Christmas Fern is a clumping evergreen fern. It displays leathery, lance-shaped fronds. Emerging fiddleheads are silver in the spring. Christmas Fern does not spread; instead, the clump will increase in size as the plant ages. Christmas Fern has been known to attract ruffed grouse. Use it as a groundcover or in borders. It adds winter interest to your yard.
Virginia Pine is a wildlife-friendly, small to medium, short-needled evergreen conifer. It prefers sandy soils, but does well in heavy clay, where it is difficult to grow other pines. The cones contain sharp-tipped scales, which house seeds eaten by birds and wildlife. Virginia Pine is a host plant for butterfly larvae (caterpillars) of the Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon). Plant Virginia Pine along woodland edges or borders in your yard for added winter interest.
Pitch Pine is a wildlife-friendly, New Jersey native, and is the dominant pine tree of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. This medium-sized, evergreen conifer features an irregular form. Bundles of three, yellowish-green, stiff needles sprout from branches, and sometimes from the trunk. The bark is thick and layered, offering extreme fire-tolerance. It will re-sprout after a fire or from the stump. Twigs, leaves, and seeds offer a valuable food source for wildlife. Pitch Pine prefers nutrient-poor, dry, sandy soils, and will grow where other trees cannot. It takes about five years to establish, then grows quickly. Plant Pitch Pine in woodland borders around your yard.
Shortleaf Pine is a medium-sized, wildlife-friendly evergreen conifer with a pyramidal crown. Blue-green needles occur in bundles of two, and prickly cones are produced when the tree reaches maturity at around 20 years old. Shortleaf Pine features attractive, reddish-brown bark, which offers ornamental value. This tree provides cover and nesting sites for birds, which also eat the seeds. It is an important host plant for larvae (caterpillars) of the Elf butterfly (Microtia elva). Shortleaf Pine can be used as an effective screen when young; the tree tends to lose bottom branches with age. Plant Shortleaf Pine in naturalized areas of your yard. This pine species may be difficult to find commercially. Tell your local garden center or nursery about your interest in this plant.
Virginia Creeper is a wildlife-friendly, woody, deciduous vine. Insignificant, greenish-white flowers bloom May-August, leading to attractive, dark blue to black berries, valued as food by birds and wildlife. Green, compound-palmate leaves turn deep red-crimson in the fall. Virginia Creeper is a vigorous tendril climber; however, it is not parasitic and will not smother its host. Virginia Creeper is an important host plant for moth larvae (caterpillars), including Abbotts Sphinx Moth (Sphecodina abbottii), Pandora Sphinx Moth (Eumorpha pandorus), Virginia Creeper Sphinx Moth (Darapsa myron), and White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata). This is a low-maintenance plant once established. Use Virginia Creeper to add color and accent on climbing walls, trellises, and over rock piles. Prune as necessary.
Switchgrass is a clumping ornamental grass, which may naturalize by rhizomes and through self-seeding. Pink-tinged flowers display from July through February, turning beige in mid- to late summer. The seeds are a good food source for birds. Switchgrass is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) and Dotted Skipper (Hesperia attalus), as well as most banded skippers and satyrs. Cut it back to the ground in late winter-early spring. Plant Switchgrass in masses to use as a screen or in naturalized areas of your yard. Use cut stems and seed heads as an accent in fresh or dried flower arrangements.
Royal Fern is a clumping deciduous fern. Its broad, green fronds turn yellow in fall. Fertile brown clusters atop the fronds hold the spores. Royal Fern is an important host plant for moth larvae (caterpillars), including Osmunda Borer Moth (Papaipema speciosissima). Plant it along a water’s edge or in your shade garden, woodland garden, rain garden, and moist, shady areas of your yard.
Cinnamon Fern is a clumping deciduous fern. The fronds emerge as fiddleheads. Birds use the “fuzz” covering the fiddleheads as nesting material. Green, sterile fronds bend outward, encircling fertile, erect, spore-bearing fronds, which quickly turn chestnut-brown, giving this plant its common name. Cinnamon Fern makes an attractive accent in landscapes. Use it along the water’s edge and in woodland gardens, rain gardens, swales, or any moist, shady areas of the yard.
Prickly Pear is New Jersey’s only native cactus! Flat, fleshy, oval, evergreen pads stand erect or lie horizontally on the ground. The pads become somewhat dessicated and shriveled during the winter but plump-up again in the spring. Yellow, ornate flowers develop along the top of each pad and bloom June-July. Each flower is diurnal and blooms for only one day. A red edible fruit will follow fertilization. Flowers, fruits, and pads all offer food for wildlife. The pads and fruit are also edible for humans; however, tiny reddish spikes persist and necessitate much care in handling all parts of this plant. Use Prickly Pear in seaside gardens, rock gardens, sunny borders, dry sandy areas of your yard, or as groundcover.