winterberry Archives - Nature Center at Greenburgh

February 15, 2024February 12, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants

Soggy Solutions

Do you have a soggy situation in your yard: a low spot where water always puddles for a few days before drying up? If so, lucky you! You’ve got the perfect spot for some beautiful water-loving shrubs!

Rainstorms are becoming more frequent and more intense. Suburban lawns often have mushy patches that don’t really recover, even after the ground dries. Turf grass roots sitting in standing water are deprived of oxygen and soon die. You could spend hours – and dollars — aerating, re-seeding, or laying new sod only to see the same thing happen again in the next downpour.

Lawn grass can’t live in water-logged soil

Or, you could plant a few native shrubs that would be happy to soak up that water! Some of our most desirable native plants evolved near ponds, streams, and in wet meadows. They can live in standing water for days at a time, and take up excess water that otherwise becomes mosquito-breeding habitat. Even better, because they are native to our region, they are winter-hardy and provide food for pollinators and birds.

It’s not hard to remedy a soggy area of lawn. You can plant right into the wet areas, even without removing any surviving lawn first. With the right plants, not much soil amendment is necessary, either. Dig a hole about the same depth and twice the circumference of the root ball of the shrub. Loosen the root ball if it is very tightly bound. Adding a few shovel fulls of compost and mixing it with the soil in the planting hole can help. But don’t plant too deep. Keep the crown of the plant just above the soil line. And give your new plant some company! More plants take up more water, reduce compaction, and improve soil drainage, which improves survival odds for all of the plants.

Visually, a cluster of water-loving shrubs is a big improvement over soggy lawn. Think about planting a group of 3 medium-sized shrubs, either all the same type or 3 different species, or perhaps a small tree and a couple of larger shrubs. A group of plants looks more natural, takes up more water, and provides valuable habitat for birds.

Assuming the spot is mostly sunny, and usually dries out a few days after a rainstorm, any of these great shrubs will work beautifully:

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Buttonbush produces really interesting flowers from early to mid-summer that last for weeks. The flowers look like 1½-inch white spheres and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The leaves are large, glossy green, and make a gorgeous background for the flowers. After the flowers fade, hard spherical nuts resembling buttons develop and often last through the winter until birds harvest them.

Buttonbush flowers
*Photo: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center*

Native to swamps and streamsides from Canada to Florida and west to the Mississippi River, Buttonbush is hardy in Zones 4 to 10. In the Northeast, the shrub can reach 6 to 12 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. In colder zones, the shrub may die back to the ground in winter and grow back to 3 to 4 feet in summer. Pruning is not necessary, but if you want to keep it a bit smaller, it won’t mind being pruned in early spring since the flowers form on new growth.

Buttonbush becomes a large rounded shrub in suburban landscapes
*Photo: American Beauties Native Plants*

Buttonbush loves wet soil, including areas that are often flooded with shallow standing water. It is generally deer-resistant once established, but young plants should be protected in the first few years. The shrub is happy in full sun or part shade.

Possumhaw viburnum (Viburnum nudum)
Also called Smooth Witherod, this shrub is one of our most attractive native plants for suburban landscapes. It will tolerate wet, boggy soil, though it does perfectly well in average soil as well, and is a great foundation plant. Native to woodlands, swamps, and thickets from Newfoundland to Florida, it grows 6 to 12 feet tall and 4 to 15 feet wide. It has shiny green leaves, big lacy white flowers in spring, and berries that turn colors from pink to blue to black. It also has spectacular fall leaf color. Possumhaw doesn’t need pruning and is not particularly attractive to deer. This plant works in almost any yard, but it is an ideal solution for a wet area.

*Viburnum nudum* as a foundation plant at the Nature Center

Possumhaw berries change colors as
they ripen

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
It’s hard to imagine a more useful landscape plant than Winterberry. It can live in standing water, but is also fine in average landscape conditions. It produces brilliant red berries in the fall that feed migrating birds.

Robins, mockingbirds, blue jays, cardinals, and cedar
waxwings flock to Winterberries

Winterberry is very easy to grow in full sun or part shade. It needs no fertilizer or special care, and needs no pruning. The shrub has a loose shape and can grow 10 to 15 feet tall, but a cultivar called ‘Winter Sprite’ tops out at 3 to 4 feet. In fall, the leaves drop to show the brilliant red berries clustered along the stems. You will need both a male and female plant to produce berries, so ask your nursery for both. For more information on Winterberry, see an earlier post here.

