(A-23) VIBURNUM, WISTERIA & HONEYSUCKLE HEDGE FOR WILDLIFE

Two Viburnum Autumn Jazz shrubs were planted between a Wisteria sinensis (Chinese Wisteria) on one side and two White Honeysuckle shrubs on the other. It should be an interesting hedge that forms, but I’ll have to trim them, for the wisteria are incredible aggressive and prolific. The hedge will be about 30 feet long and just off my front porch.

Already, robins, cardinals and catbirds feast on the bright red honeysuckle berries. I enjoy sitting on the front porch, watching the hungry birds jump up off the ground to grab a low-hanging berry, or disappearing into its thick canopy and snack in private.

Amazing, but the honeysuckle contains a pheromone for many insects, such as bees and ants. I have noticed lots of succulent insects crawling on and buzzing around the honeysuckle, which in turn attracts hungry songbirds. So, with the fragrant white flowers, juicy red berries, and pheromones, the White Honeysuckle bushes fit into our little front yard ecosystem and enhances biodiversity.

I just planted the Viburnum Autumn Jazz yesterday with plenty of soil from the backyard compost pile. The soil was black and fertile! Amazing what mixing cut lawn grass and fall leaves with kitchen scraps can do in less than a year’s time! Buds are almost ready to burst into white flowers in flat-topped clusters. I heard the flowers of Chinese Viburnum are non-fragrant, so it’ll be interesting to see how many bees, hummingbirds and butterflies they attract. The flowers give way to blue-black, berry-like drupes that birds and other wildlife go crazy over. should be fun front-porch entertainment. The birds find some left-over berries in the Spring when they migrate back.

I don’t know what to say about the Wisteria sinensis or Chinese Wis teria. The flowers are fragrant and it provides cover for the Goldfinch which feed on the thistle seed feeders hanging from the ornate metal grate it grows upon.

Most of the sites describe it as overly-aggressive and a “tree killing”, invasive species. I have to agree; it’s counter-clockwise spiraling vines literally would strangle the orate metal structure it’s crawling upon. I try to pry them off the thistle feeders, but their bound tightly around them, so I cut them off with shears. I’ll have to keep that section of the wildlife-hedge well-trimmed and controlled. The Wisteria does, however, provide thick cover and fragrant flowers that hand in light purple bunches.

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