Wildlife Friendly Gardening

Quercus laevis, turkey oak. Oaks, as a group, are of major importance as food sources for many wildlife species.    © Susan Trammell

Viewing wildlife is one of the things that many of us who grow native plants enjoy. This page presents just a few ideas that will help you attract wildlife to your garden. Check out the links for more detailed information.

Provide Food Plants. Plant plants that attract wildlife. Consider that the wildlife that you seek to attract have preferred or required food needs. Take those into account as you plan your landscape. Consider fruits that ripen through the seasons and the species that rely upon those fruits. Consider browse - if you want butterflies, provide their favorite foods such as milkweeds. If you want hummingbirds, provide red flowers with lots of nector. If you have scrub-jays, plant some sand live oak or Chapman's oak. And so on.

Provide Cover. Most smaller species are the prey for something larger. If you want to see these small wildlife species, provide them with cover. Plan on a few dense areas. Keep some bushy trees smaller birds can hide in. Leave a place for foxes to curl up in the shade.

Provide Safe Nesting or Denning Areas. We all know about bird houses, but appropriate live trees, leaving an occasional dead tree with a nest cavity, leaving some dead limbs on a tall cypress, can attract other species to make our landscapes home.

Control Pets Did you know that the house cat is a deadly predator? I own and love one, but keeping yours at home and providing safe havens from cats can make your landscape friendly to birds and other small animals.

Avoid Poisoning the Species You Want. Using large amounts of herbicides and insecticides will poison not only pests but also species that you'd like to keep. Minimize the use of any chemical that you wouldn't like to bathe in. That green tree frog is probably going to get very sick when you spray him/her with it.

Provide Water. Almost all larger species and many smaller ones require a source of water. Provide a pond or bird bath. If you provide a pond and stock it with fish, don't be surprised to find an avian fisherman enjoying dinner.

Useful Books

  • Beriault, J.G. Planning and Planting A Native Plant Yard. 24 pages. How to turn an entire yard into a native habitat.
  • Huegel, C. Butterfly Gardening with Florida's Native Plants; 40 pages. How to design and plant a garden to attract butterflies. The Florida Native Plant Society helped support publication of this book.
  • Osorio,R. 2001. A gardener's Guide to Florida Native Plants. University Press of Florida. The Florida Native Plant Society helped support publication of this book.
  • Wasowski, S. 1994. Gardening with Native Plants of the South. Taylor Publishing Company. Most applicable to north Florida.

    • Links

  • Audubon at Home Planting a wildlife friendly yard.
  • Defenders of Wildlife A national organization committed to conservation and of wildlife and wildlife habitats.
  • Defenders of Wildlife - Florida Program Page
  • Firebush, South Florida's Plant for All Seasons A Palmetto article by Elizabeth Smith.
  • Florida Cooperative Extention Service - wildlife
  • Florida Sandhill Crane Conservation Program
  • Florida Snake Guide
  • Florida Wildlife
  • Hummingbird Net
  • Hummingbirds From the Family of Nature, Inc. web site
  • Landscaping for Wildlife University of Florida, Florida Wildlife Extention
  • Links Galore on attracting butterflies and wildlife to the garden.
  • National Wildlife Federation
  • National Wildlife Federation, Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program
  • Planting a Bird Sanctuary A web page by Cathy Frank on the importance of native plants to a bird-friendly backyard.
  • South Florida Birding Connection
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Wild Florida Photo Photographs and information on plants and animals of Florida, by FNPS member Paul Rebmann