Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. I’ve wrapped some chicken wire around a dead dogwood tree and planted a native honeysuckle, the beautiful red Lonicera sempervirens, at the base. Why, you might ask, don’t I just cut that craggy old thing down? Because snags are important to cavity nesting birds. In past years, we’ve left dead pines up and when they fell – they were far away from the house, they always had the remnants of woodpecker nests in them. As the honeysuckle vine gets fuller, it, can serve as magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies that will visit it to drink the nectar found in its tubular flowers. Another native vine I might add is Bignonia capreolata, a real draw for hummers – maybe I’ll sink it in a big-open bottomed pot to keep it in bounds, as it tends to spread. Get started – fall is the best time for planting.
A Dead Dogwood Could Be Great Habitat for Some Birds
