Notes for "Caterpillar Park"
These are the setting notes for "Caterpillar Park."
See a long view and a closeup view of one circle in the bur oak guild at Caterpillar Park.
* Canopy layer: bur oak
* Shrub layer: white and blue false indigo
* Groundcover layer: Canada anemone and Pennsylvania sedge
* Nitrogen fixers: White and blue false indigo plus non-native Dutch white clover in lawn
* Insectary: Butterfly weed
Young pawpaws are part of the oak guild but not connected yet.
Snags, logs, and brushpiles are all valuable.
This snag was installed to mimic an older forest. Snags have high wildlife value, the bigger the better. Here are some options for installing snags.
These logs are scattered around the park. Logs also provide food and habitat for wildlife.
See the brushpile constructed in stage 1 logs, stage 2 branches, and stage 3 twigs. Often a layer of evergreen boughs or fallen leaves is added on top, but they didn't have those. These shelter many species of wildlife. Learn how to build brushpiles.
The pollinator garden includes coreopsis, black-eyed susan, butterflyweed, yarrow, and purple coneflower.
This closeup shows yarrow, butterflyweed, and beebalm. Learn how to design a pollinator garden, follow the steps for planting, and choose good plants for Nebraska. Provide plants for all bloom times. It helps to make a chart.
Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.)
Larval host for: Silvery Checkerspot, Buckeye
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Larval host for: over a dozen species of caterpillars including Bordered Patch, Gorgone Checkerspot, Silvery Checkerspot, Camouflaged Loopers, Common Pugs, Gray-blotched Epiblema Moth
Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Larval host for: several species including Monarch, Queen, Milkweed tussocks, Striped Garden Caterpillars
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Larval host for: about 20 species of butterfly and moth larvae including Camouflaged Loopers, Striped Garden Caterpillars, Blackberry Loopers, Common Pugs, Cynical Quakers, Olive Arches, Voluble Darts
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Larval host for: Bordered Patch, Gorgone Checkerspot, Silvery Checkerspot
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
Larval host for: at least 40 different butterfly and moth caterpillars including LeConte's Haploa, Yellow-winged Pareuchaetes, Camouflaged Loopers, and Common Pugs
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
Larval host for: over 100 different species of native caterpillars including Asteroid, Brown-hooded Owlet, Camouflaged Looper, Common Pug, Striped Garden Caterpillar, Goldenrod Gall Moth
Aster (Aster spp.)
Larval host for: over 100 different species of native caterpillars including Pearl Crescents, Northern Crescents, Tawny Crescents, Field Crescents, Silvery Checkerspots, Asteroids, Brown-Hooded Owlets, Camouflaged Loopers, Common Pugs, Striped Garden Caterpillars
Beebalm (Monarda spp.)
Larval host for: Hermit Sphinx, Orange Mint Moth, Raspberry Pyrausta
Supports specialized bees: Dufourea monardae, Perdita (Perdita) gerhardi, Protandrena abdominalis
Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)
Nitrogen fixer
Larval host for: Cloudless Sulphur, Gray Hairstreak, Little Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Sleepy Orange
Divide perennials based on bloom time. One rule of thumb for division is this: perennials that flower between early spring and mid June are best divided in early fall. Perennials that flower after mid June are best divided in the spring. See lists of spring, summer, and fall blooming flowers. This pollinator mix covers all three seasons. Black-eyed Susan and asters bloom late enough for spring division.
Permaculture guilds use diversity to create a mini-ecosystem. This handbook details several examples including an oak guild. Oak forests come in several types and host many species of plants. If you want to plant an oak guild, model it on the oak forests of your area for best results.
Plant guilds customarily include canopy, understory, nitrogen-fixing, mining, groundcover, vining, and insectary plants to create a whole picture of a miniature ecosystem. Each part contributes to the whole. See examples of an oak guild with 1 oak or with 2 oaks, and a guide to plant guilds for the Midwest.
Caterpillar Park starts out with a double oak guild consisting of two oaks each surrounded by blue false indigo, white false indigo, Canadian anemone, Pennsylvania sedge, and butterflyweed. Two pawpaw trees are spaced between the oaks.
Oak, Bur
DECIDUOUS
Quercus macrocarpa
Bur oak is considered by many to be the king of Great Plains native hardwoods. It is the most common native oak in Nebraska occurring naturally along many rivers and streams in the eastern third of the state and can be found in pockets here and there as far west as Hitchcock and Dawes counties.
Learn how to grow oak trees and compare seedling sizes.
Larval host for: over 550 butterflies and moths including Hairstreaks, Duskywings, Polyphemus Moth, Blind-eye Sphinx, Rosy Maple Moth
Host for: over 2,300 species of bird, mosses, fungi, insects, lichens and mammals.
Acorns eaten by: over 150 species of wildlife including blue jays, woodpeckers, fox and gray squirrels, eastern chipmunks, brown thrashers, tufted titmice, common grackles, rabbits, white-tailed deer, gray and red foxes, eastern towhees, rusty blackbirds, Carolina wrens, brown thrasher, dark-eyed juncos, and white-breasted nuthatches.
