Native Plants – Maryland Grows

Gardening with Life Changes: a reflection on growing in containers

May 1, 2026April 29, 2026Emily Clark Waterson2 Comments

Calico cat resting inside a large pot with plants and colorful garden decorations on a balcony — *Zelda the cat loves to lounge amongst the plants in the sun, despite the attempted deterrence of forks, chopsticks, and watering bulbs. Photo by: Emily Clark Waterson*

I imagine for many gardeners, life changes may also come with garden changes. For instance, maybe you relocate and the sunny plot you once had is now a tree-covered shady oasis. Maybe the time you were able to devote to your garden shifts with the expansion of your family. New babies are a welcome addition, but boy, do they take a lot of time! Believe me, I know! That first week the weeds took over. Your job may change and now you have a longer commute or different work hours. You may decide to introduce a new pet that loves to dig or doesn’t respect that new shrub you are trying to establish. I have experienced many of these changes, which have allowed for a variety of gardening scenarios. Each life change has brought a new gardening challenge to explore and I welcome them all!

How it started…

I started my mid-Atlantic gardening life in 2011 with about 1/3 of an acre in a typical suburban neighborhood. I grew up in Northern New York (mostly zone 3-4) and then spent a few post-college years in the Southwest, so I found it exciting to learn about the planting palette of the Piedmont Region. At the time, I was working at a local garden center. That employee discount was a big bonus! I transformed a lot of turf and compacted construction soil into vibrant garden spaces. They showcased native plants, various edibles, and some fun non-invasive ornamental species. I introduced multiple trees to the barren backyard. I built some raised-bed veggie gardens and I finally found a happy spot for rhubarb to grow, after relocating it about five times. (Rhubarb prefers cooler climates but there are some heat-tolerant varieties if you’re like me and can’t live without it!) I also added the all-important gardener’s gold: a compost pile.

Two 4 by 8 foot raised beds in wooden frames sit along side a fence in a backyard with a path around them lined with bricks. — *Newly built raised bed vegetable gardens waiting to be planted. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Two toddler aged children sitting on the grass in a backyard holding beets — *My forever garden helpers in 2017 with our beet harvest. Photo Emily Clark Waterson*

A sunny garden bed with various trees, shrubs, and flowers with a fence in the background and grass in the foreground. — *The full sun backyard garden bed was added to soften the corners of what was once a rectangular plot of grass. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

How it changed…

A recent life change had me relocating to an apartment, resulting in a drastic reduction in my gardening space in 2023. But when life gives you a balcony, you start container gardening! I can’t live without dirt under my nails, or in this case, potting mix. Therefore, the balcony had no choice but to come alive with shades of green! It faced east and also received some shade from a large deciduous Magnolia. This was a change from the full sun, southern-facing backyard I was used to.

I scoured my local thrift stores for plant containers or something that could be repurposed as one. If I could drill a drainage hole, it would be fair game! Fun plates became container saucers to put underneath draining pots so they wouldn’t drip on my downstairs neighbor. Surprisingly, I found self-watering containers for a low cost at a dollar store. To further save money for plants and seeds, I used recycled food containers for seed starting. I optimized space by thinking vertically and splurged on a self-watering railing box. Adding hooks for some hanging plants was a must, too!

I’m a self-proclaimed native plant nerd, so there had to be some natives incorporated. I missed popping out my back door to my herb garden. Being able to clip whatever aromatic additive I wanted for an evening cocktail or our dinner was such a luxury. So, ignoring the eastern-facing orientation, I planted sun-loving Mediterranean herbs in various pots. I love fresh salad greens to harvest in the cut-and-come-again method. With the shadier location, this meant I was able to grow them all summer long in the railing box. Despite the lower light conditions, I tested a spicy pepper and a few cherry tomato plants as well. Guess what? They all grew!

A rectangular plastic container filled with soil with small seedlings emerging, sitting on a railing. — *A repurposed food container and lid growing arugula seedlings. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Green lettuce plants growing in a black oval planter with soil and wood mulch on a balcony railing. — *Having fresh green lettuce growing along the balcony railing was great to snip leaves off and have it grow back. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

A view of a balcony with many potted plants and a tree in the background — *A midsummer view of all the plants in the balcony garden. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Tomato plant reaching over a balcony railing to the roof line, held up with twine. — *Due to the lower light conditions, the tomatoes grew a little spindly, but still produced. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

A hand holding 3 red cherry tomatoes with a tomato plant in the background displaying many green tomatoes. — *Tomato harvest with more on the way! Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Challenges

Every gardener knows there is always something to learn from. Here are some challenges I faced:

Every gardener knows there is always something to learn from. Here are a couple of challenges I faced:

Cats – We love our cute kitties, who we rescued from a sewer drain at 4 weeks old, but cats and potted plants are a tough combination. Living in 900 square feet, it was important stimulation for them to explore the balcony and get some outside time in a safe setting where they couldn’t hunt wildlife or get hurt. Link liked to eat radish tops, and Zelda nibbled all the Carex (sedge) in my native plant container. (Yes, Link and Zelda – named by my 2 pre-teen boys who like to play video games.) Any open soil became a convenient litter box, so I learned to keep it blocked or covered. Chopsticks from the occasional takeout became repurposed soil blocking stakes. Any container not large enough or heavy enough had the potential to get knocked over (and many did). We learned to live with the nibbling, and I grew lots of wheat grass for them to keep them from eating MY plants. It didn’t totally work, though.

