Wildlife on NativeYardAtlas.com

Common Hackberry Profile for Minnesota

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Common Hackberry Profile for Minnesota

Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is native to Minnesota. University of Minnesota Extension notes that it occurs commonly in southern and central Minnesota, including river terraces and floodplains. Check the local range and planting stock for the specific site rather than treating the state-level profile as proof of county occurrence.

Site profile

Field	Source description
Mature size	About 50–70 feet tall and up to 50 feet wide.
Light	Full sun to part shade.
Soil and drainage	Clay through sandy soils; dry to wet conditions; well-drained or poorly drained soil.
Urban stresses	Tolerates heat, drought, salt spray, wind, ice, and short-term flooding. The source does not give a salt dose or flood-duration threshold.
Wildlife and appearance	Fruits feed birds and small mammals. Witches’ brooms are described as cosmetic.

Spicebush Profile for Pennsylvania

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Spicebush Profile for Pennsylvania

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is a deciduous shrub that Penn State Extension describes across Pennsylvania. It grows as a rounded shrub about 6–12 feet tall and can spread by root suckers. Confirm the county-level range and nursery source for a particular planting.

Site profile

Field	Source description
Soil and moisture	Best in moist, calcium-rich soil.
Light	Full sun to deep shade. In deep shade the plant may be more open.
Fruit	Plants are male or female; female plants can produce red fruit when pollinated.
Browse	Deer may browse smaller or newer plants and may pass over larger plants. This is variable behavior, not deer resistance or protection.
Growth	Root suckers can expand the planting beyond the original stems.

Winterberry Holly Profile for Maryland

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Winterberry Holly Profile for Maryland

Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is a deciduous shrub associated with Maryland wetlands across the Mountain, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain regions in University of Maryland Extension’s profile. Confirm local range and stock before planting; a wetland association does not mean a shrub tolerates permanent ponding at every site.

Site profile

Field	Source description
Mature size	About 6–12 feet; some cultivars reach about 4–6 feet.
Light	Full sun to mostly shade.
Soil	Moist, high-organic soil; any texture; acidic pH 4.5–6.5.
Fruit	Female plants produce berries when pollinated by a male of the same species. Overlapping bloom improves fruiting. UMD gives one male for up to 10 female plants within 50 feet as its planting guidance.
Water limit	The profile does not give a permanent-ponding threshold or flood duration.

Black Chokeberry Profile for Virginia

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Black Chokeberry Profile for Virginia

Virginia’s wildlife and landscape references identify black chokeberry under two scientific names. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources table uses Photinia melanocarpa; Virginia Cooperative Extension’s current shrub guide uses Aronia melanocarpa. Check the name on the plant label and use the current name when looking up range information.

Site profile

Virginia Tech describes black chokeberry as a medium-sized shrub with showy white spring flowers and black fruit in fall or early winter. It tolerates wet and dry soils and can sucker to form a colony. The DWR table reports shade tolerance and medium drought tolerance; it lists about 15 feet at 20 years. Virginia Tech uses a medium size class, defined in that guide as 5 feet to less than 9 feet. These descriptions use different measures, so check cultivar, spacing, and expected mature form before planting.

Choose wildlife-friendly plants for a Pennsylvania rain garden

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Choose wildlife-friendly plants for a Pennsylvania rain garden

A rain garden may provide wildlife habitat while it manages runoff, but the bottom of the bed and its higher edges do not have the same moisture. Penn State Extension’s rain-garden resources organize candidates by preferred moisture zone and recommend considering sun, soil, height, bloom, spread, and wildlife value as well. Use that framework to screen plants, then verify each candidate’s local range and full site fit.