Oak is normally spaced 10 to 18 feet within the row. Space the rows 20 to 24 feet from adjacent trees or shrubs to prevent the oak from over-growing smaller plants or to prevent fast growing plants from over-growing the oak. In a timber planting, bur oak can be planted in 10 x 10 feet to 15 x 15 feet spacing.
Blue False Indigo
Summertime is full of fun, water, and flowers. A great flower for spring and early summer color with a fun fall interest is Baptisia.
Baptisia, Baptisia australis, is also called Blue False Indigo. This is a large perennial that grows up to 4 feet tall and wide. It blooms on stalks with pea-like blue, white, or yellow flowers. However, the blue is often seen more as a purple color. The leaves are arranged alternately on the stems and are compound with 3 oblong leaflets per leaf. The foliage of Baptisia is a deep green to gray-green color.
Larval host for: Wild Indigo Duskywing, Silver-spotted Skipper, Hoary Edge
Common Name: White False Indigo (White Wild Indigo, Large-leaved Wild Indigo)
Scientific Name: Baptisia alba (L.) Vent. var. macrophylla - also listed as B. lactea (Raf.) Thieret
Plant Family: Pea (Fabaceae)
Garden Location: Upland
Prime Season: Early Summer
White False Indigo is an erect native perennial forb growing from 3 to 6 feet high on mostly smooth stems with ascending branches in the upper part of the plant. Shoots of early spring resemble and may be mistaken for Asparagus.
The leaves are trifoliate (sometimes with 5 leaflets) with each leaflet oblanceolate (longer than wide, broadest above the middle, tapering to the tip) to ovate, with smooth margins, bluntly pointed to rounded tips, narrowed bases, the leaflets not stalked, but the leaf is on a stalk that has a pair of small stipules at the base of the stalk. Leaves dry to a black color.
The inflorescence is a tall raceme of stalked flowers atop the stem and held high above the upper leaves. There are small bracts below the inflorescence.
The flowers are perfect, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, and are on short stalks with white corollas. The green calyx is tubular with 5 pointed lobes while the corolla forms a pea-type flower consisting of 5 petals where the larger upper banner petal turns upward and reflexes backward toward the calyx.
Larval host for: Wild Indigo Duskywing, Silver-spotted Skipper, Hoary Edge
Anemone canadensis
Anemone canadensis L.
Canadian Anemone, Round-leaf Thimbleweed, Canada Anemone, Windflower, Meadow Anemone
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)
Synonym(s): Anemonidium canadense
USDA Symbol: anca8
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
A robust perennial with deeply lobed, basal leaves and an upright, 1-2 ft. stem bearing a single whorl of 3- to 5-parted leaves. A solitary white flower with a golden center springs from the leaf whorl.
Pennsylvania sedge, Carex pensylvanica,
can take full to part shade, needs moisture and drainage and spreads slowly by
rhizomes. H 8” x W 12”
Larval host for: 36 species of caterpillars
Asclepias tuberosa
Asclepias tuberosa L.
Butterflyweed, Butterfly Weed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower
Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: astu
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
This bushy, 1 1/2-2 ft. perennial is prized for its large, flat-topped clusters of bright-orange flowers. The leaves are mostly alternate, 1 1/2-2 1/4 inches long, pointed, and smooth on the edge. The yellow-orange to bright orange flower clusters, 2-5 inches across, are at the top of the flowering stem. The abundance of stiff, lance-shaped foliage provides a dark-green backdrop for the showy flower heads.
Pawpaw
DECIDUOUS
Asimina triloba
Origin: Eastern US, southeast Nebraska
Pawpaw is a forest understory tree native to much of the eastern US, reaching its western limit in the oak-hickory forests of southeast Nebraska. It is best known for its large, edible, yellow-green fruits with custard-like pulp. It’s occasionally used as a landscape tree in southeast Nebraska.
Larval host for: Zebra Swallowtail, Pawpaw Sphinx Moth
Space seedlings about 8 to 10 feet apart.
The bee guild starts with a littleleaf linden sapling, wild roses, wild chives, mint, dill, and parsley.
Linden, American (Basswood)
DECIDUOUS
Tilia americana
American linden, also known as basswood, is native to the Missouri River basin of eastern Nebraska and extends along the Niobrara River reaching as far west as the Black Hills of western South Dakota.
Larval host for: Red Spotted Purple Butterfly, Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Mature Growth: 30-70 feet Spacing 30-50 feet
Wild roses span multiple species.
Larval host for: Grizzled Skipper Butterfly, Coleophora and Emperor Moths among many others
Attracts: honeybees and many native bees
Wild chives belong to the Allium genus.
Attracts: bees and wasps
Wild Mint and Garden Mint come in many varieties.
Garden mints attract: Cabbage White Butterfly, many bees and other pollinators
Mountain Mint attracts: bumblebees, honeybees, solitary wasps, tachinid flies, syrphid flies, beetles, and butterflies.
Dill is a pickling herb.
Larval host for: Black and Anise Swallowtails
Attracts: bees and other pollinators
Parsley is a salad herb, also good for making pesto.
