Garden Notes: Fall's Bounty

Have you ever wondered why so many trees and shrubs put out fruit or nuts in the fall? Maybe it crosses your mind while you’re raking up acorns and leaves or dodging those hefty black walnuts that could dent your car when they drop.

Those berries, acorns, and nuts take a tremendous amount of energy to produce. Trees grow them in summer—when sunlight is plentiful and photosynthesis is at its peak—so they can support both their own growth and seed production without sacrificing either.

Of course, only a small fraction of those seeds ever germinate and grow into new trees. Most are eaten by wildlife or end up in spots where conditions aren’t ideal. That’s why trees produce so many seeds in the first place: to ensure that at least a few survive and take root.

So, is dropping seeds the end of a tree’s yearly growth cycle—or the beginning of another? Maybe it’s simply part of a continuous circle, from germination to termination. Interestingly, as a tree’s health declines, it often produces an especially large crop of seeds—a “last effort” to pass on its genetic material. In doing so, it uses up more of its remaining energy to give future generations a better chance.

Wildlife also benefits from these late-season seed producers. Bears, deer, squirrels, and turkeys all rely on “mast”—the collective term for nuts and fruits—to prepare for winter. Some animals hibernate and live off the fat they build up from eating these foods, while others, like squirrels and blue jays, stash seeds away to eat later. In doing so, they become excellent tree planters themselves.

These fall seed producers form a cornerstone of the food web. Planting a mix of native species that bear fruit or nuts in summer and fall is a great way to support a healthy, diverse ecosystem. You can’t go wrong with oak trees—they’re a true keystone species, supporting nearly 500 different kinds of wildlife. And it’s not just the acorns; their pollen, leaves, branches, and buds all provide food, shelter, and overwintering sites for countless organisms.

Other native plants that are both beneficial and manageable for a yard or small property include native viburnum, flowering dogwood, beautyberry, American holly, spicebush, and chokeberry. Turkeys love American beech trees. American holly holds its berries well into winter, and persimmons don’t even ripen until after the first frost, adding color and life to your landscape as the weather cools. Paw paws are so sought after by animals, it is difficult to find them and collect a few of these Appalachian delicacies for ourselves.

So whether you are looking to expand your own property with trees or just find some interesting specimens at Boxerwood on a walk, the colorful berries and foliage from some of our native species can enhance your garden and support our ecosystems.  Plant native varieties for the most wildlife benefit and the least chance of creating an invasive species problem.  And be sure to protect the plants from deer unless they are known to be unpalatable.