Plant Songs

“Loud crowing caw-cawk! followed by a resonant beating of the wings. When alarmed flies off with a loud cackle. 

Typically feeds on ground, sometimes in trees. On ground, scratches with feet or digs with bill to uncover food.”

Introduced to the United States from Asia as a game bird.

Sources:

Region: L48(N), CAN(N)

Mature Size: 12 ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: diverse soil textures, shade tolerant, fire tolerant, high salinity tolerance, acidic soil

Hardiness Zone: 3 - 7

Leaf Color: reddish-green spring leaves, blue-green in summer, red/yellow/purple/orange in fall

Flower Color: white or pink flowers, berries that are blue

Wildlife Benefit: loved by all; twigs and foliage eaten by deer; berries eaten by bears, gray catbird, american robin, and countless others

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=vaco

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=VACO

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=n470

Region: L48(N), CAN(N), AK(N), HI(I)

Mature Size: 8 ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: diverse soil texture, diverse pH, intermediate shade tolerance, high anaerobic tolerance (standing water required), medium salinity tolerance (brackish conditions okay)

Hardiness Zone: 3 - 10

Leaf Color: green leaves/stalks; tan-brown in the fall

Flower Color: yellowish male flowers, greenish female

Wildlife Benefit: cover for insects, important nesting and food source for ducks

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=tyla

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=TYLA

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a407

Region: L48(N), CAN(N)

Mature Size: 100+ ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: coarse soils, acidic, shade tolerant

Hardiness Zone: 3 - 7

Leaf Color: dark green with white bands

Flower Color: tan-brown cones

Wildlife Benefit: nesting material for warblers; cover for deer and songbirds; seeds eaten by chickadees

Sources: 

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=tsca

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=TSCA

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g100

http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/eastern-hemlock

https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?itemID=849

Region: L48(N), CAN(NI)

Mature Size: 100 ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: coarse soils, circumneutral pH, shade tolerant

Hardiness Zone: 3 - 9

Leaf Color: dark green; pale green to pale yellow fall color

Flower Color: pale yellow

Wildlife Benefit: extremely attractive to bees 

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=TIAM

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=TIAM

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a917

http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/american-basswood

Region: L48(N)

Mature Size: 12 ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: versatile soil texture, acidic soils, medium anaerobic tolerance, shade tolerant

Hardiness Zone: 3 - 9

Leaf Color: dark green above, pale green below; attractive shades of orange, yellow, and purple in the fall

Flower Color: tubular, white to pale-pink flowers

Wildlife Benefit: special value to bees; toxic to many animals

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=rhvi2

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=RHVI2

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=280018

Region: L48(N), CAN(N)

Mature Size: 100 ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: fine soils, acidic, shade intolerant, medium anaerobic tolerance, high water use

Hardiness Zone: 4 - 8

Leaf Color: glossy, dark green leaves; deep red in the fall

Flower Color: yellowish-green, catkins

Wildlife Benefit: particularly important food source for ducks, eaten by turkeys, squirrels, deer, and songbirds

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=qupa2

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=QUPA2

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a904

http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/pin-oak

Region: L48(N), CAN(N)

Mature Size: tiny

Habitat/Growing Conditions: sandy soils, moist environments, shade

Hardiness Zone: 3 - 7

Leaf Color: a rich, emerald green 

Flower Color: reproduces with spores

Wildlife Benefit: paralyzes mammals

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LYOB

http://www.borealforest.org/ferns/fern11.htm

Region: L48(N), CAN(N), SPM(N)

Mature Size: 150+ ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: medium soils, intermediate shade tolerance, acidic soils

Hardiness Zone: 3 - 8

Leaf Color: soft, blueish-green needles, jumbles of five

Flower Color: cones, usually on the larger side

Wildlife Benefit: nesting for grackles and chickadees; seeds a favorite of black bears and squirrels 

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PIST

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=PIST

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e710

http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/eastern-white-pine

Region: L48(N)

Mature Size: 60 ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: diverse soil texture, acidic soils, intermediate shade tolerance

Hardiness Zone: 5 - 9

Leaf Color: Shiny green, silver underneath; deciduous in colder climates

Flower Color: Creamy white, waxy flowers

Wildlife Benefit: fruit eaten by turkey, quail, squirrels, and some songbirds

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=mavi2

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=MAVI2

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e110

Region: L48(N)

Mature Size: 100 ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: diverse soil texture, acidic soils, shade intolerant, high moisture use

Hardiness Zone: 5 - 9

Leaf Color: glossy, deep green; fall color brilliant mixtures of red, orange, yellow, and purple

Flower Color: non-showy, yellow-green flowers; give way to gum balls 

Wildlife Benefit: gum balls used as nesting material for birds; seeds eaten by bobwhite quail, turkeys, squirrels 

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=list2

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=LIST2

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c116

http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/sweet-gum

Region: L48(N), CAN(N)

Mature Size: 50 ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: diverse soils, high drought tolerance, circumneutral pH, intermediate shade tolerance

Hardiness Zone: 2 - 9

Leaf Color: dark blue-green scale-like foliage, may turn brown-green in winter

Flower Color: blackish-green-blue berry-like cones 

Wildlife Benefit: staple for many birds and mammals, provides nesting cover for warblers and robins

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=juvi

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=JUVI

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a394

http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/eastern-red-cedar

Region: L48(N), CAN(N)

Mature Size: 6 - 12 ft

Habitat/Growing Conditions: diverse soil texture, acidic soil, medium salinity tolerance, shade intolerant

Hardiness Zone: 4 - 8

Leaf Color: glossy, dark green, retain color through winter unless temperatures dip below well below zero

Flower Color: greenish-white flowers, relatively inconspicuous; dark black berries

Wildlife Benefit: special value to honey bees; favorite of birds

Sources:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ilgl

https://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=ILGL

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d553