Larval host for: Black and Anise Swallowtails
Attracts: bees and other pollinators
The nut guild starts with shagbark hickory, elderberry, thyme, and sweet woodruff. Here are some other tree guilds.
Hickory, Shagbark
DECIDUOUS
Carya ovata
Origin: Native to Eastern US, Eastern Nebraska
Along with bitternut, shagbark hickory is one of two native hickories in Nebraska’s eastern woodlands where it is often found growing on relatively moist slopes in association with oaks and lindens.
Larval host for: many months including Hickory Horndevil, Luna Moth, and Banded Hairstreak Butterfly
Spacing for timber and nut plantings are 15 x 15 feet or greater spacing to allow larger growth. Periodic thinnings during the life of the stand are used to reduce the number of trees for maximum productivity.
Sambucus canadensis, or Elderberry, is a shrub native to more than 1/2 of Kansas except the western 1/4 of the state and grows naturally along streams, in fencerows, and in open areas where water is available but not standing.
Mature Size
The shrub reaches a height of about 6-10 feet tall and it is best known for its fruit that are a favorite of wildlife and are also used for jellies and jams. The wood’s pith is easily hollowed out and in the past was used to make whistles and neckerchief slides.
Leaves, Stems and Fruit
Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound consisting of 3-7 leaflets, 5 to 9 inches long, and 1 to 2 inches wide. They are paired except at the end, elliptical, and sharply sawtoothed . The bark is brown to dark grey with raised dots. The fruit are small round berries that mature in September to August and are dark purple to black in color when ripe.
Use
Wildlife Habitat - Excellent food source. Animals of varying species love the fruit and finding fruit for human consumption may be difficult because of animal competition.
Human Consumption - The fruit has a very sweet taste that is commonly made into pies, jellies, and wine. However, the rest of the plant contains calcium oxalate and care should be taken so that it is not ingested. Cooking the berries makes them safe to consume and the taste of the plant (other than the berries) is very bitter; therefore ingestion is not likely but if large amounts were to be eaten, problems could include upset stomach and breathing difficulties, among other symptoms.
Adaptation and Soil
Elderberry does best on open sites along creeks and other places where moisture is available but does not have prolonged standing water. It will tolerate occasional flooding though and is found through the eastern ½ of the state.
Spacing
Space seedlings about 4 feet apart.
This plant has considerable value as a wildlife food. The fruit is eaten by raccoons, squirrels, mice, and as many as 45 species of birds, including bobwhite and prairie-chicken. Deer browse the leaves, twigs, and fruit as well. Even box turtles have been known to eat the fruit.
Many insects eat this plant, including the larvae of the large, spectacular cecropia moth. Other insects that eat elderberry including a variety of boring beetles, spider mites, and aphids. The larvae of mason bees, elderberry longhorn beetles, and elder borer moths grow up in the hollow stems.
Many insects collect pollen from elderberry, including bees, beetles, flies, butterflies, and moths.
Thyme has many varieties including some for groundcovers.
Larval host for: Chionodes distinctella and the Coleophora case-bearers C. lixella, C. niveicostella, C. serpylletorum, and C. struella (the latter three feed exclusively on Thymus).
Attracts: bees and butterflies.
Sweet woodruff is a groundcover herb.
Larval host for: various butterflies and moths
Attracts: bees, leaf and bedstraw moths
Other companion plants will be added over time.
Plum, American
DECIDUOUS
Prunus americana
American plum is native throughout much of the central US, including the Great Plains. Though typically a shrubby, multi-stemmed plant, it can become a small tree with age reaching up to 20’ tall.
Larval host for: Coral Hairstreak, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red-Spotted Purple, Spring/Summer Azures, Viceroy Butterfly
Attracts: many pollinating insects, birds, whitetail and mule deer.
Spacing: American plums are spaced 4 to 6 feet apart.
Common name: Black cherry
Scientific name: Prunus serotina.
Other common name(s): Black cherry, Wild black cherry, Rum cherry, Mountain black cherry, Wild cherry.
Life form: Tree.
Flowering time: 14 - 21 days.
Flowering period: in Nebraska for this plant is: Late May ↔ Early June.
Wildlife use: Often considered a “weedy tree”, our native Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) is an extraordinarily valuable plant in nature. Native to most of the Eastern half of the U.S., Black Cherry offers nectar and pollen to native pollinators and honey bees. The small red or black fruits are a favorite food of more than 40 species of birds, not to mention, many mammals.
Black Cherry also serves as the host plant for an amazing array of butterflies and moths – more than 450 species, including: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Cherry Gall Azure, Viceroy, Columbia Silkmoth, Promethea Moth, Small-eyed Sphinx Moth, Wild Cherry Sphinx Moth, Banded Tussock Moth, Band-edged Prominent, Spotted Apatelodes and Red-Spotted Purple.
Space the trees 15 to 20 feet apart for timber production. Periodic thinnings assist in high-quality wood production.
