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http://www.leavesforwildlife.com/

Leaves for Wildlife Native Plant Nursery, 1655 N County Road 605, Sunbury, OH (2026)

09/05/2026

Willows: Keystone Plants for Pollinators, Birds, and Clean Water

When the first warm days of spring arrive and native bees begin emerging from their winter shelters, willows catkins provide one of the earliest pollen and nectar sources at a time when few other food sources are available. But that's not all.

Willows (Salix spp.) are considered a keystone genus, meaning they support a disproportionately large number of insects compared to most other plants. In central Ohio alone, willows host >300 species of caterpillars.

And caterpillars matter. They provide more insect biomass to the food web than any other type of insect. Most of our terrestrial bird species rely on them to raise their young since they’re the easiest to gather. (Did you know baby birds in the nest are unable to digest nuts and seeds from our feeders?)

Over the years, we've found several caterpillars species feeding on willows here at the nursery, including Red Admiral and Viceroy butterflies, and the striking White Furcula moth. Countless other moths, butterflies, bees, beetles, and pollinators also depend on willows for food and habitat.

Willows also protect our waterways. Their extensive root systems stabilize streambanks, reduce erosion, slow runoff, improve water infiltration, and help filter pollutants before they reach streams and wetlands. Whether planted along a creek, pond, rain garden, drainage swale, or low area of the yard, willows are among nature's hardest-working watershed plants.

We've got a willow for nearly every situation. All willow species can be cut to the ground each year to manage height.

P***y Willow (Salix discolor)
Famous for its soft silver catkins. Grows 6–20' tall in full to part sun and average to wet soils.

Peachleaf Willow (Salix amygdaloides)
A fast-grower reaching 30–60' tall. Excellent for larger properties, ponds, and floodplains. Prefers full sun and moist to wet soils.

Shining Willow (Salix lucida)
A beautiful large shrub or small tree with glossy foliage and stems. Great for weaving. Typically grows 12-20' tall in full to part sun and moist to wet soils. Tolerates heavy clay and poor soils.

Sandbar Willow (Salix interior)
A multi-stemmed, suckering shrub that reaches 15-30' tall in moist to wet soils and full to part sun. This willow has the longest, narrowest leaves of any of the willow species.

Dune Willow (Salix cordata)
A smaller willow, typically 3–8' tall. Great for rain gardens, and adapts to sandy and well-drained soils where many other willows struggle. Best in full sun.

Prairie Willow (Salix humilis)
Our most compact willow, usually 2–6' tall (can reach 10’ in ideal conditions). A great choice for part to full sun in average to dry soils and smaller landscapes. Beautiful blue-green foliage.

Shop all our willows here: https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/search?q=willow

Need a tree that works as hard as you do? We've got a willow for that. Pop on out to see us in Sunbury, Ohio on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10–6 through the end of October.

09/03/2026

Looking for a native privacy screen? Think beyond a straight row of evergreens. A diverse, layered hedge is more resilient, more beautiful, and far better for wildlife.

By mixing evergreens with shrubs, small trees, perennials, and groundcovers, you recreate the layers found in natural habitats. The result is year-round privacy, seasonal flowers and berries, beautiful textures and fall color, plus habitat for birds, pollinators, toads, turtles, and overwintering insects.

A mixed planting is also insurance for your landscape. If a pest or disease impacts one species, you'll still have plenty of coverage while replacements establish.

Fall is the best time to plant, and now is the best time to shop while selection is at its peak.

Here are a few native evergreens currently available:

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)…just a few assorted sizes left
A fast-growing evergreen for sun and a wide range of soils. Its blue berry-like cones feed cedar waxwings, bluebirds, robins, and other birds throughout winter.
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/cedar-eastern-red-juniperus-virginiana

Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
A soft-textured native arborvitae that provides excellent screening and shelter for wildlife. Seeds are enjoyed by goldfinches, grosbeaks, and pine siskins.
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/cedar-eastern-white-thuja-occidentalis

Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
A graceful, shade-tolerant evergreen that creates valuable winter refuge for birds and mammals while adding year-round beauty to the landscape.
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/canadian-hemlock-tsuga-canadensis

We're open Thursdays and Saturdays from 10-6. Stop by and we’ll help you design a visually appealing privacy screen that works for wildlife too!

09/01/2026

RIP, Wendell Berry
August 5, 1934 – August 31, 2026

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.

I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light.

For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

08/31/2026

The mulch volcano is one of the most common ways trees are harmed AND, sadly, one of the most widely accepted landscaping practices.

Mulch volcanoes don't occur around the base of trees in nature. Instead, the root flare, where the trunk widens and transitions into the roots, remains exposed to air. When mulch or soil is piled against the trunk, several things happen:

• The buried bark stays damp, inviting decay, disease, and insect damage.

