Native Tree and Shrub Plantings
for Wildlife Habitat
By Andy Arens, Forestry/Shoreland Specialist
with the Itasca County Soil and Water
Conservation District (SWCD)
Specifically:
 Native shrubs for:
- Cover for song birds and other ground dwelling
animals.
- Many native shrub species produce fruit which is
eaten by song birds, grouse, and deer.
 Balsam fir and White spruce for:
- Winter thermal cover from the wind; especially
deer.
- Limbs close to the ground for cover; specifically
grouse, and other ground dwelling animals.
- Nesting for songbirds.
 Red oak and bur oak acorns as one of the preferred
source of deer and bear food.
Why Minnesota Natives?
….and northern Minnesota suited species
 Adapted to northern Minnesota climate.
- Plant the native species you already see
naturally growing in the area.
 Little or no maintenance required, i.e. watering
fertilizer and black dirt.
 Less likely to be invasive or noxious.
 Fewer disease and insect concerns.
Native N. MN. Wildlife Shrub and Tree Species
High-Bush Cranberry
American Plum
Juneberry
Winterberry
Red Elderberry
White Spruce
Balsam Fir
Nannyberry
Gray Dogwood
Bur Oak
American Spikenard
Chokecherry
Northern Red Oak
Match Species Requirements to Site Characteristics
Shrubs
MOIST
DRY
Trees
WET
High-Bush Cranberry
(Viburnum trilobum)
Winterberry
(Ilex verticillata)
Nannyberry
(Viburnum lentago)
American Spikenard
(Aralia racemosa)
American Plum
(Prunus americana)
Red Elderberry
(Sambucus racemosa)
Gray Dogwood
(Cornus racemosa)
Chokecherry
(Prunus virginiana)
Juneberry
(Amelanchier alnifolia)
Preferred Soil
Preferred Soil
Sun*
Spacing
Height
Berries
Flower
Bloom
FPS
4+ ft
6-10’
4+ ft
6-10’
Lrg white/
Unique
White
June
FP
FP
6+ ft
10-20’
PS
2+ ft
3-6’
F
6+ ft
6-10’
FP
6+
7-10’
FPS
5+ ft
7-10’
FP
5+ ft
8-15’
FP
3+ ft
5-10’
Bright Red/Jellies,
etc/Attract wildlife
Red/Attract wildlife
in winter
Dark Purple/Sweet
raw/Attract wildlife
Clustered/Small red/
Attract wildlife
1”dia. & sweet inside
/Attract wildlife
Red/Wildlife/
Un-edible for humans
Subtle Wht/
Attract wildlife
Red/Good for
cooking/Wildlife
Purple/Good raw
/Attract Wildlife
Sun*
Spacing
(ft)**
8+
Mature
Height
40-60’
MOIST
WET
Balsam Fir
FPS
(Abies balsamea)
Bur Oak
FP
30+
50-70
(Quercus macrocarpa)
White Spruce
FPS
12+
50-70’
(Picea glauca)
Northern Red Oak
FP
20+
60-75’
(Quercus rubra)
*Sun: F = Full Sun, P = Partial Sun, S = Shade
**Tree spacing recommendations assume that future thinning will not be done.
Average
Growth
8 inches/yr
Slow
8 inches/yr
6 inches/yr
White/
Large
Pale
Green
Lrg white/
Fragrant
White/
Unique
White
White/
Columnar
White/
Showy
MayJune
MayJune
July
May
MayJune
JuneJuly
MayJune
MayJune
Other Traits
Showy maroon fall
foliage/Unique leaf
Range of sites from wet
transition to mod. dry
Dark red fall foliage/
Spreads gradually
Unique two-tone green
leaf/Ginseng family
Thicket forming via
roots/Thorny branches
Large, vertical, round
flower bloom
Red stems fall & winter/
Maroon fall foliage
Shorter on sandy sitestaller w/ moderate moist.
Also known as
Serviceberry
Other Traits
Fragrant/Soft needles/Wildlife cover/
Common Christmas bough species
Large broad crown/Stout branches/Preferred acorn by
deer due to high nutrient contend; also attract bears.