American hazelnut (Corylus americana)
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS: American hazelnut
is a large, deciduous, rhizomatous shrub from 3 to 10 feet (1-3 m) tall. It
has a straight trunk with spreading, ascending branches, and can form
dense thickets. The leaves are 3 to 5 inches (8-12 cm) long. The male cat-
kins are 8 inches (20 cm) long, straight, slender, and regularly spaced
along the upper stem. The female flowers are tiny, almost completely
enclosed by bracts, and near the end of the twigs. The nuts are enclosed
in two leafy bracts. The roots are typically in the upper 6 inches (15 cm)
of soil. Some of the smaller roots run vertically toward the surface and
branch profusely into very fine laterals.
SITE CHARACTERISTICS: American hazelnut occurs along streams,
hedgerows, meadows, woodlands, roadsides, and forest margins. It grows
best on rich, moist, well-drained soils.
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS: American hazelnut is shade tolerant. It can
grow under a light intensity of 15 percent or less; even as low as 1 percent.
It is a mid-seral species, and is usually absent in old-growth forest commun-
ities.
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES: American hazelnut
is a dominant or codominant shrub in maple-basswood (Acer-Tilia) forests
of Wisconsin and Minnesota. In Nebraska, American hazelnut is a dominant
shrub in the ecotone of forest and prairie. It is a dominant understory
species in jack pine (Pinus banksiana), paper birch (Betula papyrifera),
trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), and northern pin oak (Quercus
ellipsoidalis) communities of northern Wisconsin. Common understory
associates of American hazelnut include shagbark hickory (Carya ovata),
raspberry (Rubus spp.), smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), chokecherry
(Prunus virginiana), arrowwood (Viburnum rafinesquianum), eastern
hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), and dogwood (Cornus spp.).
Wildlife use: Hazelnuts have a higher nutritional value than acorns and are a protein source for many types of wildlife, including wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodpeckers, blue jays, chipmunks, squirrels, and foxes. Thickets provide shelter and nesting areas for wildlife as well. Turkey and ruffed grouse will also eat the male catkins during winter.
American Filbert is a host plant to caterpillars of the Saturniidae family, some of the most spectacular moths in North America. These include the beautiful green Luna moth (Actias luna) and the large, strikingly patterned cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia).
The most common hardwood species of green ash, hackberry, red mulberry, and bur oak make up nearly a third of Nebraska trees. Forest types in Nebraska include eastern redcedar/rocky mountain juniper, oak/hickory, and oak/pine among others. Eastern deciduous forest features bur oak, American elm, black walnut, green ash, basswood, and hackberry with shrubs and vines such as sumac, western snowberry, gooseberry, wild plum, and wild grape. By starting with an oak guild then adding other species commonly found together, the park maximizes the number of species it can serve.
Wildlife tree value varies considerably by species, of which oak supports the most. While exotic trees may have 1 caterpillar or less, native trees have many more species of caterpillar: oak (557), wild cherry or plum (456), maple (297).
Read about native fruiting trees and shrubs for wildlife. This list of Nebraska native plants includes grasses.
Pollinator plants include nectar and larval food species. They should cover the bloom seasons.
A wildlife garden attracts and supports diverse species. Get started with wildlife gardening. Here are some spring, summer, and late-season ideas. Focus on Nebraska wildlife.
Wildtending is the craft of caring for the wilderness and helping it flourish.
Nebraska butterflies need food and host plants. Make a thriving butterfly garden.
A sod berm can direct water and create more niches.
A hibernaculum creates shelter for hibernating animals. Learn how to build one.
Newspaper pots are commonly used for seed starting, but also work for transplants. They are usually small, but you can make them bigger.
This is one example of a compost mixing tool.
Learn how to make a Use Yer Foot Handwashing Station.
Bucketeers is a family-focused hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a pirate theme. All their food is travel-safe and available in several sizes of bucket. Some dishes are vegan; others minimize use of fast-spoiling ingredients like eggs or dairy except small amounts cooked into something else. Many items are finger food, while a few require utensils to eat. The cuisine is a mix of soul food, health food, and maritime traditions that relies a lot on seafood and tropical flavors.
Allergy-Friendly Chicken Nuggets
Fried Catfish Nuggets
Baked Salmon Muffins
Boiled Shrimp
Whole Fried Okra
Corn on the Cob with Lime
Herbed Potato Salad
Pirate Beans & Rice
Quick-Pickled Cucumbers
Honey-Lime Melon Salad
Veggie Cups with Vegetables and Dips
Fresh Mixed Fruit with Grapes and Berries
Soft Pretzel Sticks
Sourdough Seaweed Crackers
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
SeaBreeze Bars -- SeaBreeze is a cereal imported from Terramagne-Thailand, made with VitaBlue.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Trail Mix Cookies
Pieces of Eight Cookies
Chia Seed Pudding
Watermelon Lemonade
Mint-Citrus Water
Limey Smoothie
Sea Punch Smoothie
Travel-friendly foods lower the risk of food-borne illness.
Much of the food is sold in pirate-themed buckets.
A pirate ship beside the parking lot gives children a place to play while their parents order the food.
Kestrels are attracted to open space with perches above it. They will enjoy Caterpillar Park for some years before the greenery gets too dense for their taste.