• Oxygen levels around the root flare decline, stressing the entire root system.

• Roots begin circling the trunk instead of growing outward where they can absorb water and nutrients and anchor the tree.

As the tree matures, these circling roots can slowly constrict the tissues responsible for moving water up to the canopy and sugar down to the roots. It's a bit like tightening a belt one notch every year for the life of the tree.

While the red maple in these photos isn't the worst example we've seen, notice the narrow, conical canopy and sparse growth in the upper branches before intervention (in the foreground with the circle of rocks around the base). Had nothing been done, this tree would likely have continued to decline, becoming increasingly vulnerable to drought, disease, and canopy dieback.

Here's what Sam did to help this tree:

• Carefully pulled back the excess soil and mulch to expose the root flare

• Removed several girdling roots that were wrapping around the trunk

• Created a soft landing beneath the tree's canopy, transforming what was once a narrow ring of mulch into a more functional habitat space

In the after photos, notice the improved vigor, fuller canopy, and increased spread of the crown. We'll be expanding the soft landing beneath this tree soon!

Want to see this tree in person? Stop by and take a look! We're located in Sunbury, Ohio, and we're open Thursdays and Saturdays from 10–6 through the end of October.

08/27/2026

This is the third and final post in our soft landing series.

We've covered what soft landings are and how to create them around newly planted native trees to provide a landing zone for caterpillars and other insects to transform and overwinter.

Now let's look at the situation most of us already have: mature trees surrounded by lawn.

If you have several trees that could benefit from a soft landing, start with your keystone species first. Oaks, cherries, plums, willows, maples, birches, and other keystone trees are already producing large numbers of caterpillars and other insects. Adding a soft landing beneath them gives them a place to complete their life cycle while creating habitat for countless other species.

Tips for planting beneath mature trees:
• Protect the root flare. Keep the base of the trunk exposed and free of mulch, soil, and plants.
• Install smaller plants when possible to minimize disturbance to the tree's root system.
• Let the roots guide your planting. If you hit a root, shift the plant rather than severing the tree's roots.
• Water during establishment. Mature trees are already using much of the available moisture, so water deeply at least twice a week (in the absence of rain) until new plants are established, usually 6–8 weeks.
• Reduce competition. Surround new plants with a layer of cardboard and mulch or wood chips to conserve moisture and create a weed-free zone while they establish.
• Plant in drifts. Grouping plants in clusters helps them fill in more quickly, suppresses weeds, and creates a more natural look.
• Skip the landscape fabric. It interferes with the natural nutrient recycling that enriches and builds healthy soil, AND, many of the insects we're trying to support need access to the soil beneath the leaf litter.
• Add spring ephemerals. Plants like Virginia bluebells, trilliums, Dutchman's breeches, and wild ginger take advantage of spring sunlight before the canopy leafs out, providing some of the earliest nectar and pollen of the season.

Over time, what was once a ring of mulch or a patch of lawn becomes a living layer of habitat. Leaves accumulate, moisture is retained, weeds are shaded out, pollinators find food, caterpillars find shelter, and birds discover an abundant buffet.

A mature native tree is already doing tremendous ecological work. A soft landing helps it reach its full potential.

We're in Sunbury and we’re open Thursdays and Saturdays from 10–6 through the end of October. Stop by and let's help your trees grow into an ecosystem!

08/26/2026

Yesterday we shared the concept of soft landings: the vegetative layers beneath trees that provide safe haven for caterpillars in their pupal and most vulnerable state.

Today we’ll cover how to create this critically important habitat below and around a new sapling. In tomorrow’s post, we’ll share tips on planting under mature trees.

While a young tree may be standing in full sun today, as it matures, the canopy will gradually cast more shade, changing the conditions beneath it. That's why it's important to choose companion plants that can make the transition from full sun to full shade as your tree fills out.

Here are some keystone perennials that will transition as the canopy fills in:
• Big Leaf Aster (Eurybia macrophylla)
• Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)
• Blue Stem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia)
• Crooked Stem Aster (Symphyotrichum prenanthoides)
• Short's Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii)
• Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)
• Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)
• Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Together, these plants provide flowers from spring through fall. Wild strawberry gets the season started, woodland sunflower carries the show through summer, and asters and goldenrods provide critical late-season nectar and pollen when many other plants have finished blooming.

Mix in a few additional species for even greater diversity and visual interest. Be sure as you plant to leave the root flare exposed so your tree can breathe. If you’re trading grass for sass, and want to save your back, put down cardboard and mulch for 6-8 weeks prior to planting, or simply surround your new plants with carboard and mulch to blot out the weeds around them. Bare spots made this way work amazingly well for establishing a new planting area.

