Hummingbird Hill Native Plant Nursery

In recent years, Eastern Box Turtle populations have declined due to habitat loss and other factors. Because they are slow to mature and have a low reproduction rate, Eastern Box Turtles are more susceptible to population declines than many other types of wildlife. Designating areas as habitat corridors in both urban and rural settings can help to make a large impact for them. These corridors offer a protected and usable environment where turtles can attain shelter, food, and a place to fulfill their life cycle. Even if they are small, they can make a big difference as places where turtles can find refuge. Any unused portions of lawns are a great place to start encouraging native volunteers and adding native plants.

When Eastern Box Turtles are young, they depend on a diet high in protein, feeding upon species like snails, slugs, spiders, and millipedes. As they grow older, berries and other plant matter become a more prominent part of their diet. Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) and Long-leaf Ground Cherry (Physalis longifolia) fruit ripen close to the ground where Eastern Box Turtles can easily reach them. In woodland settings, the scarlet berries of Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) are used.

Encouraging native volunteers like Common Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), Pennsylvania Blackberry (Rubus pensilvanicus), and Black Raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) is helpful for turtles too. When the berries of these taller species fall to the ground, Eastern Box Turtles include them in their diet. Fruit that drops from trees and shrubs is also widely scavenged. Some of these species include Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Paw Paw (Asimina triloba), Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Red Mulberry (Morus rubra), Maple-leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), and American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis).

Carolina Roses (Rosa carolina) are back in stock at the nursery and are blooming now in the wild!

The large pink, 5-petaled flowers of Carolina Rose have a sweet and strong rose fragrance. This species is typically 1-3 feet tall but occasionally can grow taller. The red rose hips form in August to October and are a food source for a variety of wildlife including bobwhites, rabbits, native mice, and skunks. It spreads gradually over time to form small non-aggressive colonies and occurs throughout Virginia in areas of suitable habitat.

Height: 1-3 ft
Spread: 2-3 ft
Bloom Time: May-June
Sunlight: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium, Dry, Very Dry

Meet the two Ragwort species that we offer! Small's Ragwort (Packera anonyma) and Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) may look similar from a distance, but they are extremely different. Both species grow around 1-2 ft tall, have evergreen deer resistant foliage, and produce yellow composite flowers in spring, but that is where most of their similarities end.

Small's Ragwort is a species of dry, sunny places. It naturally grows in meadows and on road banks, outcrops, and barrens in well-drained soil (both nutrient poor and rich). Golden Ragwort, on the other hand, is generally found in shadier places and is most common in moist and wet - even soggy - soil. You can find it growing near streams, seeps, and also sometimes in upland forests with mesic (medium) soil. It is most commonly found in habitats with naturally rich soil.

These two species have different leaves and spreading habits also. Small's Ragwort's foliage is long and narrow. The plants generally form groups by seed dispersal. Golden Ragwort produces round heart-shaped leaves and spreads extensively by runners to form large colonies over time.

Many insects use Ragwort flowers, especially small pollinators like smalls bees and native flies. Ragworts are the larval host plant for a variety of moth species, including the small, but very deserving of attention, Phyllocnistis insignis. This 3mm wide moth feeds in between the 2 epidermal layers of the leaf on sap.

We've added a Blog to our website!

(https://www.hummingbirdhillnatives.com/blog.html)

Here, you'll see articles from our archived newsletters, covering a wide range of topics including:
-interviews with residents about habitat corridors they're creating on their properties
-detailed looks at specific native plant species and where they grow
-news about bird and butterfly population declines and how you can help
-information about the life cycles of native birds, insects, and other wildlife
-articles on how to build your own beneficial habitat corridor

Some Highlights include the following articles:
-A Habitat Corridor in the City: An interview with homeowners Becky Tippett and Michael Towne on their city property in Charlottesville, VA
-A Look at Native Plant Volunteers: Eight common species you may have volunteering on your property and why they matter
-Native Plants and Eastern Box Turtles: Why Eastern Box Turtles are currently listed as a Tier III Species of Greatest Conservation Concern in Virginia, a title that means extinction is possible without high conservation efforts, and how you can help
-Growing Locally Native Plants: The story of Hummingbird Hill Native Plant Nursery and why we grow 100% local genotype native plants
-When The Seeds Disperse: An examination of the methods that native plants use for seed dispersal and why this dispersal stage is key to their survival

We currently have around twenty articles, and we'll be adding more regularly, so check back!

