09/06/2026
When planting a tree, you may be tempted to place it in the middle of your lawn as a stately focal point. That, however, can be a disservice to the many organisms that will utilize that plant for food and shelter, as the turfgrass below may act as a desert surrounding an oasis. Many of the insects that rely on the tree for food actually need to complete their life cycles near its roots, but without shelter by way of shorter plants, leaf debris, and accessible soil, they are unable to mature into adults. That’s why it’s important to plant under and around your trees, and create “soft landings” for the animals you’re nurturing in the woody plants themselves.
The name “soft landings” accurately describes one of the purposes of this part of the garden. When a caterpillar that feeds in an oak tree, for example, needs to reach the soil to pupate, they don’t necessarily crawl their way down. It’s much faster to just drop! In a natural setting, there would usually be layers of understory that the caterpillar passes through on the way down, from smaller trees and shrubs down to perennials, ferns, and grasses. There’s also all of the debris from those plants that accumulates, including the fallen leaves from the tree above. While the debris may clear periodically from natural forces like wind, rain, or fire, the system quickly sets itself back up with regrowth and the next season’s leaves. This all acts like tiered pillows, cushioning the caterpillars on their way down, and making the tactic quite safe! Additionally, those layers provide shelter for the pupae, as many moths and caterpillars form a chrysalis that camouflages with the leaf litter. Other species dig into the soil, which is far less accessible when covered in a layer of turfgrass (or worse, concrete or even landscape fabric). Moths and butterflies have diverse strategies for pupating, but a “soft landing” provides for their needs while lawn does not. These spaces also provide resources for many other creatures, from fireflies, lacewings, and bumble bees to salamanders, or maybe even box turtles!
We have a plethora of plants that can contribute to soft landings in your yards. Sedges and ferns are both great picks that shelter the soil beneath them and provide shelter for small animals. Shrubs like smooth hydrangea naturally grow in woodlands, and others like native bush honeysuckle are adaptable to varying amounts of sunlight (which is great as your trees grow and provide more shade over time). Perennials like black cohosh can add a taller structure, while groundcovers like Jacob’s ladder fill in the lowest levels. You can mix and match to your heart’s content and find what aesthetic works for you to protect the insects under your trees, all while boosting the ecological value of the space you are creating.
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Funded by a grant from Wild Ones Minnesota. ©2021 Heather Holm and Neighborhood Greening.
Developed in consultation with Desiree Narango, Ph.D.; artwork by Elsa Cousins.
* For more on creating soft landings under trees, visit: www.PollinatorsNativePlants.com/softlandings.html)
