The forest edge is where nature’s action is most intense. There is a large variety of plant material in these areas that provides food and nesting opportunities for birds, insects and other members of the animal family. Online class last month, Two horticulturists from Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, discussed the importance and benefits of the forest edge.
Forest edges can be found everywhere: where roads meet woods, where streams meet banks, shorelines, and where farms meet suburban lawns.
Forest edges are not all the same. Some are hard edges such as the road shoulder or the point where the mowed lawn or farm field meets the trees. Soft edges form in areas where mowing has been less frequent. They allow small trees, shrubs, perennials, and perennials, as well as sprouting from roots, to either seed themselves or spread from the forest into the field.
Andy Brand, horticulturalist, said that a hard edge can soften later. The class was cosponsored by the Maine Landscape & Nursery Association and the botanical gardens.
Our forest edges are diverse and we are fortunate. Irene Brady Barber, Maine horticulturalist, said that Maine has a wonderful mix of coniferous as well as deciduous trees. Southern New England, on the other hand, is mostly made up of hardwoods, she stated.
A forest edge that is fully developed has seven layers: roots, vines and ground covers, herbaceous perennials and shrubs, as well as the taller trees and lower trees.
Bush hogging is a way for property owners to maintain a forest edge. It involves mowing the area approximately every five years to trim down trees and prevent them from becoming too big. A little more editing might be helpful.
That editing should include the removal of invasive plants. Brand and Barber showed at least one photo of forest edges where oriental bittersweet was seen climbing on some of the trees. Even if it is impossible for invasive plants to be removed from their roots, they should be reduced at the very least before they start to set seed.
Some plants thrive in forest edges more than others. Rhus is the botanical name of Sumac. It is a native shrub that is quite aggressive and can sprout along edges. This is good for chickadees as well as other birds and humans. Also, native alders can be removed quickly.
However, other natives are worth encouraging along edges and, if they don’t show up on their own enough, even planting. Aralia, also called wild sarsaparilla is a good plant for the edges. It spreads by it roots. Brand said that the plant will not be able to compete with ferns growing there. However, they can be a good combination.
There are many choices of edge perennials. Blue violets, wood asters and trout-lilies are some of the most common herbaceous perennials at forest edges. They naturally drop their seeds, and the seeds will remain there until the conditions are right for sprouting. Barber and Brand also recommend Smilacina racemoso, a false Solomons seal. Its fruit can be eaten by many birds and other animals.
For most of their talk, the two speakers focused on shrubs and small trees that thrive at the forest’s edge. Barber suggested mixing hardwoods with conifers. American mountain ash is a plant that is both attractive and useful as a food source for wildlife. The tress, despite its name, is not a true ash and will not be destroyed by the Emerald Ash Borer. They noted that American mountain ash was only recently commercially available.
Native viburnums make a great addition to forest edges. There are many varieties that thrive in Maine, including dentatum, lentago and lentago. These viburnum are both attractive and beneficial for wildlife, but they are also susceptible to the viburnum beetle.
Brand and Barber spent two hours discussing the importance of the wildlife and plants that live along the forest edge. It was a pleasure to listen to them. It was surprising to me that they didn’t mention a lesser-known insect that is often found in the forest edge. Maybe they figured their audience largely landscape professionals was so familiar with it, they needn’t bother. Non-professional gardeners need to be aware of the fact that the forest edge is prime habitat for the Lyme disease-carrying deer tick.
However, this does not mean that people should stop tending to the forest edge of their property. However, they should wear protective clothing for that work and should perform thorough tick checks once they return inside.
This is something they should do every time they are outside.
Tom Atwell is a freelancer who gardens in Cape Elizabeth. He can be reached at: [email protected]
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