Good living fence species/Ground and canopy cover
for wildlife
Dark red fall foliage/Acorns for wildlife/Timber value
White Spruce and Balsam Fir for Cover
 Proximity: In the case of spruce or fir for deer cover, plant close to
the two other necessary habitat needs, food and water.
 Planting spruce and/or fir along trails provides cover close for grouse
while they sun themselves in the trail. It also keeps grouse in shotgun
range of the trail!
 Tree Spacing: A spruce and fir planting spacing of about twelve feet
will allow vegetated limbs near the ground, but there won’t be much
room between trees. This equals deer, grouse and songbird nesting
habitat. It also won’t need future thinning.
- A tighter planting will result in the lower limbs dieing due to too
much shade; a wider spacing won’t be thick enough, and will
have voids between trees.
 Planting Size: Further, the larger the planting, the more deer it will
hold. At a minimum, spruce/fir plantings should be at least an acre
square in size to consistently hold any deer.
Shrub Spacing and Placement Considerations
 Spacing: Open grown shrubs that get a lot of sunlight produce more
fruit, and also provide better songbird nesting. However, limited space
between shrubs will provide better wildlife cover. To achieve the right
balance, spacing should be between four and ten feet, depending on
the species; wider for taller individuals and narrower for shorter
growing species. See the previous species information table for
expected total height.
 Rows or Clumps: Planting in rows or clumps will provide better cover,
and will therefore make wildlife more comfortable. When planting in
rows, tighten spacing up, in order to achieve continuous growth.
 Placement: Planting along trail or field edges, with woods behind, will
provide the shrubs partial sunlight, and the wildlife will feel more
comfortable due to adjoining heavy cover. It also allows for viewing of
the wildlife.
Other Approaches Without Planting–Aspen Clear-cut Pockets
 Aspen is one of the preferred browse and cover species of ruffed
grouse and deer in N. MN.
 Grouse feed on green leaves and catkins in spring, and flower buds in
winter. Young dense aspen also provides good cover.
 Young succulent aspen shoots attract deer. They will feed on the tops
right after the harvest, and then following when new shoots emerge.
 Aspen pockets should be at least an acre in size, and at least 80% of
the canopy should be removed. Aspen needs near full sunlight to the
forest floor to regenerate. Winter harvest is ideal for best
regeneration.
Other Approaches – Scarification, Release, and Direct Seeding Oak
 Scarification is simply the process of exposing bare mineral soil around
desirable seed producing trees. This increases the likelihood of seed
germination.
 This could be done for balsam fir and white spruce.
 Scarification on a larger scale can be done with a dozer or front end
loader, or, on a smaller scale by hand with a rake.
 Scarified areas only need to be a couple feet in diameter, and for
starters should be located just adjacent to seed trees; then, if
successful, scarified areas can be extended our farther.
 Release is the process of releasing desirable species from competition
with less desirable species. Quite simply, any less desirable species
those canopy is toughing that of a more desirable species, can be cut.
 Direct Seeding Oak: The acorns of any oak already on the property can
be planted in autumn after they fall from the seed tree. Leave the
acorn caps on, and push them into the ground on their side, just deep
enough so that they are covered with soil.
Planting Timing
 Depending on the type of stock, planting can be done spring through
fall.
 However, spring planting is ideal, so in this case, since the project
timing is flexible, target the spring.
 For actively growing plants, plant once the frost comes out of the
ground, and evening temperatures aren’t dropping below freezing;
typically after mid April.
 For dormant trees, planting can be done as soon as you can get a
planting tool in the ground; the tree will then naturally wake up with
the climate.
Planting Procedure, Tools, and Follow-up Maintenance
 For potted shrubs and trees, or ball and burlap trees:
- Make the hole bigger than needed, to loosen the soil, and then
refill
- Lightly loosen the soil ball prior to placing in hole
- Don’t plant too deep or too shallow; make sure all the roots are
covered, but not much of the lower trunk.
- Water immediately.
- If native species are matched properly to the site, watering the
first couple years, during dry periods, may be necessary.
However, once the plants are established, watering natives
typically isn’t necessary even during droughty periods.