Heat and watering: Containers dry out much quicker than soil in the ground. I used many watering bulbs or those terra cotta watering spikes with bottles to help keep plants watered on the hottest days of the summer. If you have access to a hose bib, you can invest in a small drip irrigation system set on a timer, which would be more regulated for water hogs like tomatoes.

Plant waste: Where does it go to decompose? I didn’t want to add more waste to the garbage bags we had to haul out to the dumpster, and for environmental purposes, composting is preferred. I ended up using a 5-gallon bucket to collect spent potting mix, leaf clippings, and deadheaded flowers. On occasion, I added old potatoes, moldy fruit, or veggie scraps to balance the greens and browns. They slowly broke down, and if it didn’t get reused, at least it was easier to carry down 3 flights of stairs. My city had a compost collection service that you can sign up for, but unfortunately, they didn’t pick up from the apartment complex.

How it’s going…

Another life change has now brought me back to a yard. Since we are renting for now, I will continue container gardening, but with much more space! [Insert grow bags!] And just in time for our Grow it Eat it Year of Container Gardening! I’m excited about what this growing season will bring!

Thus far, I have overwintered spinach from the balcony garden; how it survived multiple freezes and probably fully frozen potting media, I have no idea, but that’s why plants are so cool! We’ve planted arugula and some mixed salad green seeds that are starting to show signs of life, peas that can climb our porch railing, and plenty of culinary herb transplants from the local garden center. I needed something instant to harvest!

A container sitting on porch steps showing a small Thai basil plant in the back and basil seedlings in the front. — *Thai basil transplant and basil seedlings are popping up. April 18, 2026 Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Herbs in a container with a road in the background. — *The sage overwintered but we just added thyme and oregano. Chive seeds were planted in the empty space. April 18, 2026 Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

*Overwintered spinach made the move with us and is reviving its growth in the railing box. Arugula seedlings are just starting to come up as well. Date: April 18, 2026 Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

We have a bit more sun now, and the kitties are confined to their screened-in “catio”, so some challenges have been addressed. My native plant container that Zelda liked to lounge in succumbed to heat and lack of watering while on vacation and then the freezing temperatures over the first winter, so I replanted with more drought-tolerant native shade perennials late last fall. Happy to report that they all survived and are returning vigorously! I’ve added a container variety of thornless raspberry, Bushel and Berry® Raspberry Shortcake®, to experiment with and excite our kids. Tomatoes, carrots, Thai peppers, and container-sized cucumber varieties are to come! We’ll see what our yields will bring and what interesting native plants I can add to aid in pollination and beneficial insect populations. Now, to just keep the cats from eating the house plants….

A container with various green plants in different textures with a white picket fence in the background. — *The re-planted native plant container features: Zigzag Goldenrod, Appalachian Sedge, Woodland Stonecrop, Christmas Fern, Alumroot, and a hidden Common Blue Violet.* *Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

A close up of flowers on sedge blades with a ceramic green bird in the background. — *The Appalachian Sedge in bloom! You can see the violet blooming in the background. Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

3 containers with different young shrubs inm a corner of a yard against a white picket fence. — *The new Raspberry Shortcake in the white container (right) and young native woody plants: Red chokeberry* *(center), and saplings of Spicebush and Redbud* *(left)*. *Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

Takeaways:

Just because you don’t have a plot of land doesn’t mean you can’t grow something!
Lack of full sun does not equal zero veggies – I had that cherry tomato producing well into late October!
Challenges provide good, thought-provoking scenarios that keep you interested in growing! Don’t give up if a few plants die.
Cost doesn’t have to be a deterrent either – a gallon milk jug with drainage holes and the top cut off worked great for leafy greens.

A wicker basket with many red, orange, and green tomatoes, and 2 purple peppers. — *The last harvest from the balcony on November 10, 2025! Photo: Emily Clark Waterson*

An apartment building showing 2 balconies with a finger poiting to the top floor. Plants can be seen growing and trailing over the edge. — Our balcony was on the 3rd floor. The vine is a stowaway Creeping Cucumber that must have traveled with another potted plant and ended up growing down to the 2nd-story balcony! Photo Emily Clark Waterson

Wherever life takes me next, I know my garden will follow. We’ll continue to grow and adapt to our new environment, and no matter what, harvest something we can eat!

Happy Spring!

Additional Resources:

Growing Vegetables in Containers and Salad Tables

By Emily Clark Waterson, Certified Professional Horticulturist & Coordinator, University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center.

Spring Ephemerals Bring Hope

March 13, 2026April 2, 2026Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

Green fernlike foliage in a mass that produces stalks of white blooms with yellow centers. The flowers hang downward in a V shape. — Dutchman’s Breeches (Britches), *Dicentra cucullaria*, is a woodland spring ephemeral.The common name comes from the white blooms that hang downward in a ‘V’ shape, making them appear to be a pair of men’s bloomers or breeches. Photo: Judy Fulton

Spring ephemerals are a group of herbaceous plants that emerge and bloom in early spring, typically in forests or woodlands, often while sunlight reaches the forest floor before the canopy tree leaves out. These plants have a short life cycle, with their growth, flowering, and seed production occurring rapidly in the early spring months. They are called “ephemerals” because they appear briefly and then disappear, going dormant for the rest of the year before the summer heat sets in.

Spring ephemerals play a crucial role in early spring ecosystems, providing nectar and pollen for early emerging pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, flies, and beetles, which may have limited food sources during this time. They also improve the soil structure and enrich the soil’s fertility, adding nutrients and organic matter back into the soil when they decompose. Due to co- evolution, many of these native spring wildflowers have developed special relationships with the companions in their community.

