zone 4 fav plants for backyard wildlife

[nebraskannie]

We're in Nebraska, very cold zone 4. I'm designing a wildlife garden for a friend. It is partially sheltered and I would also like to add in some regular garden plants. I'd love some input from anyone with extreme gardening experience!

[microcollie]

I'm also in zone 4, but in MA. It depends on the type of wildlife that you're hoping to attract. But here are a few suggestions:

The first thing to plan on would be a water source somewhere nearby. Animals will gravitate toward a spot where they can do one-stop-shopping whenever they can. For birds and insects, this can be a shallow dish type of thing, but for larger animals, a pool might be more welcome.
Plan on a secluded area...no family pets, away from a road, no strong lighting. If the plan is to view the visitors, some bushy baffle might be a good idea.

As to the plants themselves, there are two things to keep in mind: food and shelter. Food will certainly vary with the animal. Small berries and fruits for birds and rodents, almost anything for deer, many insects have diet specific to the species. One of the easiest shelters is a tall grass. Birds, insects, and small animals can use it year-round for shelter from the temperature and weather. Also logs and piles of branches are homes to many snakes, insects and small animals. Aquatic insects and amphibians would appreciate some water/swamp plants. Many birds might like a high vantage point (tree or tall bush)

OK, I'm rambling. Here are some of my and my visitors' favorites: Ilex verticillata. (birds love the berries well into winter, and it's pretty) Veronicastrum virginicum (a magnet for honey bees and some butterflies) Miscanthus (the fore-mentioned grass) Nicotiana sylvestris (attracts lots of nocturnal insects, which in turn attract bats) My "butterfly field" has a mix of asclepias, echanacea, yarrow, clover, and solidago. All kinds of bugs, birds, and small rodents are to be found.

Let me know if you want me to keep going

[rainbowgardener]

When you said "partly sheltered," does that mean partly shady?

Then wild columbine is another nice native for shadier spots--
Blooms attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and hawk moths. Seeds consumed by finches and buntings.

Serviceberry is a shrub or small tree. There's at least 30 species of birds that like the berries. Viburnum is another of my favorite native shrubs--shade tolerant, fragrant spring flowers, berries that birds like. Comes in a range of sizes from very dwarf to large. Different species/varieties have different cold hardiness, but many are hardy to zone 4.

But I agree with microcollie... you want to think about the different habitats you are providing. So water, cover, brush, food, shelter, some meadow type habitat, some more wooded habitat. Edges / transition zones, like between meadow and woods are particularly wildlife rich areas.

And of course, no chemicals! Very destructive to the ecosystem you are trying to create.

[nebraskannie]

I meant partly sheltered in terms of the wind, which is constant and harsh here. I'm particularly interested in some small to medium evergreens and anything that gives cover. I'm wondering if anyone in our area has any experience with Rocky Mountain Firs, the small variety. I like Viburnum and also am looking for some perennial grasses for these conditions. I've tried zebra grass on our place and it's gone through two years so far. Any other suggestions? We've got the water, quite a bit of shelter and food, but I want to naturalize the area for a friend who is interested in more backyard wildlife.