See a long view and a closeup view of one circle in the bur oak guild at Caterpillar Park.
* Canopy layer: bur oak
* Shrub layer: white and blue false indigo
* Groundcover layer: Canada anemone and Pennsylvania sedge
* Nitrogen fixers: White and blue false indigo plus non-native Dutch white clover in lawn
* Insectary: Butterfly weed
Young pawpaws are part of the oak guild but not connected yet.
Snags, logs, and brushpiles are all valuable.
This snag was installed to mimic an older forest. Snags have high wildlife value, the bigger the better. Here are some options for installing snags.
These logs are scattered around the park. Logs also provide food and habitat for wildlife.
See the brushpile constructed in stage 1 logs, stage 2 branches, and stage 3 twigs. Often a layer of evergreen boughs or fallen leaves is added on top, but they didn't have those. These shelter many species of wildlife. Learn how to build brushpiles.
The pollinator garden includes coreopsis, black-eyed susan, butterflyweed, yarrow, and purple coneflower.
This closeup shows yarrow, butterflyweed, and beebalm. Learn how to design a pollinator garden, follow the steps for planting, and choose good plants for Nebraska. Provide plants for all bloom times. It helps to make a chart.
Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.)
Larval host for: Silvery Checkerspot, Buckeye
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Larval host for: over a dozen species of caterpillars including Bordered Patch, Gorgone Checkerspot, Silvery Checkerspot, Camouflaged Loopers, Common Pugs, Gray-blotched Epiblema Moth
Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Larval host for: several species including Monarch, Queen, Milkweed tussocks, Striped Garden Caterpillars
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Larval host for: about 20 species of butterfly and moth larvae including Camouflaged Loopers, Striped Garden Caterpillars, Blackberry Loopers, Common Pugs, Cynical Quakers, Olive Arches, Voluble Darts
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Larval host for: Bordered Patch, Gorgone Checkerspot, Silvery Checkerspot
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
Larval host for: at least 40 different butterfly and moth caterpillars including LeConte's Haploa, Yellow-winged Pareuchaetes, Camouflaged Loopers, and Common Pugs
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
Larval host for: over 100 different species of native caterpillars including Asteroid, Brown-hooded Owlet, Camouflaged Looper, Common Pug, Striped Garden Caterpillar, Goldenrod Gall Moth
Aster (Aster spp.)
Larval host for: over 100 different species of native caterpillars including Pearl Crescents, Northern Crescents, Tawny Crescents, Field Crescents, Silvery Checkerspots, Asteroids, Brown-Hooded Owlets, Camouflaged Loopers, Common Pugs, Striped Garden Caterpillars
Beebalm (Monarda spp.)
Larval host for: Hermit Sphinx, Orange Mint Moth, Raspberry Pyrausta
Supports specialized bees: Dufourea monardae, Perdita (Perdita) gerhardi, Protandrena abdominalis
Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)
Nitrogen fixer
Larval host for: Cloudless Sulphur, Gray Hairstreak, Little Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Sleepy Orange
Divide perennials based on bloom time. One rule of thumb for division is this: perennials that flower between early spring and mid June are best divided in early fall. Perennials that flower after mid June are best divided in the spring. See lists of spring, summer, and fall blooming flowers. This pollinator mix covers all three seasons. Black-eyed Susan and asters bloom late enough for spring division.
Permaculture guilds use diversity to create a mini-ecosystem. This handbook details several examples including an oak guild. Oak forests come in several types and host many species of plants. If you want to plant an oak guild, model it on the oak forests of your area for best results.
Plant guilds customarily include canopy, understory, nitrogen-fixing, mining, groundcover, vining, and insectary plants to create a whole picture of a miniature ecosystem. Each part contributes to the whole. See examples of an oak guild with 1 oak or with 2 oaks, and a guide to plant guilds for the Midwest.
Caterpillar Park starts out with a double oak guild consisting of two oaks each surrounded by blue false indigo, white false indigo, Canadian anemone, Pennsylvania sedge, and butterflyweed. Two pawpaw trees are spaced between the oaks.
Oak, Bur
DECIDUOUS
Quercus macrocarpa
Bur oak is considered by many to be the king of Great Plains native hardwoods. It is the most common native oak in Nebraska occurring naturally along many rivers and streams in the eastern third of the state and can be found in pockets here and there as far west as Hitchcock and Dawes counties.
Learn how to grow oak trees and compare seedling sizes.
Larval host for: over 550 butterflies and moths including Hairstreaks, Duskywings, Polyphemus Moth, Blind-eye Sphinx, Rosy Maple Moth
Host for: over 2,300 species of bird, mosses, fungi, insects, lichens and mammals.
Acorns eaten by: over 150 species of wildlife including blue jays, woodpeckers, fox and gray squirrels, eastern chipmunks, brown thrashers, tufted titmice, common grackles, rabbits, white-tailed deer, gray and red foxes, eastern towhees, rusty blackbirds, Carolina wrens, brown thrasher, dark-eyed juncos, and white-breasted nuthatches.
