Trees | Okanagan Xeriscape Association

Planting for Winter Birds

Claire — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 06:34:55 +0000

GARDENING WITH NATURE

Article by Sigrie Kendrick

Creating Vital Food Sources

The Okanagan Valley’s unique climate and ecology make it a crucial habitat for both year-round resident birds and winter visitors.

By thoughtfully selecting and planting native trees and shrubs that provide food during the harsh winter months, homeowners and landowners can create vital food sources for local bird populations while maintaining our region’s natural biodiversity.

Western Mountain Ash (Sorbus scopulina)

This tree stands out as one of the most valuable winter food sources for Okanagan birds. Its bright red berries persist well into winter, providing essential sustenance for Grosbeaks, Cedar Waxwings, and Northern Flickers.

These hardy trees thrive in the Okanagan’s climate and can reach heights of 20 feet, making them excellent landscape focal points while serving as natural bird feeders.

Western Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Locally known as “Saskatoon”, this shrub offers multiple benefits throughout the year. While its berries are primarily available in summer, any remaining dried fruit provides emergency winter food for birds. The dense branching structure also offers crucial shelter during harsh weather conditions, making it an excellent addition to any bird-friendly landscape.

Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

A signature tree of the Okanagan landscape, this tree supports numerous winter birds, particularly seed-eating species like the threatened White-headed Woodpecker, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Black-capped Chickadee. The large cones produce nutrient-rich seeds that become accessible throughout winter as the cones gradually open. According to the South Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Program there are approximately 55 species of birds and mammals, some endangered, that depend on these pines for food and shelter.

Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium)

Invaluable in winter bird gardens, this shrub’s blue-black berries, high in natural sugars, often remain on the plant throughout winter, providing vital energy for various bird species. This evergreen shrub’s dense foliage also offers essential winter cover for smaller birds.

Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

This shrub produces bluish-white berries that, while not a preferred food source, become increasingly important as other food options diminish during late winter. The plant’s bright red stems add striking winter interest to the landscape while providing shelter for ground-feeding birds.

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

This shrub holds its white berries well into winter, offering an important food source for ground-feeding birds like Dark-eyed Juncos and Spotted Towhees. While these berries are not typically first-choice food for birds, they become crucial during periods of severe weather when other food sources are depleted.

Landscaping Tips

When establishing a winter bird habitat, consider creating multiple vegetation layers. Plant tall trees like Ponderosa Pine and Western Mountain Ash as backdrop elements, medium-sized shrubs like Western Serviceberry in the middle ground, and lower-growing Oregon Grape as ground cover. This layered approach mimics natural habitat structure and provides diverse feeding opportunities for different bird species. Group plantings of the same species together rather than scattering individual plants throughout the landscape. Clusters of three to five plants create more visible and accessible food sources for birds while establishing more robust plant communities that better withstand harsh Okanagan winters. Consider sun exposure and soil conditions when selecting planting locations. Most native Okanagan species prefer well-drained soils and full sun exposure, though Red-Osier Dogwood can tolerate partial shade and moister conditions. Proper plant placement ensures healthy growth and maximum fruit production.

Care and Maintenance

While native plants generally require minimal maintenance, some care during the establishment period ensures long-term success. Water deeply but infrequently during the first two growing seasons to encourage deep-root development. Avoid fall fertilization which may promote late-season growth vulnerable to winter damage.

Resist the urge to prune away all berries and fruits in fall cleanup. These food sources become increasingly valuable as winter progresses and natural food becomes scarcer. Similarly, leave some leaf litter under shrubs and trees, as ground-feeding birds often forage for seeds and hibernating insects in this natural mulch.

Beyond providing crucial winter bird food, establishing native plants creates year-round habitat value. These plantings support native pollinators during flowering periods, provide nesting sites in spring, and offer summer shade and shelter. As plants mature, they become increasingly valuable components of the local ecosystem, contributing to the Okanagan Valley’s biodiversity while providing endless opportunities for bird watching and nature appreciation throughout the winter months.

Check our Plant Database for more information on the plants mentioned above.

Sigrie Kendrick is a master gardener and executive-director of the non-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

The post Planting for Winter Birds first appeared on Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

Growing the UnH20 Garden

Claire — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 05:55:09 +0000

Gardening with Nature | August 2021

Article by Sigrie Kendrick

The Garden is Growing

The Okanagan Xeriscape Demonstration Garden is growing, literally.

