus canadensis • Native shrub ~ 15 ft • Full to partial sun • Throughout Louisiana • Fragrant flowers year-round • Edible fruit

18. Nectar Plantsfor Louisiana Cardinal flowerLobelia cardinalis Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis ConeflowerEchinacea purpurea

19. Lantana spp. • Woody perennial • Sun or partial shade • Great for butterflies Pentas spp. • Variety of flower colors • Moderately fertile soil that retains moisture well • Full sun to shade • Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds

20. Golden Dew DropDuranta erecta • Shrub ~ 14 ft • Full to partial sun • Blooms year-round • Throughout Louisiana • High drought tolerance • Attracts butterflies

21. PorterweedStachytarpheta jamaicensis • Native and non-native perennial ~ 4 ft • Full to partial sun • Blooms year-round • Medium salt- and drought-tolerant Red variety is non-native

22. Coral HoneysuckleLonicera sempervirens • Native vine • Full to partial sun • Blooms spring-fall • Throughout Louisiana • Attract butterflies and hummingbirds

23. Virginia WillowItea virginica • Native shrub ~ 7 ft • Full to partial sun • Blooms spring • Drought- and flood-tolerant • Suckers tend to form thickets

24. Larval Plantsfor Louisiana Butterfly Matchweed Phyla nodiflora Willow, Salix caroliniana is a larval host of the Viceroy Adult and larvae of Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaon

25. Red BayPersia borbonia • Native tree ~ 40 ft • Full to partial sun • Throughout Louisiana • Drought- and salt-tolerant • Blooms in spring; attracts butterflies • Purple fruit attracts birds Bays are larval food for the spicebush swallowtail

26. Mexican MilkweedAsclepias spp. • Shrub ~ 4 ft • Natives available • Full to partial sun • Blooms year-round • Throughout Louisiana • Drought-tolerant • Nectar attracts hummingbirds and butterflies Larval host of Monarch and Queen

27. Passion Flower Passiflora spp. • Vine • Native varieties available • Full to partial sun • Blooms year-round • Throughout Louisiana Larval host of Gulf Fritillary Does not sting

28. DillAnethum graveolens • Plant in cool weather • Full sun • Can grow up to 3 ft tall • Sow seeds close together • Good plant to attract caterpillars • Parsley • Full sun or light shade • Transplant plants to 9 inches apart • Must protect in cold weather with coverings such as straw • Good to attract caterpillars to your garden

29. Cover • Vertical layers • Evergreen species for winter cover • Standing dead trees or “snags” if practical • Brush piles if practical

30. Water • Permanent water feature • Sound of running water attracts many animals Puddling: Butterflies obtain water and minerals from liquid in pore spaces. Puddling station

31. Design a Puddling Station • Layer sand in saucer. • Add layer of compost. • Place pebbles on top. • Add water slowly (to pebble layer). • Place saucer on upside down pot.

32. Birdbath • Shallow with mildly sloping sides • Rough surface • Keep clean • Rinse off any soap residue Audubon Society recommends changing the water and cleaning bird baths weekly to avoid spreading avian diseases.

33. Managing for Wildlife • Vertical layers of vegetation. • Plant natives if possible. • Introduced plants also useful. • No pesticides! • Plant wild flowers or reduce mowing in certain areas of your property if possible. • Manage pets. Long-tailed skipper feeding on Spanish needle.

34. Coreopsis Coreopsis spp. Plant Wildflowers for Wildlife Horsemint Monarda punctata Pokeweed Phytolacca americana Blanket flowerGaillardia pulchella

35. Tolerance of Nuisance Animals Herbivores (deer, rabbits, ducks, squirrels) • Contribute to food web, circle of life • Nets and fencing may protect fruits • Harassment or nest removal for non-natives Diggers (moles, squirrels, armadillos, tortoises) • Bring nutrient to surface • Loosen & aerate soil • Feed on turf and landscape pests • Trapping and deterrents Armadillo Gray squirrel Garden moles

36. Venomous Spiders and Disease-carrying Insects to Avoid Mosquito Southern Black widow (male and female) Brown Recluse Ticks

37. Copperhead Canebreak Rattlesnake Coral Snake Poisonous Snakes Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake Water Moccasin

38. IF YOU ARE BITTEN BY A SNAKE, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION! • A snake controls how much venom is injected. • 50% of all snake bites are dry. • 25% are warning bites with enough venom to cause pain, swelling, tissue loss and possible limb loss. • 25% are potentially lethal.

39. More Information • LSU AgCenterwww.lsuagcenter.com • Louisiana Dept of Ag. and Forestry • Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries • United States Fish and Wildlife Service • Local Audubon Society

40. Further Reading Trees for Louisiana Landscapes-A Handbook. LSU AgCenter #1622 (online only). Gardening for Butterflies in Louisiana. Gary Ross. LDWF. Louisiana Backyard Wildlife Management. Bill Vermillion. LDWF. Economy Bat House Plans. Batcon.org. http://www.batcon.org/bhra/economyhouse.html. Backyard Bird Feeding. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://library.fws.gov/Bird_Publications/feed.html. Homes for Birds. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://library.fws.gov/Bird_Publications/house.html.

41. Acknowledgements The LSU AgCenter thanks the Florida State Extension Service for many materials and several photos used in this presentation.

42. www.lsuagcenter.com/lyn Louisiana Yards and Neighborhoods Landscapes for Wildlife