Many species of bees and caterpillars make use of dried vegetation and hollow stems to provide cover in the winter. Click on the link to learn more…
It is very tempting in the fall to start removing dried vegetation and “cleanup” before winter sets in. The cleanup process can leave some creatures in the lurch. Habitat needs continue even when the landscape transitions to the grays, whites, and browns of winter. A mason bee makes use of the hollow stems of the Spotted Joe Pye Weed plant to overwinter, a Leonard’s Skipper caterpillar hibernates in the dried remains of Little Bluestem, and gold finch enjoy snacking on black-eyed susan seeds. Give our pollinators and overwintering birds a hand by leaving some of your dried garden vegetation standing during the winter. Who knows? You may like how it adds texture and contrast to the winter landscape.