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Creating a Wild Backyard - Native Maryland Trees

Maryland, trees and forests are prime habitat for many kinds of animals. Trees supply animals with food, nest materials and sites, and shelter from weather and predators. Fruits, nuts, bark, twigs, insects and sap are all foods offered by trees. Birds and squirrels and other animals can find a place to raise their young in trees that have hollow spaces in them. And, just like people, wild animals enjoy the cool shade and protection from wind that trees can provide.

Types of Trees
There are two major types of trees: Deciduous and evergreens. Evergreens are trees, which keep their leaves all year long. Pine, cedar, and other coniferous (producing cones) trees are evergreens with needles instead of leaves. They are the most common evergreens in Maryland. Deciduous trees lose their leaves during the fall and grow them back in the spring.

Pine Trees
Maryland has several native pine trees including white and loblolly pines. Pine seeds are a large part of the diet of many bids, such as evening grosbeaks, house finches and gold finches. Pine needles are used for building bird nests. Dense pine trees, like the white pine, are used by birds to perch and hide in. Other coniferous trees, like the cedar, also provide food and shelter for wildlife.

Deciduous Trees
Maryland has more native deciduous than coniferous trees. These trees are described below. Their Latin names are included so that you can request specific native trees. 

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
The black cherry can grow to 50 or 60 feet tall. Many birds and mammals eat black cherries. It is the preferred fruit of birds like robins and mockingbirds. Black cherry sap is a favorite of the yellow-bellied sapsucker, a type of woodpecker.

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
The sassafras tree is common along fencerows, roadsides, and abandon fields. It is not often used by birds for nesting but its blue fruits are a favorite of catbirds, robins, and bluebirds. In the fall, sassafras trees are in beautiful color with orange leaves, blue fruits, and green stems.

Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
The yellow poplar is the tallest North American hardwood tree. It can reach a height of over 150 feet! Hummingbirds enjoy its nectar, while yellow-bellied sapsuckers enjoy its sap. Yellow poplars produce seeds, which are favorites of cardinals. Hollow spaces inside this tree provide homes for squirrels and raccoons, among other animals.

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)
The mulberry produces berries eaten by at least 44 different types of birds. This tree prefers moist, fertile soils and should be planted away from sidewalks or decks because the fruit can be messy. Berries produced by the mulberry attract songbirds throughout the summer.

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
The white ash also grows in moist soils and can grow to 40-100 feet. It is the most common of the ash species, while the green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) is the most widespread. You will know the ash by its winged seeds, eaten by many bird species. The seeds are favorites of evening grosbeaks and purple finches and are also eaten by cardinals, bobwhite quail, and wood ducks.

Oaks (Quercus sp.)
There are five types of oaks native to Maryland: the black, white, scarlet, red and pin oaks. Many songbirds, ducks, and other animals eat the acorns. Squirrels are famous for hiding acorns to get ready for the long winter. Deer eat oak leaves and twigs. Oaks provide branches for bird nests and hollows for woodpeckers, squirrels, and other animals to raise their young in wooded protection. The leaves and branches provide shade and protection from the weather.  

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
American beech trees are one native deciduous tree which can tolerate shade. Planting this tree in a shady backyard will provide nuts for songbirds and squirrels, sap for yellow-bellied sapsuckers, and buds for finches.

Hickory (Carya sp.)
The most common hickory species is the bitternut hickory. Songbirds such as grosbeaks, some woodpeckers, and other animals like fox, squirrels, and chipmunks eat hickory nuts.

Maple (Acer sp.)
Maples also have winged seeds which are eaten by cardinals, evening grosbeaks, bobwhite quail, and other animals. Grosbeaks and goldfinches use the leaves for nesting material and also use the branches for supporting their nests. Maple sap is eaten by squirrels and songbirds and the sugar maple, found in western Maryland, provides sap for maple syrup.

Dogwood (Cornus sp.)
Dogwoods grow in fertile, moist areas which are in open woods, along roadsides and fencerows. Dogwoods are good trees to use in hedgerow plantings. Summer dogwood fruit is eaten by about 40 species of birds and the flower buds are eaten by squirrels and birds like turkey, ruffed grouse, bobwhite, and pheasant. Most common native dogwood trees which work best in backyards are red osier (C. stolonifera) and silky dogwood (C. amomum). Most common native dogwoods are alternate-leafed dogwood (C. alternifolia) and flowering dogwood (C. florida).

Tree Fact Sheets
Courtesy of Virginia Tech - Leaves DNR Website)

Tips for Using Trees to Attract Wildlife

• Plant a variety of tree species.

• Try to arrange trees and shrubs in groups together or in hedgerows.

• Try to avoid planting trees and shrubs singly in isolation from other vegetation, following your nurseryman’s advice on how far apart your trees should be planted.

• Try to plant some trees that grow tall and some that are not so tall, some that have bushy crowns with relatively bare trunks and some that have thick leaves and branches from the ground up.

• Wildlife species and insects sometimes will use special food and shelter sources found only in certain parts of trees. Planting trees with vertical diversity increases your chances of having a greater variety of species on your property.

• Be sure to plant some evergreens. For wildlife, evergreens provide shelter all year long, especially in winter when other trees have lost their leaves.

• Remember that trees take time to grow. Fast growing species include sumac, red maple, alder, and white pine. Consider the time it will take your trees to grow when preparing your tree planting plans.

• If you do not have mature trees nearby, nest boxes for birds and other wildlife can help provide shelter for those species, which use hollows or cavities in trees for nesting.

How to Plant a Tree

• Remove all wires, ropes, or burlap surrounding the roots of the tree.

• Dig a hole five times the diameter of the root ball, but approximately the same depth of the root ball.

• Set the tree in the center of the planting area so that the upper surface of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil.

• Fill the hole with soil.

• It is preferable not to stake or wrap the tree to stabilize it.

• Use water to pack or settle the soil around the root ball and apply a two to four inch layer of mulch over the entire planting area.

For Additional Information on Trees:
Visit DNR's Forestry Service on our website: www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/index.html

Or, contact your State Project Forester or the Annapolis Office of the Forestry Service
410-260-8531 (Toll-free in Maryland: 1-877-620-8DNR, ext. 8531).

For Additional Information, Contact:
 
 Wild Acres Program
 Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service
 Attn:  Marilyn Mause
 Gwynnbrook WMA
 3740 Gwynnbrook Ave
 Owings Mills MD 21117
 410-356-0941
 E-Mail: customerservice@dnr.state.md.us