Maryland Native Keystone Plants – Oak Trees Support Wildlife
Maryland Native Keystone Plants: Oak Trees Support Wildlife
Native oaks (Quercus spp.) play an essential role in the ecosystem, providing food and habitat for many animals. There are more than 100 animal species that rely on acorns as crucial food sources. Around 500 native butterfly and moth species larvae feed on oak leaves, acorns, and bark. In addition, since oak trees support so many insects, they also host a rich diversity of birds who feast on those insects. The Quercus genus impacts other species in their ecosystem disproportionately relative to their abundance, making them a keystone species in central Maryland.
If you want to add a beneficial tree species to your yard, an Oak is a great option! Keystone species are vitally important to the ecosystem. Check out some of the Oak species we carry below!
Quercus palustris, commonly called Pin Oak, is a medium sized deciduous oak of the red oak group that typically grows 50-70’ tall with a broad pyramidal crown. Pin Oaks grow well in average, medium to wet, acidic soils in full sun, and they prefer moist loams but can tolerate poorly drained soils and some flooding. Pin Oaks are one of the fastest growing species of oak, averaging 12-15 feet in a 5-7 year period. Their leaves turn deep red in fall, and they are a host plant to numerous butterflies and moths including the gray hairstreak and American Dagger Moth. A variety of birds and mammals eat Pin Oak acorns.
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Quercus velutina, or Black Oak, grows throughout Maryland but is most common in the Piedmont and mountains – it is commonly found in dry uplands but grows best in rich, well-drained soils of lower slopes. This is a medium to large tree with tight, dark outer bark and a yellowish inner bark. Black Oaks are a host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Buck Moth, Banded Tussock Moth, American Dagger Moth, Ashy Meganola Moth and more. Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, small mammals, wild turkeys, and more eat the acorns.
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Quercus alba, or White Oak, is the national tree of the U.S. and the official tree of Maryland. They are the perfect candidate to serve as a backbone in the garden with wide spreading branches that create deep pockets of shade. Fall foliage color includes shades of purple to wine-red. White oak prefers well-drained, neutral to acidic soils, although it will tolerate thin and dry conditions. This oak species prefers full sun, growing up to 80 feet tall and eventually becoming an excellent shade tree. Species that use this plant as a host include the Banded Hairstreak, White-M Hairstreak, and Luna Moth.
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Quercus prinoides, or Dwarf Chinquapin Oak is a native deciduous oak tree in the Fagaceae family that can be grown as a large shrub or small tree. It is typically found in sunny sites, often in rocky or acid sandy soils on dry plains, rocky bluffs, ridges and woodland edges. Easily adaptable to garden loams for the home landscape and tolerates poor, dry soils. Unlike many oaks, this tree produces acorns in 3-5 years and has a good crop each year that wildlife love. Hosts the larvae of the Buck Moth, Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis), as well as numerous butterflies, including Banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), Edward’s hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), White-m hairstreak (Parrhasius malbum), Horace’s duskywing (Erynnis horatius), and Juvenalis duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis).
Many Oak species are native to Maryland. If you’re looking for a species not currently available on our website, please email us at Laurensgardens@gmail.com
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