Oak is normally spaced 10 to 18 feet within the row. Space the rows 20 to 24 feet from adjacent trees or shrubs to prevent the oak from over-growing smaller plants or to prevent fast growing plants from over-growing the oak. In a timber planting, bur oak can be planted in 10 x 10 feet to 15 x 15 feet spacing.
Blue False Indigo
Summertime is full of fun, water, and flowers. A great flower for spring and early summer color with a fun fall interest is Baptisia.
Baptisia, Baptisia australis, is also called Blue False Indigo. This is a large perennial that grows up to 4 feet tall and wide. It blooms on stalks with pea-like blue, white, or yellow flowers. However, the blue is often seen more as a purple color. The leaves are arranged alternately on the stems and are compound with 3 oblong leaflets per leaf. The foliage of Baptisia is a deep green to gray-green color.
Larval host for: Wild Indigo Duskywing, Silver-spotted Skipper, Hoary Edge
Common Name: White False Indigo (White Wild Indigo, Large-leaved Wild Indigo)
Scientific Name: Baptisia alba (L.) Vent. var. macrophylla - also listed as B. lactea (Raf.) Thieret
Plant Family: Pea (Fabaceae)
Garden Location: Upland
Prime Season: Early Summer
White False Indigo is an erect native perennial forb growing from 3 to 6 feet high on mostly smooth stems with ascending branches in the upper part of the plant. Shoots of early spring resemble and may be mistaken for Asparagus.
The leaves are trifoliate (sometimes with 5 leaflets) with each leaflet oblanceolate (longer than wide, broadest above the middle, tapering to the tip) to ovate, with smooth margins, bluntly pointed to rounded tips, narrowed bases, the leaflets not stalked, but the leaf is on a stalk that has a pair of small stipules at the base of the stalk. Leaves dry to a black color.
The inflorescence is a tall raceme of stalked flowers atop the stem and held high above the upper leaves. There are small bracts below the inflorescence.
The flowers are perfect, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, and are on short stalks with white corollas. The green calyx is tubular with 5 pointed lobes while the corolla forms a pea-type flower consisting of 5 petals where the larger upper banner petal turns upward and reflexes backward toward the calyx.
Larval host for: Wild Indigo Duskywing, Silver-spotted Skipper, Hoary Edge
Anemone canadensis
Anemone canadensis L.
Canadian Anemone, Round-leaf Thimbleweed, Canada Anemone, Windflower, Meadow Anemone
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)
Synonym(s): Anemonidium canadense
USDA Symbol: anca8
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
A robust perennial with deeply lobed, basal leaves and an upright, 1-2 ft. stem bearing a single whorl of 3- to 5-parted leaves. A solitary white flower with a golden center springs from the leaf whorl.
Pennsylvania sedge, Carex pensylvanica,
can take full to part shade, needs moisture and drainage and spreads slowly by
rhizomes. H 8” x W 12”
Larval host for: 36 species of caterpillars
Asclepias tuberosa
Asclepias tuberosa L.
Butterflyweed, Butterfly Weed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower
Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: astu
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
This bushy, 1 1/2-2 ft. perennial is prized for its large, flat-topped clusters of bright-orange flowers. The leaves are mostly alternate, 1 1/2-2 1/4 inches long, pointed, and smooth on the edge. The yellow-orange to bright orange flower clusters, 2-5 inches across, are at the top of the flowering stem. The abundance of stiff, lance-shaped foliage provides a dark-green backdrop for the showy flower heads.
Pawpaw
DECIDUOUS
Asimina triloba
Origin: Eastern US, southeast Nebraska
Pawpaw is a forest understory tree native to much of the eastern US, reaching its western limit in the oak-hickory forests of southeast Nebraska. It is best known for its large, edible, yellow-green fruits with custard-like pulp. It’s occasionally used as a landscape tree in southeast Nebraska.
Larval host for: Zebra Swallowtail, Pawpaw Sphinx Moth
Space seedlings about 8 to 10 feet apart.
The bee guild starts with a littleleaf linden sapling, wild roses, wild chives, mint, dill, and parsley.
Linden, American (Basswood)
DECIDUOUS
Tilia americana
American linden, also known as basswood, is native to the Missouri River basin of eastern Nebraska and extends along the Niobrara River reaching as far west as the Black Hills of western South Dakota.
Larval host for: Red Spotted Purple Butterfly, Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Mature Growth: 30-70 feet Spacing 30-50 feet
Wild roses span multiple species.
Larval host for: Grizzled Skipper Butterfly, Coleophora and Emperor Moths among many others
Attracts: honeybees and many native bees
Wild chives belong to the Allium genus.
Attracts: bees and wasps
Wild Mint and Garden Mint come in many varieties.
Garden mints attract: Cabbage White Butterfly, many bees and other pollinators
Mountain Mint attracts: bumblebees, honeybees, solitary wasps, tachinid flies, syrphid flies, beetles, and butterflies.
Dill is a pickling herb.
Larval host for: Black and Anise Swallowtails
Attracts: bees and other pollinators
Parsley is a salad herb, also good for making pesto.