Two Recent Caterpillar Sightings at the Nursery:

1) A small Red Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) caterpillar on a native black cherry tree (Prunus serotina) in the nursery

The native black cherry tree (Prunus serotina) is a larval host for the Red Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) butterfly. This caterpillar is very similar to the Viceroy caterpillar visually which actually looks like bird droppings. The host plant for Viceroy is more commonly willow trees, and we have been seeing Red Spotted Purple butterflies flying around the nursery.

2) A Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) caterpillar spotted at the nursery

Native violets are the larval hosts for the Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) butterfly. This caterpillar is nocturnal, ground dwelling, and can be found under objects and in brush near violet patches. It makes it elusive and uncommon to see!

Male Eastern Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa virginica) are some of the most prominent insects that we've seen buzzing around on these warm spring days, as they actively defend their territories and search for female mates. These carpenter bees are fun to observe, and it's pretty easy to identify the males from females, even while they're flying or hovering in the air: males have a white or yellowish patch on their faces, while the faces of females are entirely black. This spring, we've seen Eastern Carpenter Bees getting nectar from the bright pink blooms of Eastern Redbuds.

We are excited to open the nursery soon for visitors and look forward to seeing you there! We will have a huge variety of locally native plants available. Some species that we are especially looking forward to offering are included below. These species are more challenging for us to grow from ethically collected local wild seed, and we are happy to have them in stock this spring in small batches. These species include Wild Geranium, Rue Anemone, Yellow Passionflower, Heart-leaved Golden Alexander, Star Chickweed, Field Pussytoes, Parlin's Pussytoes, Golden Ragwort, Spreading Wood Rush and Yellow Pimpernel. These small batch species will be available while supplies last!

Nursery visits can now be scheduled on our website: https://hummingbirdhillnatives.com/

Happy Spring! We are excited to be opening the nursery for visitors on Monday, April 6th!

For the first week, we will be available by appointment each day from Monday, April 6th through Monday, April 13th. After this, appointments will be available on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays.

To schedule an appointment, please visit our website: https://www.hummingbirdhillnatives.com/

We have a large selection of locally native plants available and look forward to seeing you at the nursery!

Spring is on its way, and insects are beginning to emerge from their overwintering spots! Here are a few of the earliest species that we've spotted this year:

1. Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica): Eastern Carpenter bees are beginning to emerge from their nests, where adults have spent the winter hibernating, ready to defend their territories and refuel on nectar. We've seen them foraging on the blooms of Red Maples, an important early source of food for native insects.

2. Eastern Commas (Polygonia comma): Most butterflies overwinter as chrysalises, hidden among leaf litter or attached to trees or other structures, but Eastern Commas and Question Marks spend winter as adult butterflies instead. This means they are some of the earliest butterflies flying around (we've spotted a couple so far this year), emerging from their sheltered overwintering sites on warm days in late winter.

3. Paper Wasps: If you've spotted wasps flying around already, they might be Paper Wasps. These wasps build open-air nests in trees or, often, among the rafters of man-made buildings. Female Paper Wasps overwinter in protected areas and are now emerging to start searching for nesting sites. We've identified four species this year, flying around on warm days, including Metric, Ringed, Guinea, and Least Paper Wasps.

What insects or other wildlife have you spotted in your habitat corridor?

We are currently busy getting our potted plants ready at the nursery for spring! Many of our plants are beginning to get new growth at this time of year, but some are slower to emerge. We are excited for spring and will be opening again for visitors around the beginning of April. Stay tuned for the exact date! We look forward to seeing everyone again!