As your tree matures and begins casting shade beneath it, spring ephemerals, ferns and other shade plants can be added for a broader array of colors, textures and benefits.

Including a shrub layer significantly boosts the wildlife value of a soft landing area by providing nesting, food and valuable thermal and protective cover. Consider these full sun to full shade woody species that can thrive in sun when young, and adapt as the canopy closes overhead:

Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatis)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata)
Mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

With a few thoughtfully chosen companions, your sapling won't just grow into a tree. It'll grow into an entire ecosystem.

We're open Thursdays and Saturdays 10–6 through the end of October. Come on by for an ecosystem kit!

08/25/2026

If you've planted a native tree but are still mowing beneath it, you’re missing one of the most important pieces of the habitat puzzle.

Many of our butterflies and showy moths spend their caterpillar stage feeding in trees like oaks, maples, and wild plums. When they're ready to pupate, they drop to the ground and rely on leaf litter and native plants below for shelter and cover as they transform and overwinter.

That's why nature builds in layers. A canopy of trees, understory shrubs, and a diverse ground layer all work together to create habitat. This type of planting is referred to as a soft landing, a term coined by Heather Holm.

Here at the nursery, we used a simple wattle fence to establish a soft landing beneath a mature silver maple, right inside the caterpillar drop zone (AKA dripline). What was once compacted, mowed ground is now a thriving layered planting full of life.

Soft landings also provide habitat for toads, salamanders, overwintering pollinators, ladybugs, ground beetles, fireflies, and ground-feeding birds. Together, these layers create a miniature ecosystem beneath the tree.

Bonus: as the plants mature, their roots improve soil structure, increase water infiltration, reduce compaction, and benefit both the tree above and the wildlife below.

Stay tuned for our next two posts, where we'll explore how to create soft landings beneath newly planted trees and mature canopy trees.

Come check us out in Sunbury Ohio Thursdays or Saturdays from 10–6 through the end of October. Pick up some caterpillar cover!

08/22/2026

Don’t think you have room for an oak, our most essential keystone plant across most of the US?
Well, let’s meet a mini-oak that packs big oak energy!

The dwarf chinkapin oak (Quercus prinoides) may top out at only 5-15 feet (with the occasional overachiever reaching 20), but it hosts a staggering 477 species of caterpillars in central Ohio, including several stunning moths. That’s an entire ecosystem that can be tucked into almost any yard!

Its size makes it a natural fit as a specimen tree where a full-sized oak just won't fit, and it earns its keep in every season with early spring catkins, attractive summer leaves, warm orange-brown foliage in fall and a quirky, textured winter silhouette.

One of its best features is the acorns, mild-tasting and produced by age 3-5. Wild turkeys, deer, raccoons, and plenty of other wildlife seek them out, and they're edible for people too, after a little work to leach out the tannins. The dense, rounded crown also offers warblers and other songbirds a cozy, sheltered spot to nest.

This oak isn't picky about where it grows, either. It adapts to clay, rocky, or poor soils, and once established, it's remarkably drought-tolerant. The one thing it does ask for is full to part sun as it doesn't compete well for light with taller trees.

https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/oak-dwarf-chinkapin-quercus-prinoides

We’re open Thursdays and Saturday 10-6 through the end of October. Come and adopt a mighty little oak ecosystem!

08/20/2026

If you’re looking for a native shrub that checks all the boxes: beautiful, beneficial, and (bonus!) provides edible fruit, let’s talk about plums! Not the supermarket kind, but our native American, Allegheny, and Beach plums…three keystone species with high wildlife value that shine in the landscape from spring into late fall.

Pollinators flock to the fragrant white flowers of native plums in spring, and the late-summer fruit is not only beautiful, but a wildlife favorite, nourishing species from deer to foxes to over 200 bird species! The shiny green leaves of summer support the development of nearly 400 species of caterpillars in central Ohio – the top menu item for most baby birds in the nest. In fall, leaves turn to a mix of reds, oranges and yellows before dropping to reveal unique silhouettes and bark characteristics.

Any shaping or pruning to wild plum species should be done in late winter or early spring before leaves begin emerging.

