Summary

Milkweeds are a common component of butterfly and pollinator gardens. Not only are they important for monarch caterpillars, but they are also used by a wide variety of pollinators. There are lots of different species of milkweed that are native to the eastern U.S. and have the potential to work really well in home gardens. In this episode we discuss 10 species that are native to most of the eastern U.S. and responsible ways to obtain those species.

3 things you’ll learn from this episode:

• Why it is important to choose milkweed species that are native to where you live.
• Responsible ways to obtain milkweed seeds or plants.
• A short overview of 10 species of milkweeds that are native to most of the eastern U.S. and the pros and cons of using each species in your home garden.

Other Backyard Ecology™ resources:

• Discover Your Next Steps
• Doug Tallamy on the Cultivar vs Wild Type Debate!
• Join the Backyard Ecology™ Community

Thank you

Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

Summary

In this episode, we dive deep into Laurel Wilt Disease which is a vascular wilt disease affecting trees in the Lauraceae family, such as sassafras, spicebush, and redbay. We discuss its history, how it spreads, ecological and cultural impacts of the disease, current management options, and challenges associated with managing the disease. We also explore potential future research directions and highlight the important role that each of us can play in monitoring for the disease and slowing its spread.

Today’s guest

Dr. Albert, Bud, Mayfield is a Research Entomologist with the Southern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service. He has been studying and working with Laurel Wilt Disease since the mid-2000s.

3 things you’ll learn from this episode:

• An overview of Laurel Wilt Disease including what it is, the plants that it affects, how it spreads, symptoms to watch for, and ecological and cultural impacts of the disease.
• Current research, monitoring, and management activities, including the challenges associated with controlling Laurel Wilt Disease in forests.
• The importance of public awareness and the role of individuals in reporting symptoms to help monitor the spread of Laurel Wilt Disease.

Bonus content:

• Symptoms of Laurel Wilt Disease (and what to do if you see them)

Resources Bud mentioned:

• Map Showing Laurel Wilt Distribution

Other Backyard Ecology resources:

• Discover Your Next Steps
• Sassafras Facts That Will Surprise You!
• Spicebush Super Shrub for Songbirds Butterflies

Thank you

Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

Summary

The Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) is our most widespread native wild strawberry in the eastern U.S. It supports a wide range of pollinators and wildlife. It can also make an amazing groundcover in a native plant garden. However, this is not the wild strawberry that most people find growing in their yards and garden beds.

3 things you’ll learn from this episode

• How to tell the Virginia strawberry from the other native wild strawberry in the eastern U.S. and from the invasive mock strawberry that is found in many people’s yards and gardens.
• How to incorporate the Virginia strawberry into your garden or yard.
• The pollinators and wildlife that use Virginia strawberry.

Other helpful Backyard Ecology™ resources:

• The Backyard Ecologist’s Newsletter
• The Backyard Ecology™ Community

Thank you

Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

If you would like personalized help creating your own pollinator and wildlife habitat, then we invite you to join the Backyard Ecology™ Community. Because while there’s lots of great “big picture” information available about creating pollinator gardens or larger habitats for pollinators and wildlife. There are far fewer opportunities to say, “This is what I want to do. This is what I’m struggling with. How do I make it work on my property?” That’s part of what the Backyard Ecology™ Community offers its members every day.

Learn more: https://www.backyardecology.net/community/

Summary

Each fall, the beautiful, rich, purple blooms of ironweeds (Vernonia spp.) grace fields and open areas throughout much of the eastern U.S. They are an ecological powerhouse for pollinators and wildlife, including a specialist bee. Ironweeds can make amazing additions to our native plant gardens where they serve as biodiversity magnets. In this episode, we discuss Mt. Cuba Center’s Vernonia Report which includes information about how multiple ironweed species performed in the garden trials, the importance of garden soils and conditions to plant growth and health, how plant health can impact pollinator use, and potential management techniques.

Today’s guest

Sam Hoadley is the Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center where he evaluates native plant species, old and new cultivars, and hybrids in the Trial Garden.

3 things you’ll learn from this episode:

• Insights into the diversity and ecological value of ironweeds, including their ability to attract a specialist bee and other pollinators.
• The importance of selecting the right ironweed species for specific soil conditions, including some standout performers for average mid-Atlantic garden soils.
• Pros and potential cons of management techniques like the Chelsea Chop to control plant height.