Let’s take a closer look at a few of my favorite ephemerals:

A close-up view of white flowers with yellow centers, surrounded by large green leaves and a natural forest background. — Mayapples, *Podophyllum peltatum*, blooming in a damp woodland setting, showcasing their characteristic umbrella-shaped leaves and hidden white flowers. Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension

Mayapples, Podophyllum peltatum, are perennial plants in the barberry family that emerge in damp woodland in early spring as a single stem about 12 inches in height with leaves folded into spirals. The leaves unfurl to expand into a deeply palmately lobed umbrella shape. They spread by rhizomes as well as seeds and can form large colonies.

Mayapples have two forms: a single leaf at the top of the stalk; and a stalk with two leaves branching off at about three quarters of the height. Only the double-leaf plants produce a single white flower that remains hidden under the leaf canopy. A pollinated flower will produce a yellow-green fruit about the size of a small apple. The common name for mayapples comes from the flowers that are reminiscent of apple blossoms and the apple-like fruit. The ripe yellow fruit is the only edible part of the plant; the root, stem, foliage (and unripe fruit) contains toxins to deter herbivores. (We do not recommend eating wild plants without proper training and identification.)

The consumption of mayapple fruits by turtles is an example of a mutualistic interaction, benefiting both species involved. Turtles, of course, obtain a source of food, while mayapple plants benefit from seed dispersal services in soil that has been enhanced by the turtles’ waste. Since turtles can travel some distance from the parent plant, they aid in the colonization of new areas and genetic diversity within mayapple populations.

A lush green forest floor in spring before the canopy trees leaf out, covered with large leaves of Mayapples and patches of sunlight filtering through the trees. — A vibrant carpet of Mayapples, thriving in a woodland setting during early spring. You can see how they easily form a colony from the rhizomatous growth. Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension

Spring beauty, Claytonia virginica, is one of the first flowers to appear in early spring. They are members of the Purslane family and have narrow, lance-shaped leaves with a solitary stalk up to six inches tall bearing small, delicate flowers that have five white petals with pink veins. Preferring moist part-shade, they grow happily in woodlands, meadows, and along stream banks. If allowed to grow, they will form a colony resulting in a large, lovely carpet of pink-white flowers blooming for about a month in April to May.

Close-up of delicate light pink wildflowers growing near a rocky surface. — Delicate spring beauty flowers, featuring pink-veined white petals, commonly found in moist woodland areas. They can often be found at the base of trees or along rocks. Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension

Like many ephemeral wildflowers, the spring beauty plant closes its flowers at night in a process known as nyctinasty to protect its precious delicate pollen from cold and wetness and, since pollinating insects are mostly foraging during the daylight hours, there’s no benefit in staying open. The dry pollen is much more easily transferred to the stigmas on other flowers for successful pollination. While many bees and butterflies will pollinate the spring beauty flowers, its pollen and nectar are the only provisions that the small spring beauty mining bee, Andrena erigeniae, will collect to raise her young. Spring beauties take nyctinasty to an elevated level, closing in mid- afternoon and only opening again mid-morning (or remaining closed on cloudy days), so this busy little bee needs to work extra hard during her banker’s hours to forage for her nest provisions. Ripe seeds of the spring beauty are ejected up to four feet away from the mother plant, but the real dispersal to new areas is carried out by ants.

A forest scene featuring a muddy path surrounded by a field of white flowers and green grass, with tall trees in the background. — Spring beauties can also form a carpet across the forest floor, making early hikes a magical walk through the woods. Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension

A close-up of a vibrant yellow lily-shaped flower with pointed petals and orange stamens, surrounded by green and brown mottled leaves. — A trout lily in bloom, showcasing its yellow flower and mottled leaves. The flowers are often pointed downward, so one needs to get low to see their pollen-filled stamens. Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension

The trout lily, Erythronium americanum, is a perennial in the lily family. Non-flowering plants have a single lanceolate leaf about six inches long that is gray-green mottled with brown and thought to resemble the markings of our native brook trout moving through water. The flowering plants have two leaves and a slightly taller stalk with a nodding yellow flower. Like all lilies, the flower has six tepals, a term used when the petals and sepals are the same color, shape, and size; technically, lilies only have three petals.

Although trout lilies can form dense colonies through small bulbs called “droppers” budding from the main corm, they do not propagate readily from seed. The plant does not flower for about the first seven years and most of the plants in a colony will not bloom at all. The flowers of the trout lily produce the pollen that attracts the trout lily mining bee, Andrena erythroni.

For a colony to expand its range, trout lilies attract ants to disperse the seeds. What is it with these ants, anyway? Many early blooming ephemerals have developed seeds with a structure called an elaiosome (uh-LIGH-uh-sohm), which is a protein-rich, lipid-packed appendage specifically for attracting ants. The ants drag the seeds off to their colony where they will feed on elaiosomes, then ditch the seed in their trash pile nearby, planting the seed in a new location with plenty of nutrients to aid its growth.