Small Tree Options – Terminology and Pros & Cons
 Two options:
* Bare root are, are the name implies, bare root when put in the
ground. Tend to a little cheaper.
* Containerized come with the roots incorporated within a smaller
soil plug. Success rates following planting tend to be higher.
 Size options:
* Seedlings: One or two year old stock, and typically 6 to 8 inches
above the roots. $.20 to $1.50 each, depending on species and
quantity.
* Transplants, or Extra Flush Stock: Two and three year stock,
and typically 8 to 12 inches tall. $.50 to $2 each.
Seedling and Transplant Tree Planting Tools
 First two pictures on the bottom left are planting bars, the third is a hoedad,
and the fourth is a dibble.
 Planting bars can be used for both bare root and containerized stock, and
are good for any type of soil. The pointed planting bar is for partial frost.
The following illustration below show how they are used.
 Hoedads are drove into the ground, and then pulled strait back slightly, to
create a small opening for the tree. The hole is then filled back in and
slightly compacted by foot. They work best on sandy soils.
 Dibbles are for containerized stock, and simply punch a hole just a little
bigger than the plug, which is then dropped in and “healed in” to tighten the
hole.
Small Tree Planting Procedure
 In the illustration below, the picture on the left illustrated good tree
placement.
 Second picture from the left illustrates planting too shallow. Planting
too deep should also be avoided; make sure all of the roots are buried,
including the fibrous roots, but not much of the stem above.
 The third illustrates that trees should be planted relatively vertical.
 And the final picture illustrates “J-roots”; care needs to be taken to
make sure the roots point downward.
- Bare root stock often has so many roots that property planting
is vary difficult. In this case, the small ends of the roots can be
pruned; specifically, up to a third of the root length can be
removed.
Deer Browse Prevention
 Deer typically leave balsam fir and white spruce alone, but will browse
young oak trees, and in addition to shrub berries, they are also
attracted to the succulent growth of young shrubs.
 For oak, tree shelters can be used (shown in the picture below), but
for shrubs and larger application tree plantings, a topical deer repellent
is most logical.
 Plantskydd is one topical deer repellent that has been working well in
the area. It is made of blood, so it triggers a predatory reaction in
deer. They won’t even want to come near the plant, and they
remember, so the effect lasts-two applications a years a the most,
spring first, and fall if necessary.
Area Vendors
 Containerized Tree Seedlings and Transplants:




- The Itasca Greenhouse – Cohasset, 218-328-6261
- Itasca County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) –
Grand Rapids, 218-326-0017
Bare Root Tree Seedlings and Transplants – minimum order of 500:
- MN DNR Nurseries – Willow River and Akeley,
218-372-3182 / 218-652-2385
The above two nurseries may also offer larger trees, and local gardens
nurseries also typically offer some potted native trees.
Native Shrubs:
- Sunshine Gardens – Pine River, 218-947-3154
- Great River Gardens – Aitkin, 218-927-3207
- Itasca County SWCD – Grand Rapids, 218-326-0017
Tree Shelters and Deer Repellents:
- Itasca Greenhouse – see contact information above.
- Forestry Supply Company: www.forestry-suppliers.com –or1-800-647-5368
- Ben Meadows: www.benmeadows.com –or- 1-800-241-6401
- Some hardware stores and chain stores are also starting to carry
Plantskydd.
Contractors and Cost Share Opportunities
 Contractors: If you’re not interested in doing the work yourself, for
larger scale tree plantings, or scarification and release work, forestry
consultants may be interested.
- Visit the “MN. Association of Consultant Foresters” website for a
list of area consultant foresters:
http://www.paulbunyan.net/users/norfor/ -or- 800-671-0010 (W)
- Some consulting foresters are also often listed in the phone
book yellow pages.
 The “United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource
Conservation Service” (USDA NRCS) has cost share programs for cost
sharing tree and shrub plantings. Contact Mike Oja or Kyle Asplund for
more information about eligibility, etc: 218-326-6595.
Thank You!
This presentation is available on our
website, at www.itascaswcd.org
Questions?