Buy Wildlife Friendly Plants Online From a Tennessee Nursery

White Oak is one of the most valuable wildlife trees in North America. Its acorns are sweeter and lower in tannins than red oak acorns, so deer, turkey, squirrels, wood ducks and blue jays seek them out first. White oaks also host hundreds of species of caterpillars, which songbirds feed their young. Plant them as a long-term investment: they typically begin producing acorns at around 20 years old, then produce for a century or more.

Fruit Trees for Wildlife

Persimmon drops sweet orange fruit in fall that deer, turkey, foxes, raccoons and opossums all compete for. Persimmon trees are male or female, and only females bear fruit, so plant at least three to five for a reliable crop. Pawpaw produces large, custard-like fruit in late summer that feeds opossums, raccoons, foxes and squirrels, and its leaves are the only food for zebra swallowtail caterpillars. Mulberry fruits in early summer and draws more bird species than almost any other tree, from orioles and cardinals to catbirds and waxwings.

Berry Plants for Wildlife

Elderberry and Black Raspberry are fast producers that fruit within a year or two. Songbirds, turkey and grouse eat the berries, deer browse the leaves and canes, and the thickets give rabbits and nesting birds cover. Partridge Berry is a low evergreen ground cover with red berries that grouse and turkey forage for through winter.

Cover and Wetland Plants for Wildlife

Food is only half of wildlife habitat. Cattail creates thick cover around ponds and wet spots, sheltering ducks, red-winged blackbirds, frogs and bedding deer. Dense shrubs and brushy edges between fields and woods are where most wildlife spends its time.

How to Plant for Wildlife

Plant fruit and nut trees along sunny field edges, where they get full sun and wildlife already travels. Space fruit trees 20 to 25 feet apart and oaks 30 to 40 feet apart. Protect every young tree with a tree tube or wire cage for the first three to five years, since deer browse young trees and bucks rub saplings in fall. Skip insecticides; they kill the insects that songbirds and young turkeys depend on. Leave some brush piles, dead snags and unmowed edges, which give wildlife cover and nesting sites.

When Wildlife Friendly Plants Ship

Trees and shrubs ship bare root during our fall planting window, November 15–29. Fall is the best time to plant, because roots keep growing all winter. Ground covers and wetland plants ship now. See our planting instructions for step-by-step help, or browse birding plants , butterfly plants and fruit trees .

FAQ  

What plants attract the most wildlife? Native oaks support more wildlife than almost any other plant, feeding deer, turkey and squirrels with acorns and songbirds with caterpillars. Fruit trees like persimmon and mulberry and berry plants like elderberry are close behind.

What is the best tree to plant for deer? White oak. Its acorns are a preferred fall food for deer. For faster results, plant persimmon, which fruits in a few years and drops fruit in fall.

What fruit trees are good for wildlife? Persimmon, pawpaw and mulberry. Persimmon feeds deer and turkey in fall, pawpaw feeds opossums, raccoons and foxes, and mulberry feeds dozens of bird species in summer.

What is soft mast and hard mast? Hard mast is nuts and acorns from trees like oaks. Soft mast is fleshy fruit and berries like persimmon, mulberry and elderberry. A good wildlife planting includes both.

Do persimmon trees need a male and female? Yes. American persimmon trees are male or female, and only female trees bear fruit. Plant at least three to five trees for a good chance of fruit.

How long does it take an oak tree to produce acorns? White oaks typically begin producing acorns at around 20 years old, with heavy crops later. They then produce for a century or more.

Do I need to protect young trees from deer? Yes. Use tree tubes or wire cages for the first three to five years, until branches are above deer height.

Do you ship wildlife plants outside Tennessee? Yes. We grow in Tennessee and ship nationwide.

What if my plant doesn’t arrive alive? Every order comes with our live-arrival guarantee. See our warranty for details.