Cluster of yellow flowers with elongated petals growing near a tree, surrounded by green leaves and forest ground cover. — Trout lilies appear in clusters, often along stream banks. Can you believe we need to wait 7 years to enjoy these vibrant signs of spring? Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension

Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginica, are in the borage family, also called the forget-me-nots. They can grow up to two feet tall with large, rounded leaves and nodding flower clusters on arched stems. Pink flower buds open to bell-shaped flowers that are a beautiful blue. Like most of the ephemerals, bluebells grow best in rich, moist soil. Bluebells also tend to form large colonies in the woods or along the forest edge rather than isolated plants. They are especially attractive to long-tongued bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

A luch forest scene featuring a carpet of blue flowers surrounded by trees. — A field of Virginia bluebells blooming in a woodland setting stretching as far as the eye can see. Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension

You will often find Virginia bluebells growing with oak trees; the oaks are usually the last trees to leaf out in spring, giving the ephemeral a little longer to develop its seeds in the dappled sun before going dormant again in early summer.

These are just a few of the spring ephemeral wildflowers that play such a vital role in maintaining ecosystem function, supporting biodiversity, and enriching the natural world. They face several risks that impact their populations, such as habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, over collection and illegal harvesting, pollution, and climate change. Protecting and conserving these species is essential for the health and resilience of ecosystems and the well-being of both wildlife and humans. Strategies to conserve spring ephemeral wildflowers include habitat restoration, invasive species management, and public education.

Try to find some time to enjoy a casual walk along a path in the woods this spring and delight in the sights and smells of these precious plants during their brief visit.

A grassy area along a riverbank, featuring clusters of yellow and blue wildflowers: Mayapples, Packera, and Virginia bluebells grouped together. — A cluster of *Packera aurea*, Golden ragwort (spring blooming perennial), Virginia bluebells, and the foliage of Mayapples grows naturally along the waters edge, showcasing our native woodland spring blooms. Photo: Miri Talabac, UMD Extension

By: Sara Yosua, Master Gardener in Baltimore County. Sara also writes articles for her county’s Master Gardener newsletter, which gets published monthly. Find more articles or subscribe on their web page.

Planting with Purpose: Native Plants for Thriving Gardens

September 10, 2025Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

What do oaks (Quercus species), serviceberries (Amelanchier species), willows (Salix species), blueberry shrubs (Vaccinium species), ironweeds (Vernonia species), asters (many genera), and goldenrods (Solidago and Euthamia species); no, they do not cause seasonal allergies for most people) have in common? The National Wildlife Federation lists them as keystone plant groups of Eastern Temperate Forests, all native plants! Keystone plants provide a strong foundation for gardens— similar to how a keystone provides the final piece to an arch that helps distribute the weight evenly and allows the arch to hold.

White flowers of mountain laurel. — Mouantian Laurel (*Kalmia latifolia*) flowering. Photo Credit: Mikaela Boley, UME

“Native plant” is a term for vegetation that occurs naturally in a particular ecoregion. These plants have adapted and evolved to their native area, support diverse insect and wildlife species, and are key components of healthy ecosystems. Once established, they can thrive in Maryland’s climate with minimal maintenance.

Reasons to incorporate native plants into your landscape:

Beauty- flowers and foliage have interesting shapes, colors,and textures.
Soil Health- many native plants have deep root systems that help prevent erosion and do not require expensive and labor-intensive soil preparation.
Wildlife support- they provide important food sources for wildlife, including pollen, nectar, and insects that feed on them. Many specialist insects require specific plant species in order to feed or lay their eggs. A great example is Maryland’s state butterfly- the Baltimore Checkerspot- and its host plant white turtlehead (Chelone glabra). Prioritize keystone plants to build a strong foundation to support biodiversity in your landscape.
Lower maintenance- if properly planned, planted, and maintained, native plants require fewer inputs and attention. Occasional watering might be needed (regular watering during establishment is essential).

A single fuzzy, longhorn bee feeding on a New York ironweed flower. — A longhorn bee (considered a specialist) on New York ironweed. Photo Credit: Boyer & McDowell

The “right plant in the right place” approach is equally important for native and non-native plants. In order for plants to thrive with the least amount of human help, we need to match their growing needs with the right location in our landscape, and when possible, the same ecoregion and habitat. Match the plants’ overall height with your goals for your site to save time and energy on pruning.

You can find your plant’s preferred growing conditions on the plant care tag or the back of the seed packet as well as in the resources at the end of the article. Match your growing location information to the plant care tag information below for successful plant establishment.

The USDA Cold Hardiness zone map ( planthardiness.ars.usda.gov) provides useful guidance. Enter zip code to figure out what zone you live in.
Match the available sunlight for your landscape with plant needs.
- Full sun is 6+ hours of direct sunlight– but that doesn’t have to be continuous sun all day. It can be 3 hours of morning sun and 3 hours of afternoon sun for a total of at least 6 hours.
- Part sun is 4-6 hours of direct sun.
- Part shade is 2-4 hours of sun.
- Shade is less than 2 hours of sun.
Natural soil moisture levels will influence how well a plant can grow. Site management strategies, like diverting storm water, can change soil dryness or wetness.

Native plants are not “pest-resistant.” They have evolved with local insects and wildlife. Birds, foxes, caterpillars, butterflies, and other insects feed on natives, so expect and celebrate these relationships. Many native plants will need protection from deer after planting until they are well-established.