American Plum (Prunus americana) grows to 10-25 feet tall, spreading via suckers to form a thicket (aka prime real estate for wildlife). Performs best in full sun to part shade in well-drained loamy or sandy soil, but is adaptable to other conditions.
Fun Fact: American plum makes a killer jam or jelly! Just watch out for the astringency of the fresh fruit (unless you enjoy a surprise pucker face 😉
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/plum-american-prunus-americana

Allegheny Plum (Prunus alleghaniensis) reaches 3-10 feet tall, making it the perfect fit for smaller spaces. Although it does spread via underground rhizomes, it’s much less aggressive than American plum, forming looser colonies of individual shrubby trees that can be shaped or removed as desired. Best sited in full sun to part shade in well-drained, slightly acidic soils, but adapts to neutral soils.
Fun Fact: This one’s a bit of a rare find, but if you plant it, you’ll be a VIP host for some very grateful wildlife. (We don't have the rights to any photos of this one, but it’s gorgeous!)
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/plum-alleghany-prunus-alleghaniensis

Beach Plum (Prunus maritima) grows 3-8 feet tall and wide…compact and tough as nails. It thrives in full sun and rocky or sandy, well-drained soils. It adapts to clay and other soils with good drainage. If it can handle coastal dunes, it can handle your yard!
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/beach-plum

We’re open Thursdays and Saturdays 10-6 through the end of October. Come on by and go plum crazy for wildlife! 🍑🐝

08/19/2026

If you're looking for a shrub that offers wildlife value and 4 season interest, viburnums deserve a place on your list. Their diversity in size, growth habit, color, bloom, and fruit, make them a beautiful single specimen, or they can be woven into a mixed border. Wherever you plant them, they will immediately begin contributing to the ecosystem.

Native viburnums put on a show in every season. In spring with clusters of creamy white flowers. In summer, the glossy leaves take center stage, varied in shape and shifting shades of green. By fall, eye-catching berries (some edible) appear alongside foliage that turns orange, red, and deep purple. On some species, the berries hang on into winter, where freezing and thawing cycles slowly sweeten them for the wildlife that depend on them for winter sustenance.

Blooming in May and June, viburnums offer some of the earliest nourishment of the season to pollinators. Through summer and early fall, they host over 100 species of caterpillars, including several silk moths (io, promethea, cecropia, and imperial) as well as hummingbird and snowberry clearwing moths. Nesting birds seek out those caterpillars as a rich, easy food source for hungry chicks. Later, the berries themselves become essential fuel for songbirds, ground birds, and small and large mammals heading into the colder months. Most species produce fruit that's edible for people too, with nannyberry and cranberry viburnum often named as the best-tasting.

Viburnums are as easy to grow as they are to love. They tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, ask for very little maintenance, and reward that low effort with year-round interest. If you want fruit, plant two of the same species so they can cross-pollinate.

This year, we're offering five species of native viburnums, ready to settle into your garden:

Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) is a non-suckering, v-shaped shrub that grows 6-10’ tall in full to part sun and average to moist soils. It will tolerate both flooding and drought, once established, but performs best in moist soils. Its berries taste best immediately after ripening.
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/viburnum-arrowwood-viburnum-dentatum

Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium) is a 15-20’ tall tree-like shrub with fragrant flowers that grows best in full to part sun and a wide range of dry to moist, well-drained soils. Berries have a raisin-like flavor that intensifies as they age.
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/blackhaw-viburnum-viburnum-prunifolium

Cranberry (Viburnum trifolium) reaches 6-12’ tall and prefers full to part sun in moist to wet soils, though it also tolerates dry soils once established. Cranberry-like red berries sweeten after the first few frosts and persist through the winter. High in vitamin C, they can be prepared as you would cranberries or eaten raw.
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/highbush-cranberry

Possumhaw Viburnum (Viburnum nudum)
One of only two native viburnums with fragrant flowers, appearing in April-May. Showy pink fruits mature to black in Aug-October and attract birds and humans (with a blueberries meet raisins kind of flavor). Reaching 5-12’ tall and wide, they spread slowly by underground roots for form colonies. Best fruiting is in full to part sun in moist, acidic, well-drained soils. They adapt to clay, loamy, sandy soils with average to wet moisture.
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/viburnum-smooth-witherod-viburnum-nudum

Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum rufidulum)
This gorgeous shrub or small tree is a year-round showstopper! Growing 18-25 feet tall, it’s perfect for urban spaces, hedges, or naturalized areas. In spring, it dazzles with creamy-white flowers, followed by bluish-black fruits that taste like raisins! In fall, its glossy green leaves turn into a beautiful mix of red, purple, pink, and orange.
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/viburnum-rusty-blackhaw-viburnum-rufidulum

We will also be offering mapleleaf viburnum as a bare root shrub sometime in November. For notification when they arrive, click the “Notify me when Available” button at this link.
https://www.leavesforwildlife.com/product-page/mapleleaf-viburnum-viburnum-averifolium

The nursery is open Thursdays and Saturdays 10-6 through the end of October. Come vibe with us!

Leaves for Wildlife Native Plant Nursery

09/05/2026

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09/01/2026

08/31/2026

08/27/2026

08/26/2026

08/25/2026

08/22/2026

08/20/2026

08/19/2026

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