Plants


2013 Fall.  Trees in and adjacent to Blue Flag Bird Refuge
   When I choose plants, I keep several parameters in mind.  First, do no harm; the plants must not be invasive exotics, or in other words, noxious weeds.  They must be able to survive hungry deer, usually by one of two strategies.  Plants survive deer by outgrowing them in height or by sheer exuberance for vegetating.  Alternatively, plants make themselves distasteful to deer by covering themselves with thorns, prickles or hairs or by making compounds that either taste bad or are poisonous to browsers.  On the other hand, I do want to chose plants that provide food and shelter for birds.  If the plants provide a bit of extra food that can be shared with humans, that is a definite plus.  Lastly, I prefer native plants because they evolved in this climate, and when chosen well for sun, moisture, and soil conditions are very easy to care for.  Native plants support  the local ecosystem, providing  food and shelter for a broad array of fauna.

   My favorite web site for an overview of native plants that grow in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is US Fish & Wildlife Service's Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping. This file lists hundreds of plants by category, growing preferences, and wildlife value.  I refer to it constantly when I am choosing plants for a site.

   This page will list plants that I have tried or will try to grow in Blue Flag Bird Refuge or on the neighboring property.  Some plants were already on the property, and some I planted myself.  I'd like to thank Brad Schott of Schott Nurseries for his patience, knowledge, and willingness to work with me when I bought trees and shrubs from him.  He provided good quality plants at very affordable prices.  Without his friendly service, I would not have been able to afford nearly the number of trees and shrubs that I bought for the refuge.

 When I first moved into Oella, 17 years ago, I had no experience co-gardening with deer.  I spent hundreds of dollars on pretty flowers that shortly afterwards ended up as deer dessert.  I learned to check for deer resistance before buying a plant, but even that wasn't foolproof because deer have local preferences.  For this reason, I will list and update plant species with which I have personal experience.

   I have discovered that the best protection from deer damage is to put a fence around every plant that you wish to  keep.  If you don't, what does not get eaten will most likely be trampled or destroyed by antler rubbing in the fall.



Trees
genus species 'cultivar'
Native to Maryland?
Most deer resistant (1) to least resistant (5)
Requires full sun (1) to full shade (5)
Prefers dry (1) to wet (5) soil
Comments
American holly
Ilex opaca
Yes
2
1,2,3
3
growing very slowly
American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
Yes
1
1,2
3,4,5
grows fast and gets huge
American Snowbell
Styrax americanus
Yes

3,4,5
3,4,5
 small tree, survived with a fence around it
Ash
Fraxinus
Yes
1


Mature trees succumbing to Emerald Green Ash Borer, a new invasive insect
Baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
Yes
2
1,2
3,4,5
can grow in standing water, doing great by the pond
Black locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
Yes
1
1
1,2,3
fixes nitrogen, would be more appreciated if it weren't so easy to grow
Black willow
Salix nigra
Yes

1
3,4,5
grows fast, lives about 50 years
Chokecherry
prunus virginiana 'Cananda red'
Yes

3
1,2,3
 Tough, lovely small tree that was tall enough to survive grazing, and was gored by a randy buck in the fall.  Now fenced, it is doing well.
Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis
Yes
4
1,2,3,4,5
3
Needed protection until it reached 5'
Eastern redcedar
Juniperus virginiana
Yes
3
1
1,2,3
Deer don't eat it but young plants invariably get gored by bucks in the fall.
Eastern white pine
Pinus strobus
Yes
2
1,2
2,3,4

Flowering dogwood
Cornus florida
Yes
1
1,2,3,4
2,3
Sadly, susceptible to anthracnose
Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
Yes

1,2,3
1,2,3,4
Grows fast.
Japanese maple

No
1


Slow growing small, non native
Juniper species and cultivars
juniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow'
No



I fenced them to protect them from antler rubbing.
Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
Yes
1
1,2,3,4
2,3,4
Thriving
Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana
Yes
3
1,2,3
1,2,3,4
survived
River birch
Betula nigra
Yes