Close-up image showing a profusion of white flowers of an Allegheny serviceberry tree. — Allegheny Serviceberry (*Amelanchier laevis*), one of the earliest spring-flowering trees. Photo credit: Boyer & McDowell

Guidelines for purchasing native:

Always look for the scientific name, genus, and species, not just the common name. For example, “sunflower” is a general name that could refer to many different plants– Mexican sunflower, pale-leaved sunflower, woodland sunflower, and many more. It is better to use the scientific name, Helianthus annuus, to avoid confusion.
Buy from your local ecoregion when possible; locally grown is even better! An ecoregion is an area with similar ecosystems— flora, fauna, climate, soil, geology, and land use history. For example, Garrett County is in the Mountain Region of MD.
Cultivars are generally not recommended— get the straight species for best ecosystem value. However, a native cultivar is better than a non-native, invasive plant species. More information about cultivars can be found on the Cultivars of Native Plant webpage.

Monarch Butterfly. Photo: Rachel Rhodes, UME

Homeowners can help play a critical role in creating connections of native plant populations for wildlife corridors and conservation areas — every plant helps with the mission to restore and increase biodiversity.

What can homeowners do to help?

Remember the shoulder seasons— provide pollen and nectar sources for early spring and late fall in your landscape.
Add native evergreens to help offset the months when so many deciduous trees and herbaceous plants are dormant.
Do not plant invasive, non-native plants.
Reduce or eliminate pesticides in your landscape.
Tell others!

Resources:

UME- Recommended Native Plants

UME- Native Plants for the Home Landscape

UME- Why Include Native Plants:

Maryland DNR Native Plants Information

Maryland’s Best- Locate Local Nurseries

Maryland Native Plants Program

By Ashley Bodkins, Senior Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Garrett County, Maryland. Read more posts by Ashley.

Supporting Migratory Birds

June 5, 2025Maryland Grows2 Comments

With the return of warm weather, new plant growth, and emerging insects, you may have noticed the return of bird song, too. Migratory birds begin to return to their breeding grounds in May from locations as far south as Central and South America. Some species will stay in Maryland all summer to nest; others are passing through on their way to breeding grounds farther north. Maryland is under the Atlantic migration flyway, so we have quite a lot of migrating birds in our community, including orioles, warblers, swallows, and more!

Map of North America showing the four major bird migration flyways- the Atlantic Flyway, the Mississippi Flyway, The Central Flyway, and the Pacific Flyway. — Map by American Bird Conservancy

With bird diversity at its peak in our region due to the return of summer species and the temporary presence of northern species on their way home, it’s a great time to go birding! While the Maryland Ornithological Society’s annual May Count has already passed, you can check out their calendar for smaller birding events across the state, including meetings, tours, and educational opportunities.

You can also see which birds are coming and going through the BirdCast Migration Dashboard —enter your county to see how many birds flew over the previous night and cumulatively this season, as well as a list of species to expect this time of year. The Audubon Society hosts an interactive migration map where you can select a location and a bird species to watch where birds travel throughout the year, thanks to data collected from individually-tagged birds.

In addition to tracking their progress and contributing to community science efforts, there are steps you can take to help migratory birds on their journeys:

Keep cats indoors or supervise outdoor excursions, as free-roaming outdoor cats frequently prey on birds.

Reduce artificial light at night, as birds often fly at night to avoid predators, stay cool, and navigate by the stars and moon. Artificial light from the ground attracts and disorients migratory birds, disrupting their flight paths and increasing collisions with buildings. Minimize light pollution around your home by turning off outside lights, using red bulbs or red gel filters, and/or adding shades to direct light downward instead of up at the sky. You can also put path or porch lights on timers or install motion sensors, so lights are only on when you need them. Close your curtains or blinds at dusk to protect birds from indoor lights.

Lastly, an action where gardeners can excel: plant native vegetation to provide fruits and support insects for native birds with varied diets. For example, our Maryland State bird, the beloved Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula), which spends the winter in Central America, feeds mostly on insects like caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers, but also eats berries and nectar. A native plant like serviceberry (any species in the genus Amelanchier) would be an excellent choice; it can host 124 species of caterpillars and produces fruits that look similar to blueberries, another oriole favorite (any species in the genus Vaccinium). Native birches (like the sweet birch, Betula lenta), plums (like the American plum, Prunus americana), and oaks (like white oak, Quercus alba) also support higher caterpillar abundances, and red mulberry (Morus rubra) and native blackberry species (like the Allegheny blackberry, Rubus allegheniensis) grow attractive fruits.

With these actions, you can help protect our beautiful springtime singers!

Close-up photo of a Baltimore oriole bird. — Baltimore oriole by Andrew Weitzel

Photo of a serviceberry branch and leaves with purple fruits.

Photo of a cluster of ripening blueberries on a plant.

Photo of red mulberry fruits hanging from a shoot.

Photo of blackberry fruits riopening on the plant.

Serviceberry by Native Foods Nursery; blueberry by 88 Acres; red mulberry by K. Dave; blackberry by Ragesoss

By Sarah Rothman, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland. Read more by Sarah.

How to Plant & Care for Bare-Root Shrubs

April 17, 2025April 17, 2025Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

Annually, our State Forest Tree Nursery grows millions of native trees and shrubs for conservation, reforestation, and residential projects that are sold as bare-root seedlings. Bare-root plants are also commonly sold by online retailers, and available at local plant swaps. Why bare-root seedlings? Some key advantages are that they are less costly to store and transport, quicker to plant, and less likely to spread pests and diseases. Cons are the root systems need to be kept moist and they need to be planted within a short timeframe.

This week, Francis Smith from MD DNR’s State Forest Service helped us plant 140 native bare-root shrubs- (red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), and Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center in Clarksville. He shared best practices on how to plant and care for bare-root seedlings.

