April is Native Plant Month in Ohio!  And while many of us wish to incorporate native plants into our landscape, some of us are dealing with shade in that landscape and struggle to find what might grow in this environment. Native shade loving plants are a nice choice for shady areas because it is an opportunity to mimic a naturalized forest structure. Native plants add  biodiversity needed to attract beneficial insects and songbirds that are generally found in wooded areas

According to the University of Delaware, research shows that aiming for a minimum of 70% native plant cover in your landscape is essential to provide enough food to support birds into adulthood. Researchers termed the areas with less than 70% a “habitat sink” or a place that is insufficient to support long-term bird survival or the survival of their young.
As with any type of garden you must consider the growing conditions (moisture, soil type, light, pH). With shade gardens you also need to ask yourself, what type of shade does your garden have? Is some light being filtered through the trees? Or is it shady part of the day and sunny the rest?

Typically, light shade means that the growing area has between 3-5 hours of direct sun. Partial shade equates to about 2 hours of sun a day and full shade means less than an hour of sun per day. In the case of dense shade, or no direct sun, growing conditions can be very limited and one should consider the fact that no plants may survive in this type of growing situation.  Some native woodland species that attract beneficial insects to consider for your shade garden are:

• Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) – Grows in part to full shade and in moist, well-drained soils.
• Celandine Poppy or Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) – Grows in part to full shade with rich, humus/loam, well-drained soils.
• Zig Zag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) – Grows in part to full shade with dry, well-drained soil.  
• Sessile Trillium (Trillium sessile) – Grows in part shade to full shade with rich, moist, well- drained woodland soils.

Some plants are harder to find but you should never collect from the wild unless you have obtained a permit or you have express permission from the landowner. Native plants should be purchased from nurseries that propagate native plants and do not collect from the wild.

Native plants provide many benefits to us, our natural resources, and local ecosystem. These benefits include but are not limited to water conservation, filtering out water pollutants, lowering maintenance requirements, and providing vital habitat for birds and many other species of wildlife.

For information on the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District annual plant sale go to https://www.warrenswcd.com/. If you have additional questions, please contact the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation office at 513-695-1337.

Spring is a time of awakening when the cold of winter starts getting shrugged off to make room for the warmth which accompanies new growth in the natural world. 
For birders, it is exciting because of the return of migratory spring birds!  From songbirds to shorebirds and even some waterfowl, about 200 species of neotropical migratory birds annually make this incredible trip that spans continents. Final destination nesting grounds for these birds vary widely throughout the United States and north into Canada, but all require stopover sites where they may rest and refuel for the next leg of their trip.
If you want to help these birds in their spring preparations, consider bird-friendly landscaping that includes native, early-blooming trees, shrubs and flowers with colors that attract birds. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it is important to plant these 7 important plant groups:.

• Conifers: Evergreens such as pines, spruces, firs, arbor vitae, and junipers provide excellent shelter, nest sites, and food. For example, some northern finches specialize on extracting seeds from conifer cones, and some hummingbirds take insects and sap from the tips of conifer branches when they first return in spring.
• Wild grasses and forbs: Untrimmed wild grasses (as opposed to closely cropped lawn grass) as well as “weeds” provide cover for ground-nesting birds. Their seeds provide abundant food for many birds.
• Nectar producers: Flowers, especially those with tubular red corollas, attract hummingbirds and orioles. Insects attracted to these plants also serve as food for many birds.
• Summer fruits: Cherry, chokecherry, native honeysuckle, raspberry, serviceberry, blackberry, blueberry, native mulberry, and elderberry provide food for many birds during the breeding season.
• Autumn fruits: Dogwoods, mountain ash, cotoneasters, buffalo-berries, and other fall-bearing fruit and berry plants provide food for migratory birds, both to build up fat reserves before migration and to sustain them along their journey. Non-migratory birds also fatten up on these so they can enter the winter season in good physical condition.
• Winter fruits: Plants that hold onto their fruits long after they ripen in the fall provide a winter food source for winter residents and early-returning migrants. Robins, waxwings, Pine Grosbeaks, and mockingbirds are among the birds drawn to fruit trees in winter. Crabapple, snowberry, native bittersweet, sumacs, viburnums, American highbush cranberry, eastern wahoo, Virginia creeper, and winterberry (holly) are all valuable for these birds.
• Nuts and acorns: Oaks, hickories, buckeyes, chestnuts, butternuts, walnuts, beeches, and hazels provide food for titmice, jays, turkeys, some woodpeckers, and other “mast-eaters.” Insects drawn to their spring flowers provide food for spring-migrating birds. These trees also provide nesting habitat for many species.

Last but not least, you should think about offering a water source for your birds. If you already have a natural source that is great, but if you don’t, offering a bird bath will help to provide water for drinking and preening.

For more questions regarding Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District programs and/or technical assistance on water or soil questions, visit http://warrenswcd.com or call, 513-695-1337.