Larval host for: Black and Anise Swallowtails
Attracts: bees and other pollinators
The nut guild starts with shagbark hickory, elderberry, thyme, and sweet woodruff. Here are some other tree guilds.
Hickory, Shagbark
DECIDUOUS
Carya ovata
Origin: Native to Eastern US, Eastern Nebraska
Along with bitternut, shagbark hickory is one of two native hickories in Nebraska’s eastern woodlands where it is often found growing on relatively moist slopes in association with oaks and lindens.
Larval host for: many months including Hickory Horndevil, Luna Moth, and Banded Hairstreak Butterfly
Spacing for timber and nut plantings are 15 x 15 feet or greater spacing to allow larger growth. Periodic thinnings during the life of the stand are used to reduce the number of trees for maximum productivity.
Sambucus canadensis, or Elderberry, is a shrub native to more than 1/2 of Kansas except the western 1/4 of the state and grows naturally along streams, in fencerows, and in open areas where water is available but not standing.
Mature Size
The shrub reaches a height of about 6-10 feet tall and it is best known for its fruit that are a favorite of wildlife and are also used for jellies and jams. The wood’s pith is easily hollowed out and in the past was used to make whistles and neckerchief slides.
Leaves, Stems and Fruit
Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound consisting of 3-7 leaflets, 5 to 9 inches long, and 1 to 2 inches wide. They are paired except at the end, elliptical, and sharply sawtoothed . The bark is brown to dark grey with raised dots. The fruit are small round berries that mature in September to August and are dark purple to black in color when ripe.
Use
Wildlife Habitat - Excellent food source. Animals of varying species love the fruit and finding fruit for human consumption may be difficult because of animal competition.
Human Consumption - The fruit has a very sweet taste that is commonly made into pies, jellies, and wine. However, the rest of the plant contains calcium oxalate and care should be taken so that it is not ingested. Cooking the berries makes them safe to consume and the taste of the plant (other than the berries) is very bitter; therefore ingestion is not likely but if large amounts were to be eaten, problems could include upset stomach and breathing difficulties, among other symptoms.
Adaptation and Soil
Elderberry does best on open sites along creeks and other places where moisture is available but does not have prolonged standing water. It will tolerate occasional flooding though and is found through the eastern ½ of the state.
Spacing
Space seedlings about 4 feet apart.
This plant has considerable value as a wildlife food. The fruit is eaten by raccoons, squirrels, mice, and as many as 45 species of birds, including bobwhite and prairie-chicken. Deer browse the leaves, twigs, and fruit as well. Even box turtles have been known to eat the fruit.
Many insects eat this plant, including the larvae of the large, spectacular cecropia moth. Other insects that eat elderberry including a variety of boring beetles, spider mites, and aphids. The larvae of mason bees, elderberry longhorn beetles, and elder borer moths grow up in the hollow stems.
Many insects collect pollen from elderberry, including bees, beetles, flies, butterflies, and moths.
Thyme has many varieties including some for groundcovers.
Larval host for: Chionodes distinctella and the Coleophora case-bearers C. lixella, C. niveicostella, C. serpylletorum, and C. struella (the latter three feed exclusively on Thymus).
Attracts: bees and butterflies.
Sweet woodruff is a groundcover herb.
Larval host for: various butterflies and moths
Attracts: bees, leaf and bedstraw moths
Other companion plants will be added over time.
Plum, American
DECIDUOUS
Prunus americana
American plum is native throughout much of the central US, including the Great Plains. Though typically a shrubby, multi-stemmed plant, it can become a small tree with age reaching up to 20’ tall.
Larval host for: Coral Hairstreak, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red-Spotted Purple, Spring/Summer Azures, Viceroy Butterfly
Attracts: many pollinating insects, birds, whitetail and mule deer.
Spacing: American plums are spaced 4 to 6 feet apart.
Common name: Black cherry
Scientific name: Prunus serotina.
Other common name(s): Black cherry, Wild black cherry, Rum cherry, Mountain black cherry, Wild cherry.
Life form: Tree.
Flowering time: 14 - 21 days.
Flowering period: in Nebraska for this plant is: Late May ↔ Early June.
Wildlife use: Often considered a “weedy tree”, our native Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) is an extraordinarily valuable plant in nature. Native to most of the Eastern half of the U.S., Black Cherry offers nectar and pollen to native pollinators and honey bees. The small red or black fruits are a favorite food of more than 40 species of birds, not to mention, many mammals.
Black Cherry also serves as the host plant for an amazing array of butterflies and moths – more than 450 species, including: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Cherry Gall Azure, Viceroy, Columbia Silkmoth, Promethea Moth, Small-eyed Sphinx Moth, Wild Cherry Sphinx Moth, Banded Tussock Moth, Band-edged Prominent, Spotted Apatelodes and Red-Spotted Purple.
Space the trees 15 to 20 feet apart for timber production. Periodic thinnings assist in high-quality wood production.