Storage tips: plant your seedlings within 7 days. Until then, keep the seedlings moist, cool, and dark. A garage or cooler maintained at 33-50 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. A packing or moisture gel such as Terra-Sorb is a convenient way to keep roots hydrated (Fig. 1). Submerging them in water seems intuitive, but is NOT recommended. Also, refrigerators are NOT recommended because they’ve dehumidifying properties that can damage seedlings.

Photo of a young shrub out of the ground with its roots covered with moisture gel to keep them moist. — Fig. 1: Roots of a Canadian serviceberry seedling stored with a moisture gel

Field Handling & Planting Tips: keep seedlings in a cool, shaded area. Avoid pruning top growth if possible. Francis did recommend pruning roots that were longer than 3-5 inches (Figs. 2 & 3), so the roots will fit into the wedge and to encourage new root growth. You can use a shovel or a handy tool called a planting bar or a dibble bar (Fig 4.). Check out Francis’ 2-minute video ‘How to Plant a Bare Root Seedling’ for instructions on how to create a straight wedge, position roots in the wedge (straight down vs J-roots), and tamping the soil down to avoid air pockets. If mulching, be sure to leave a ring of bare soil around the seedling (Fig. 5), as some materials absorb nitrogen, depriving the seedling of nutrients.

A seedling shrub having its excessively long roots trimmed with garden shears. — Fig. 2: Seedling pre-trim

A seedling shrub showing the root system after trimming excessively long roots. — Fig. 3: Seedling post-trim

A person in a field planting a bare-root shrub seedling with a planting bar. — Fig. 4: Planting bar/dibble bar

Newly planted shrub seedling showing bare soil around the base and a wood chip mulch in a ring 6 inches from the bare soil. — Fig. 5: Bare earth ring around seedling

The beauty of working with bare-root seedlings is that they’re economical, quick to plant, and create minimal soil disturbance, decreasing weed seed brought to the surface. If you have a difficult site or have a large project in mind, this might be an especially good option for you. For more information, check out MD DNR’s ‘Bare Root Seedling Planting Guide.’

By Lisa Kuder, Native Plants and Landscapes Specialist, University of Maryland Extension. See more posts by Lisa.

Q&A: What Can I Grow in Place of Dogwood?

February 20, 2025Maryland Grows1 Comment

Photo of a fringetree in full bloom with white flowers in spring. — Lovely Fringetree flowers in spring

Q: I have to remove a declining Flowering Dogwood, and would like to replace it with another white, spring-blooming small tree. Crabapple doesn’t appeal to me, and I already have a Magnolia. What would you recommend?

A: I think Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) is underused and quite showy. White is a common flower color for spring-blooming trees, native and otherwise, but for some reason this species is often overlooked. Growing wild essentially state-wide, it’s adaptable enough to handle home landscapes well if given good drainage and a half-day to full sun. Established plants have some drought tolerance, and grow at a similar pace overall to Flowering Dogwood (that is, slow to moderate, averaging a foot per year).

A member of the olive family, Fringetree is a cousin to Ash, and as such might be vulnerable to Emerald Ash Borer, the invasive insect that has decimated Ash trees region-wide over the past two decades. However, I think their susceptibility is low enough to give them a try, as I have not learned about any rampant problems with the beetle seriously damaging Fringetree, especially with the loss of most of the local Ash population’s mature trees.

Photo of a mature fringetree in a landscape. The tree is about 8 ft. tall with a spread of about 15 ft. — A mature Fringetree (*Chionanthus virginicus)* in a landscape.

This is a photo of a dwarf fringe tree that is less than 5 ft. in height. The variety is 'Little Leslie.' — ‘Little Leslie’ is a dwarf cultivar that grows to a maximum height of 5 ft.

The olive-like dark blue berries produced by female Fringetrees are decorative and appealing to birds, but sexing trees is difficult unless they were propagated as cuttings from a tree of known sex. A lone female tree may not fruit if there are no males within pollinating distance, and male trees can’t fruit. Occasionally, a female tree might self-pollinate, but this is not the norm. If you have room, plant two and take a chance of having a pairing for pollination, or just enjoy the flowers (showy on both sexes), which are also scented.

Closeup photo of long, slender Fringetree flowers. — Fringetree flowers

Photo of a cluster of small purple fringetree fruits. Each fruit is about 1/2-in. in diameter. — Fringetree fruits are eaten by many different bird species.

Other candidates for the criteria of white spring-flowering trees with a maturity smaller than a shade tree include: Serviceberry (Amelanchier species); Redbud (Cercis canadensis; there are a couple white-flowering cultivars); Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’ being widely available); American Plum (Prunus americana); Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia); Carolina Silverbell (Halesia species); and Snowbell (Styrax species).

By Miri Talabac, Horticulturist, University of Maryland Extension Home & Garden Information Center. Miri writes the Garden Q&A for The Baltimore Sun and Washington Gardener Magazine. Read more by Miri.

Have a plant or insect question? The University of Maryland Extension has answers! Send your questions and photos to Ask Extension. Our horticulturists are available to answer your questions online, year-round.

New Year, New Habits on the Horizon

January 16, 2025Maryland GrowsLeave a comment

I’ve been thinking a lot about habits lately—a whole lot. Changes in just one or two simple habits can radically transform our personal lives, society, and how we relate to the natural world, hopefully for the better but sometimes for the worse. How many of us have made a resolution or started a new habit already this year involving nature, gardening, or land stewardship? Are you sticking with it or just getting around to thinking about starting it? I am here to say: “If it matters, don’t give up!” It can take time and practice through repetition to establish or change a habit, according to an accumulating body of fascinating research around the human psychology of habits. A little bit of knowledge about how habits work can go a long way toward establishing and maintaining new habits.