Pussy Willow (Salix discolor).
Willows are wetland plants, and our native Pussy Willow is the most beloved of the bunch. As a multi-trunked shrub or small tree, 6 to 15 feet tall, Pussy Willow makes a great focal point where water collects. Plant it, then add two or three of the shrubs described above, and a formerly soggy mess will become your favorite part of the yard! For more information on this great little tree, read our earlier blog post here.

Pussy Willow (*Salix discolor*) is an easy-to-love small tree

Fuzzy catkins show up in early spring and feed emerging pollinators

So, as you start dreaming about spring flowers, don’t forget about spring “showers,” which are more likely to be torrential downpours these days. Plan ahead for standing water and add some of these water-loving plants to your spring shopping list!

THIS BLOG IS WRITTEN BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

November 2, 2023February 12, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds

Autumn Wonderland

The Northeastern United States is famous for fall foliage. “Leaf peepers” come from all over the world to see our native plants in their dramatic fall colors.

Why, then, should a walk around suburban neighborhoods, in the same region during the same season, be so disappointing? Where are the colors?

The plants that thrill “leaf peepers” grew in abundance before the suburbs were developed, and they would still thrive here – if only they were planted! It seems that every suburban yard uses the same non-native “foundation plants” — boxwood, pachysandra, ivy, and hedges of yew or privet or even bamboo! – all completely devoid of our famous fall colors!

C’mon people! We can do so much better than this! Why not plant our yards with the same trees, shrubs, and perennials that make this region a tourist attraction in the fall? Let’s add some color, life, and seasonal interest beyond pumpkins! There are so many great choices with our incredible abundance of Northeastern native plants.

Red maple (*Acer rubrum*)
Photo: Michael Martini

The undisputed rock-stars of fall color are our native Maples, and Oak trees are a close second. If you have a lawn, you probably have room for a Maple or a native Oak. Oaks have enormous value for wildlife — and for homeowners! [See this blog post] Both Maples and Oaks are beautiful year-round, but autumn is their glory season.

Our native flowering trees are also brilliant in the fall. Nothing beats the American Dogwood (Cornus florida) with its intense maroon foliage and vivid scarlet berries. Crabapples (Malus spp.) also produce colorful fruit, and American Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) starts blooming in October!

The Northeast is also blessed with native shrubs that produce kaleidoscopic colors in the fall. While evergreen foundation shrubs are useful, why not add some of the flowering and fruiting native shrubs that bring color and interest in both spring and fall? Here are some easy choices to add to your yard. All of the shrubs pictured below are locally available, easy to grow, valuable to wildlife, have beautiful flowers, and are spectacular in the fall.

Oakleaf Hydrangea (*Hydrangea quercifolia*)

Possumhaw Viburum (*Viburnum nudum*) pictured with
American Witch Hazel

Low Bush Blueberry (*Vaccinium angustifolium*)

American Cranberrybush (*Viburnum trilobum*)

And don’t forget fall flowers and grasses in gorgeous colors!

Aromatic Aster (*Symphyotrichum oblongifolium* ‘Raydon’s Favorite’)

Switch Grass (*Panicum virgatum* ‘Cheyenne Sky’) shown with Ironweed (*Vernonia lettermanii* ‘Iron Butterfly’)

Not only are these plants beautiful, they are incredibly valuable to the ecosystem of the Northeastern US. So many suburban landscapes use non-native plants that offer nothing to birds, butterflies, bees and other insects, and many are destructively invasive as well. If your only fall color is coming from burning bush or Japanese maple, you may want to consider native alternatives for those reasons. Privet, bamboo, ivy, vinca, and pachysandra are all known to be invasive plants and can be replaced easily with native plants that are beautiful in the fall, and year-round.

And wouldn’t you enjoy an autumn view like this?

Willow leaf oak (*Quercus phellos*), American dogwood,
and Pin Oaks

And this?

Oaks, Inkberry (Ilex glabra), Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana and A. hubrichtii), High Bush Blueberry(Vaccinium corymbosum), Common juniper, and Possumhaw Viburnum

The fall glory of native plants lies within your reach!

THIS BLOG IS AUTHORED WEEKLY BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

December 30, 2021February 14, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants

‘Tis the Season to be Holly

Holly has been associated with winter holidays since long before Christmas celebrations began. It is thought that ancient Romans decorated with holly for Saturnalia, the winter feast in honor of Saturn. Druids and Celts believed the plant had magical powers because while all other trees lost their leaves, the holly not only stayed green, but displayed brilliant red berries in the darkest days of winter. So, holly branches have been cut and used for winter decorations for thousands of years. Our seasonal color scheme of red and green no doubt originated with holly.