Working with the City of Kelowna, OXA has just completed the first phase of an expansion of the UnH2O Xeriscape Demonstration Garden on Gordon Drive in Kelowna.

The new garden area is at the back of the existing UnH20 Garden, with the wall of the H20 Aquatic Centre as a backdrop, and it will illustrate drought-tolerant trees, shrubs and cedar hedge alternatives. Calamagrostis (Karl Foerster feather reed grass) was previously planted there.

After a Spring of record drought, this educational area couldn’t be timelier and will show Okanagan residents that they can in fact have beautiful shade trees, privacy hedges and stunning outdoor spaces without compromising our most precious resource, water.

A total of six trees have been planted to date and in the Fall, volunteers will plant shrubs and cedar hedge alternatives in what will be the sixth featured garden in the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden to be called the Woodland Grove.

While these trees are young now, space has been left for them to grow to maturity in their new homes.

For year-round interest, two evergreen-needled Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’ were included in the planting plan. Known commonly as Limber Pine, these evergreens are hardy in zones 4-7 and grow slowly to a height of 20-30 ft. reaching half as much in width. Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’ is not bothered by hungry deer, even in winter.

As the name suggests ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’ is an upright growing pine with a pyramidal growth habit. The needles of this pine are approximately three inches long, arranged in bunches of five, and are a green-blue colour with a silvery cast.

This adaptable evergreen forms a deep tap-root, allowing it better access to the limited water found in its natural alpine habitat and therefore it is all but impossible to transplant once established.

Limber Pine
Photo credit: Pat Breen, Oregon State University

Thornless Honey Locust Photo credit: Pat Breen, Oregon State University

One of the deciduous trees featured foremost in the Woodland Grove is Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis, commonly known as Thornless Honey Locust, whose golden canopy will provide dappled shade for the under-story plants planted beneath it.

Typically, Gleditsia has a rounded form and reaches heights of 60-80 ft. but due to space limitations at the site, the cultivar ‘Skycole’ was chosen as it has a more pyramidal growth and it reaches heights up to 45 feet with a width of 25-35 feet.

‘Skycole’ is a thornless cultivar, happiest in full sun and tolerant of drought, heat, pollution and deer. This tree is hardy in zones 3-8 and is nearly seedless meaning less weeding of unwanted offspring.

The Spring flowers are greenish-white and somewhat nondescript but the leaves put on a show in the Fall turning a spectacular yellow as the nighttime temperatures dip.

Persian Ironwood Photo credit: Pat Breen, Oregon State University

Snowbird Hawthorn Photo credit: City of West Kelowna Urban Re-Leaf

Also planted in the new Woodland Grove are two Parrotia persica or Persian Ironwood trees. Parrotia can be grown as either a small tree or a multi-stemmed shrub and will reach heights of 10 feet within 10 years, ultimately reaching up to 40 feet.

Native to what was historically known as Persia, this drought-tolerant tree is also unfazed by clay soil and urban air pollution and as such deserves wider consideration for city use.

The four-inch long, oblong leaves are purple-red at the beginning of the season, but mature to dark green in summer and then turn shades of yellow, orange and red with the arrival of Fall.

Parrotia persica also provides winter interest with exfoliating bark in shades ranging from white, and tan to green on mature specimens.

Persian Ironwood suffers no serious pest or disease issues.

Lastly, a Crataegus mordenesis ‘Snowbird’ commonly known as Snowbird Hawthorn was planted.

‘Snowbird’ is a hybrid that was developed at the Morden, Manitoba Research by Agriculture Canada and is extremely cold hardy, surviving Prairie winters to zone 3.

‘Snowbird’ features clusters of white spring flowers followed by red berries and is happiest in a full sun location where it will reach a height of 10-20 feet with a similar spread.

This Hawthorn is adaptable to dry conditions, is drought-tolerant once established and is not fussy about soil type.

It has glossy lobed leaves glow yellow in Autumn.

As well as in our own Plant Database, a lot of useful information can be found on the Oregon State University Horticulture website.

I was working in the UnH2O garden on the August long weekend and was amazed at the riot of flowers currently in bloom in the established garden. It looks stunning.

Why not visit the garden for yourself and witness the amazing profusion of pollinators grazing on the floral buffet? Stroll on the new flagstone path through the expanded section of the garden.

I guarantee it will be a pleasure for all the senses.

Sigrie Kendrick is a Master Gardener and Executive Director of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association

The post Growing the UnH20 Garden first appeared on Okanagan Xeriscape Association.