The habit loop

Habits are a big part of what powers us through the day without having to think through the details of each and every step in a routine action. From wake up routines to commuting patterns, we carry out a series of regular actions based on established and regularly repeated cues, routines, and rewards. This is known as the “habit loop,” as vividly described by Charles Duhigg in his best-selling book, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.

Duhigg describes how habits, deeply encoded in one of the most evolutionarily ancient parts of our brains, the basal ganglia, relieve us of some of our daily cognitive load so that the more advanced parts of our brain can be devoted to higher order activities like reasoning, innovation, and decision-making. Habits can become ingrained fairly quickly if the chemical neurotransmitter reward in our brains is great enough, if the cues and rewards are strongly linked, or when routines are simplified and reinforced through regular repetition and behavior reinforcement.

A square illustration of the habit loop showing a human eye on the left, representing the cue. Above the eye is an arrow that makes a right turn at the top of the illustration and connects with a scrub brush representing the routine of cleaning the birdbath. An arrow flows from the brush and turns downward to a pair of binoculars, a bluebird, and a red heart symbol and exclamation point representing the reward of seeing a bluebird. An arrow continues downward and curves left to form the bottom of the illustration, connecting back to the human eye.

Caption: An example of the habit loop illustrating part of my winter bluebird care routine. I spot a messy bird bath after a day of heavy use (visual cue), spring into action to scrub the basin and refill with clean water (routine), then enjoy the thrill of spotting a bluebird taking a drink of fresh, clean water the next morning (reward). My craving to see bluebirds in winter helps to power me through this frequent winter routine on freezing cold days. I suspect some endorphins are released in my brain every time I witness the scene of a bluebird drinking fresh water outside my window on a freezing cold winter day. Graphic: S. Small-Lorenz

Cue-routine-reward. Cue-routine-reward. A habit cycle powered by an incessant craving for a drop of neurotransmitter joy. Habits can become so routinely mechanized that they are difficult, yet not impossible, to change. It is entirely possible, though, to modify habits just through tweaking routines. It is also possible to create new habits through repetition, with clearly identified cues and rewards. To instill a new habit, it can help to establish the cue, the reward, and a simple sequence of action steps in between.

Black plastic trash bag in the gutter with leaves spilling out of it

These habits also reflect missed opportunities to create better soil with higher soil organic matter that absorbs more stormwater where it falls, which would result in a more flood and drought-resilient watershed because soil with higher organic matter absorbs and retains more moisture. This, in turn, creates a foundation for a flourishing landscape that supports a wide array of biodiversity.

Keystone habits: Small actions that lead to big results

Then there are habits known as “keystone habits.” Like the architectural feature that supports an arch or keystone species that sustain an ecosystem, keystone habits are those habits that have the power to make big change throughout a system, by means of small actions. Small action = big change. It sounds so simple and gratifying, right? But is it realistic?

Duhigg gives examples of successful organizations and individuals who have identified and implemented keystone habits to achieve positive change and desired outcomes. These include daily habits drilled by Michael Phelps that helped him to break a world swimming record in an Olympic race, even while his goggles failed him, and former Alcoa CEO Paul O’Neill’s singular, unprecedented obsession with workplace safety that dramatically transformed its corporate culture and overall productivity, despite initial deep doubts and laments of indignant shareholders. Think about a life-altering habit that you have adopted, changed, or left behind. How hard was it but how much did it transform your life to eventually change that habit? Research has shown that cues and rewards of the habit loop can be difficult to rewire, but that it is also entirely possible to alter the routine between the cue and reward to achieve a more desired outcome.

My primary driving question these days is: “How do we change habits to improve habitat?”

As I review the many sustainable practices promoted through our Bay-Wise Living Landscapes Program, I am searching for those potential keystone habits that we should emphasize in 2025 that represent small actions for big changes. Small behavior changes across the landscape that, when added up, could have an outsized, beneficial impact on our watersheds and their ecosystems.

My 2025 keystone habit for Maryland

If I could foster one keystone habit change across Maryland in 2025 it would be this: “Recycle yard debris on-site.” This one habit actually captures a number of low-cost but beneficial practices, such as leaving leaf litter where it falls, leaf mulching, grass-cycling, and creating wildlife brush-piles from yard prunings. So, technically, we’re talking about habits within a habit.

The photo shows fallen tree leaves partially covering a lawn area.

The photo shows a log exposed under a layer of snow.

Caption: Leaf litter (L) and a log under a layer of snow (R). Firefly larvae take shelter in leaf litter and logs throughout the winter. Yard “debris” has high habitat value, providing overwintering habitat for many beneficial insects and wildlife species. Photos: S. Small-Lorenz.

Managing our yard “debris” like leaves, grass, clippings, branches, stumps, snags, and prunings in ways that acknowledge their ecological value can improve soil and water, laying the groundwork for more climate-resilient landscapes and communities. Leaving leaves where they fall nourishes soil and vegetation, retains soil moisture, creates a substrate for native plants to establish, and provides an insulating ground layer of habitat for a wide array of species.

