Oaks and a Living Landscape
With the writings of Dr. Talamy, there's a lot of focus on the importance of oaks in landscapes designed for birds. No argument, but Florida has more than 20 species from large trees to almost ground cover shrubs. Are they all the same? Are they the same in the New England landscapes that Dr. Talamy is most familiar with? Are all of the caterpillars found in New England the same as they are in Florida? I'm betting not, but I've not seen the data. The importance rests on their value as hosts for caterpillars. Right now, as I get to spend some time in my landscape I see butterflies laying eggs on a wide variety of my host plants - none of them oaks. The birds are also not feeding their nestlings. What's important now is not what was important earlier. To create a real landscape for wildlife requires diversity - food and cover for all times of the year, changing with the changing needs of what's here now and through the seasons; caterpillars and every other type of i