Resources Sam mentioned:

• Vernonia trial report
• Previous trial reports
• Mt. Cuba Center

Other Backyard Ecology resources

• Butterfly Garden Ironweeds – Definitive Guide!
• Backyard Ecology Community
  
  

Thank you

Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

Summary

While carpenter bees get a bad rap, they are also important pollinators and play a vital role in the ecosystem. Their bad reputation can also sometimes be overblown. So, let’s talk a little bit about carpenter bees, why they are important, and how to discourage them from nesting in places where you don’t want them.

3 things you’ll learn from this episode:

• Where you can find eastern carpenter bees and how to identify them.
• Why you need carpenter bees if you want gulf fritillary butterflies whose caterpillars host on purple passionflower vines.
• Simple, non-lethal ways to discourage carpenter bees from creating nesting tunnels where you don’t want them drilling into your wooden structures.

Other helpful Backyard Ecology™ resources:

• The Backyard Ecologist’s Newsletter
• The Backyard Ecology™ Community
  
  

Thank you

Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

If you would like personalized help creating your own pollinator and wildlife habitat, then we invite you to join the Backyard Ecology™ Community. Because while there’s lots of great “big picture” information available about creating pollinator gardens or larger habitats for pollinators and wildlife. There are far fewer opportunities to say, “This is what I want to do. This is what I’m struggling with. How do I make it work on my property?” That’s part of what the Backyard Ecology™ Community offers its members every day.

Learn more: https://www.backyardecology.net/community/

Summary

Dr. Doug Tallamy shares the story of how he and his wife transformed their newly built home located on a former hayfield into a thriving forest ecosystem. We talk about how they got started, their struggles along the way, the habitat wins they’ve celebrated, and what his next steps are for his property. He also shares what he’s most excited about, his thoughts on creating habitat that you can maintain as you get older, information about his newest book, and much more.

Today’s guest

Dr. Doug Tallamy has been an entomologist at the University of Delaware for 44 years and is the author of such well-known books as Bringing Nature Home, Nature’s Best Hope, and The Nature of Oaks. His newest book is How Can I Help?: Saving Nature with Your Yard. He is also the co-founder of Homegrown National Parks.

3 things you’ll learn from this episode:

• Doug Tallamy’s personal story of how he and his wife transformed their newly built home located on a former hayfield into a thriving forest ecosystem.
• Answers to some of the most common questions he is asked.
• His thoughts on how climate change should influence which native plants we plant on our properties.

Resources Doug mentioned:

• Bringing Nature Home *
• Nature’s Best Hope *
• The Nature of Oaks *
• How Can I Help?: Saving Nature with Your Yard *
• Homegrown National Parks
• Native Plants for Container Gardens

* affiliate links – We receive a small commission for purchases made through these links, but it comes at no extra cost to you. All commissions that we receive through these links goes toward producing Backyard Ecology™ content. We appreciate your support.

Other Backyard Ecology resources:

• Backyard Ecology Community

Thank you

Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

• Why darkness is so important.
• What light pollution is and how prevalent it is.
• 4 simple ways you can combat light pollution around your home.

• Light pollution wastes energy and money and damages the climate
• The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness
• Citizen scientists report global rapid reductions in the visibility of stars from 2011 to 2022

• BirdCast: Revealing the Mysteries of Bird Migration
• Light Pollution and Its Impacts on Birds and Other Wildlife

Summary
Twice a year billions of birds migrate across the U.S. We’ve only recently discovered just how large that number really is. Being able to quantify that number is thanks to a large degree to a program called BirdCast which anyone from backyard birders to scientists to emergency managers can use. Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of bird migration.

Today’s guest
Dr. Andrew Farnsworth is a visiting scientist at Cornell Lab of Ornithology and a member of the BirdCast Team, which is using radar to track and study bird migrations over the U.S.

3 things you’ll learn from this episode:

• About bird migration including when they migrate, why they migrate, impacts of both human induced and natural climate change, and much more.
• The importance of making natural history observations and how technology can enhance, but not replace, those observations.
• The many ways in which BirdCast is being used by birds and by scientists, starting with giving us concrete data on the mind-blowingly large numbers of birds that migrate over the U.S. each year.

Resources Andrew mentioned:

• BirdCast
• eBird

Other Backyard Ecology resources:

• The Backyard Ecologist’s Newsletter

Thank you

Thank you to our amazing Patrons who go above and beyond every month to provide financial support which helps us create so much free content for everyone to enjoy and learn from.