Some thoughts on planting native trees Part One by Mike Miller
As you make plans for your fall planting, have a look around your garden for locations to plant a pleasing native tree or two. We highly recommend choosing native species, as they will provide the best support for native pollinators and other wildlife.
These trees will be available for sale at Birdsong over a series of weekends this fall starting on Saturday, October 23.
Redbud
Redbuds thrive in the south Georgia-north Florida climate. They are fast-growing, love partial shade and even do well in mostly-shaded sites. They have heart-shaped leaves which are dropped in the fall. In early Spring, before new leaves appear, Redbuds produce beautiful dark pink flowers.They prefer soils with lots of decayed vegetation but will do very well in poorer soils if well mulched and planted with sufficient organic matter incorporated into the planting mix. Redbuds can reach forty feet tall.
Fringe Tree (aka Granddaddy Grey Beard)
Fringe trees are relatively small, basically large bushes, which bloom in the spring, becoming covered with pale green flowers and put on quite a show in the forest as well as one’s yard. They are often seen in the wild as understory trees in mixed pine-hardwood forests. Fringe trees thrive locally, even in poor soils. They love partial shade but also do well in open sun.
American Beech
Mature beeches are sights to behold—tall, stately with beautiful smooth grey bark, magnificent and long-lived. They are the perfect 'legacy' tree that one’s grandchildren can someday point to and tell their grandchildren that they helped their Granny or Papa plant that tree back when they were little. Beeches don’t grow quickly but are beautiful at any age. They do well in forested or shady sites and the leaves of young beeches persist throughout the Fall, providing a rich brown color, making them not only easy to identify but also to enrich their surroundings. They do best in rich soils with abundant organic matter.
Dahoon Holly
Dahoon holly is a beautiful, understated native evergreen that produces red berries annually. In the wild it prefers moist soils and can flourish in seasonally wet soils. It does best in partially- to well-shaded spots but can be successful with more sun if watered sufficiently and can grow to about 20 feet tall.
Birdsong is Open
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 9-5
Sunday 1-5
Admission
$5 adults
$2.50 Children 4-12
Covid Protocols
We will continue to observe our Covid-19 protocols, including wearing a mask through the checkpoint and when encountering other individuals closer than six feet away. Once you are out on the trails away from others, masks are not required. Our Covid protocols can be found on our website and on the back of our trail maps onsite.