Midwinter sunlight catches American holly near the Meadow

How fortunate that European settlers in the American colonies found a new species of their favorite winter plant growing here! American holly (Ilex opaca) differs from European holly in subtle ways and it can be difficult to tell them apart. The leaves of the American holly are not as shiny as the European variety, and the berries are often single rather than in clusters.

American holly trees typically grow 15 to 40 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide, but they can reach 60 feet where they are happy. They prefer well-drained, moist, acidic soil, and full sun for best berry production. Like other hollies, they are dioecious with male and female flowers on separate plants. For best fruiting, a male tree should be within 50 feet or so of the female.

An American holly tree in the suburban landscape

American holly is well-adapted to our area, of course, because it evolved here over thousands of years. It is less vulnerable to winter winds than many of the European varieties and it enjoys our acidic soil. It is a care-free evergreen and makes an effective year-round privacy screen. In a mixed evergreen border with Rhododendron maximum, White pine, and native junipers, it is not only attractive, but provides food and safe nesting habitat for birds.

A native mixed evergreen border with American holly

And when the winter holidays are here? What better combo than White pine, Winterberry, and American holly for the cheeriest “winter interest” in the neighborhood?

American holly, Winterberry, and White pine at the entrance to the Meadow at the Nature Center

We think that’s just jolly!

This blog is authored weekly by Cathy Ludden, local expert and advocate for native plants; and Board Member, Greenburgh Nature Center. Follow Cathy on Instagram for more photos and gardening tips @cathyludden.

December 24, 2021February 14, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants

Deck the Halls…and Gardens

Every landscape needs “winter interest,” and several of our favorite native shrubs are real show-offs this time of year.

Without a doubt, the star of the season is Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). Winterberry is a holly, but unlike most hollies, it is deciduous – meaning it loses its leaves in the fall. And that’s a good thing! The berries start turning red in October while the leaves are still green. Weeks later, the leaves drop off revealing brilliant clusters of berries that remain all winter.

Or, at least, the berries could remain all winter unless the local birds have other ideas. We assumed for a long time that the berries needed all winter to ripen, because neither rain nor snow nor dark of night caused them to disappear until robins returned in the spring.

But in some years, mockingbirds, blue jays, and cardinals seem to celebrate the holidays with Winterberry snacks. So, we can’t totally promise the berries will remain all winter. But the robins definitely will finish up whatever is left in the spring.

If you have a boggy area on your property, Winterberry is a great choice – it will live in standing water and will happily send out shoots to form a thicket. So, it’s a great choice for a rain garden or a problem wet area. It does well in average garden soil as well, with full sun and regular moisture, and can be controlled easily by removing new shoots.

Like other hollies, Winterberry is dioecious, meaning both male and female plants are necessary for berry production. Bees visit the flowers on the male plant and carry the pollen to the flowers on the female plants to fertilize the ova and produce berries. Your local nursery will sell you a male shrub to plant somewhere near the female so bees can find both plants when they bloom in the spring. The flowers are small and white and not very noticeable, but the shrub is a lovely deep green all summer long.

Winterberry can grow 8 to 12 feet tall, but can be pruned for shape and size. There are cultivars that naturally stay much smaller – ‘Red Sprite’ takes a rounded shape and stays 3 to 4 feet tall. You’ll need ‘Jim Dandy,’ the male pollinating plant, to get berries on ‘Red Sprite.’ We suggest avoiding the recently-introduced Asian hybrids of Winterberry. The value of their berries for native birds and the risk of them becoming invasive are unknown.

Full-sized Winterberry in front of the Manor House at the Nature Center

‘Red Sprite’ is a compact form of the native shrub

This time of year, you may find whole branches of Winterberry mysteriously disappearing when it’s time to decorate for the holidays. The Garden Club of Irvington recently collected Winterberry and other foraged materials from our grounds to decorate the Nature Center. The impact of Winterberry on our fireplace mantles is spectacular! (Word of caution: the berries can be toxic to dogs, cats, and toddlers, so it’s best to keep them out of reach.)

A member of the Garden Club of Irvington decorates the Manor House mantel

Deck the halls with boughs of Winterberry

Winter solstice is nigh, and the Winterberry is bright!