1,2,3
3,4,5
Thriving
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
Yes
5
1,2,3
1,2,3,4,5
needs a fence until it's more than 5'
Service berry
Amelanchier
Yes



Slow to establish, but looking good
Sweet bay magnolia
Magnolia virginiana
Yes
2
1,2,3,4
3,4,5
Surviving, local trees have no deer damage
White oak
Quercus alba
Yes
5
1
2,3,4
needs a fence until it's more than 5'
Yellow poplar
Liriodendron tulipfera
Yes

1
1,2
Already mature, don't know about seedlings
Witch hazel
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold's Promise'
No

1,2,3,4
3,4,5
Thriving
Shrubs






Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum 'Chicago luster'
Yes

1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
Thriving
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum 'Blue muffin'
Yes
3
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
Surviving, but because of its small mature size, it will never be able to outgrow deer
Bayberry
Myrica pennsylvanica
Yes

1,2
1,2,3,4,5
 Surviving
Bramble
Kiowa'
No



Did not do well
Red chokeberry
Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima'
Yes

1,2,3
2,3,4,5
Thriving
High bush blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
Yes

1,2
3,4,5
Surviving, needs to be fenced
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Yes
2
1,2,3,4,5
2,3,4
growing slowly
Pussy willow
Salix discolor
Yes

1
3,4,5
to be planted
Virginia rose
Rosa Virginiana
Yes

1
1,2,3
Surviving
Carolina rose
Rosa Carolina
Yes

1
1
 Survining
Adam's needle
Yucca filamentosa
Yes
3
1
1,2,3
Growing slowly
Mapleleaf viburnum
Viburnum acerfolium
Yes
4
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3
Died
Black elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Yes
5
1,2,3
1,2,3,4,5
devoured, I'm trying again with more bushes and fencing
American hazelnut
Corylus americana
Yes

1,2,3
1,2,3
Recently planted, needs fencing
Red-osier dogwood
Cornus serica
Yes
1
1,2,3
3,4,5
Thriving
American Plum

Yes



Recently planted, needs fencing







Coralberry
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
Yes
1
1,2,3
1,2
thriving
Vines






Grapes
Concord derivative




Survived, needed fencing
Carolina jessamine

Yes
1
1,2,3

Thriving without fencing
American bittersweet

Yes



to be planted
Virgin's bower
Clematis virginiana
Yes
1
1,2,3
1,2,3
robust, likes shady feet and a sunny head
Poison ivy

Yes
1
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
not recommended for gardens on account of the rash most people get from it
Silver lace vine

No
1
1,2

very robust
Coral honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Yes
2
1,2,3
1,2,3
grows fast, attracts hummingbirds
Fox grapes






Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Yes
3
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
extremely robust if it has an opportunity to grow higher than 5'
Perennials






Asparagus

No
1


survived multiple years
Blanket flower

Yes
1


Thrived
Blue flag

Yes
1
1,2,3
4,5
thrived
Daffodil

No
1
1,2
2,3,4
thrived
Ostrich Fern

Yes
1
3,4,5
3,4,5
thrived
Pink Muhy grass

Yes
1


survived
Sensitive Fern

Yes
1


thrived
Snowdrops

No
1


thrived
Sweet Woodruff

Yes
1


thrived
Tulip

No
5


chomped
Annuals






Begonias


 5



Sunflower


 5



Petunia


 5



Marigold


 1



Pepper


 5



Herbs






Chives


1



Creeping thyme


1



Lavendar


1



Rosemary


1



Russian sage


1



Sage


1



Invasive plants






Mile-a-minute weed


 1


 covered with little thorns
Autumn olive


 1


loves it here
Japanese multiflora rose


 3


many succumbed to rose rosette disease
Japanese honeysuckle


 3


 extremely robust, if it has an opportunity to grow higher than 5'
Oriental bittersweet


 3


 extremely robust, if it has an opportunity to grow higher than 5'
Pachysandra


 1



Periwinkle


 1













































































































































































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