American hazelnut (Corylus americana)
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS: American hazelnut
is a large, deciduous, rhizomatous shrub from 3 to 10 feet (1-3 m) tall. It
has a straight trunk with spreading, ascending branches, and can form
dense thickets. The leaves are 3 to 5 inches (8-12 cm) long. The male cat-
kins are 8 inches (20 cm) long, straight, slender, and regularly spaced
along the upper stem. The female flowers are tiny, almost completely
enclosed by bracts, and near the end of the twigs. The nuts are enclosed
in two leafy bracts. The roots are typically in the upper 6 inches (15 cm)
of soil. Some of the smaller roots run vertically toward the surface and
branch profusely into very fine laterals.
SITE CHARACTERISTICS: American hazelnut occurs along streams,
hedgerows, meadows, woodlands, roadsides, and forest margins. It grows
best on rich, moist, well-drained soils.
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS: American hazelnut is shade tolerant. It can
grow under a light intensity of 15 percent or less; even as low as 1 percent.
It is a mid-seral species, and is usually absent in old-growth forest commun-
ities.
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES: American hazelnut
is a dominant or codominant shrub in maple-basswood (Acer-Tilia) forests
of Wisconsin and Minnesota. In Nebraska, American hazelnut is a dominant
shrub in the ecotone of forest and prairie. It is a dominant understory
species in jack pine (Pinus banksiana), paper birch (Betula papyrifera),
trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), and northern pin oak (Quercus
ellipsoidalis) communities of northern Wisconsin. Common understory
associates of American hazelnut include shagbark hickory (Carya ovata),
raspberry (Rubus spp.), smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), chokecherry
(Prunus virginiana), arrowwood (Viburnum rafinesquianum), eastern
hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), and dogwood (Cornus spp.).
Wildlife use: Hazelnuts have a higher nutritional value than acorns and are a protein source for many types of wildlife, including wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodpeckers, blue jays, chipmunks, squirrels, and foxes. Thickets provide shelter and nesting areas for wildlife as well. Turkey and ruffed grouse will also eat the male catkins during winter.
American Filbert is a host plant to caterpillars of the Saturniidae family, some of the most spectacular moths in North America. These include the beautiful green Luna moth (Actias luna) and the large, strikingly patterned cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia).
The most common hardwood species of green ash, hackberry, red mulberry, and bur oak make up nearly a third of Nebraska trees. Forest types in Nebraska include eastern redcedar/rocky mountain juniper, oak/hickory, and oak/pine among others. Eastern deciduous forest features bur oak, American elm, black walnut, green ash, basswood, and hackberry with shrubs and vines such as sumac, western snowberry, gooseberry, wild plum, and wild grape. By starting with an oak guild then adding other species commonly found together, the park maximizes the number of species it can serve.
Wildlife tree value varies considerably by species, of which oak supports the most. While exotic trees may have 1 caterpillar or less, native trees have many more species of caterpillar: oak (557), wild cherry or plum (456), maple (297).
Read about native fruiting trees and shrubs for wildlife. This list of Nebraska native plants includes grasses.
Pollinator plants include nectar and larval food species. They should cover the bloom seasons.
A wildlife garden attracts and supports diverse species. Get started with wildlife gardening. Here are some spring, summer, and late-season ideas. Focus on Nebraska wildlife.
Wildtending is the craft of caring for the wilderness and helping it flourish.
Nebraska butterflies need food and host plants. Make a thriving butterfly garden.
A sod berm can direct water and create more niches.
A hibernaculum creates shelter for hibernating animals. Learn how to build one.
Newspaper pots are commonly used for seed starting, but also work for transplants. They are usually small, but you can make them bigger.
This is one example of a compost mixing tool.
Learn how to make a Use Yer Foot Handwashing Station.
Bucketeers is a family-focused hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a pirate theme. All their food is travel-safe and available in several sizes of bucket. Some dishes are vegan; others minimize use of fast-spoiling ingredients like eggs or dairy except small amounts cooked into something else. Many items are finger food, while a few require utensils to eat. The cuisine is a mix of soul food, health food, and maritime traditions that relies a lot on seafood and tropical flavors.
Allergy-Friendly Chicken Nuggets
Fried Catfish Nuggets
Baked Salmon Muffins
Boiled Shrimp
Whole Fried Okra
Corn on the Cob with Lime
Herbed Potato Salad
Pirate Beans & Rice
Quick-Pickled Cucumbers
Honey-Lime Melon Salad
Veggie Cups with Vegetables and Dips
Fresh Mixed Fruit with Grapes and Berries
Soft Pretzel Sticks
Sourdough Seaweed Crackers
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
SeaBreeze Bars -- SeaBreeze is a cereal imported from Terramagne-Thailand, made with VitaBlue.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Trail Mix Cookies
Pieces of Eight Cookies
Chia Seed Pudding
Watermelon Lemonade
Mint-Citrus Water
Limey Smoothie
Sea Punch Smoothie
Travel-friendly foods lower the risk of food-borne illness.
Much of the food is sold in pirate-themed buckets.
A pirate ship beside the parking lot gives children a place to play while their parents order the food.
Kestrels are attracted to open space with perches above it. They will enjoy Caterpillar Park for some years before the greenery gets too dense for their taste.