Leaf mulching and composting on-site are other sustainable options for managing leaf litter. Grass-cycling by leaving grass clippings on the lawn instead of bagging it up and sending it off-site provides a free, natural fertilizer with a much lower carbon footprint than trucking it off or applying manufactured fertilizer. Arranging downed limbs and pruned branches into brush piles provides shelter for songbirds and small mammals on extended snowy days like we’ve had this month and throughout the year and returns carbon and nutrients to the soil. (The main exception to this habit is to remove and properly dispose of invasive non-native plant materials, especially those that reproduce vegetatively or have gone to seed, to avoid spreading them.)

Photo of a small brush pile in deep snow, surrounded by animal tracks. — Caption: Brush pile in deep snow, surrounded by animal tracks.
Photo: S. Small-Lorenz

How does habit change take root in the community?

However, pleading with people or even providing scientific evidence is not likely to make these habit changes take hold on a large enough scale to make a measurable impact across an entire watershed. Study upon study has shown that people are more likely to respond to a combination of seeing their neighbors do it and financial incentives over any amount of urging, pleading, pledging, or piles of scientific evidence (Bergquist et al. 2023). Could this be because neighbor cues and financial rewards better tap into this primal habit loop of cue-routine-reward? There is evidence that the answer to this question is “yes.”

Friction, cues, and incentives

In a fascinating review, Mazar et al. (2021) identified three successful strategies for motivating environmental behavior change through policy, and I believe these strategies are applicable to individuals and organizations as well. First is the strategic use of friction. Identify where friction can be reduced or increased to motivate habit change. Make it easy to implement the desired behavior (reduce friction) or a little more challenging to do it the old way (add friction). They cite a number of environmental behavior change studies, including one that made it easier to recycle by reducing steps to the recycling bin or a little more expensive to use disposable bags through token bag fees. This is a matter of simplifying the routine in the cue-routine-reward habit loop to lead to the desired behavior or complicating it to deter less desired behavior.

A bright blue male Eastern Bluebird points his bill upwards as he drinks clear water from a bird bath during a heavy winter snow. An inkberry holly next to the bird bath holds several inches of snow on its foliage.

“Re-setting the default” is a related strategy. A variety of studies have shown that setting the desired behavior as the default results in more rapid and widespread adoption of the more environmentally friendly option. For example, placing vegetarian meals at the top of a menu or adjusting office thermostat default settings resulted in significantly higher uptake of the desired pro-environment behaviors. In a different but related example, if I see salad at the start of a buffet meal, I will undoubtedly fill my plate with a bed of greens. If I encounter the dessert table first, you’d better believe I’m starting with the cheesecake!

Second is implementing clear cues to action – for example, studies showed that improving signage on cafeteria recycling bins using clear visual symbols right at the disposal site resulted in positive environmental behavior changes. I see this as directly tapping into the cue part of the cue-routine-reward habit loop.

Third is psychologically informed incentives that steer people toward desired environmental habits or away from detrimental habits. It turns out that people really like and value free things. Small fees, like the bag fee, have resulted in major societal behavior shifts by imposing a very small cost on the behavior of accepting a disposable bag. My local natural foods store takes it a step further by offering a wooden nickel token for each reusable bag a customer deploys, to donate to their choice of three local charities. There’s a double reward to accelerate that cue-routine-reward habit loop. Save the bag fee and donate it on the spot to a charity making a positive impact in the community.

Savor the intangible rewards

Rewards don’t always have to be financial, although small financial rewards or rebates have been shown to motivate environmental behavior change on a societal level. Rewards may come in the form of cost and time-savings or they may be as intangible as the smell of rich organic soil that you and your tree co-created, the endorphins released during the exercise of planting a common witch hazel shrub, the pleasure of seeing an Eastern Bluebird take a drink of fresh water from your clean, heated bird bath on a freezing winter day, or the joy of sighting that first firefly flicker of June.

Photo shows leaf litter, prunings, and standing woodland sunflower stems in the winter during a January snowfall event.

Photo shows leaf litter and songbird tracks in a light layer of snow.

Captions: Top: leaf litter, prunings, and standing woodland sunflower stems in the winter during a January snowfall event. Bottom: litter and songbird tracks in a light layer of snow. Photos: S. Small-Lorenz

If we can get comfortable with a slightly rougher and wilder aesthetic in our residential landscapes, the biodiversity and climate-resilience benefits could be immense. These new habits lend themselves to creativity – you can be as messy, manicured, or artistic as you would like with them yet still enjoy the benefits of rich soil, sustained soil moisture, pollinators, songbirds, hawks, and owls in your yard or park.

If you have resolved to become a better steward of nature this year, or even if you are just now thinking about trying your hand at some aspect of ecological landscaping, try putting your new knowledge of the habit loop to the test. If you’re looking for a place to start, join me in recycling your yard waste on-site in 2025. It may take a while to adjust and get the hang of this way of doing things, but once you get in the habit loop by identifying your cues, routines, and rewards, I predict that the workload becomes lighter, the cost savings will add up, and the many intangible rewards of being a better watershed steward right where you live will be noticeable and energizing.

References

Berguist, M. M. Thiel, M.H. Goldberg, S. van der Linden. 2023. Field interventions for climate change mitigation behaviors: A second-order meta-analysis. PNAS 120(13).

Duhigg, C. 2023. The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Penguin Random House. New York.

Mazar, A., G. Tomaino, Z. Carmon, W. Wood. 2021. Habits to save our habitat: Using the psychology of habits to promote sustainability. Behavioral Science & Policy, 7(2). Pp. 75-89.

By Stacy Small-Lorenz, Ph.D., Residential Landscape Ecology Specialist, University of Maryland Extension. Read more posts by Stacy.