Subject: [Tweeters] Promoting alien berry plants breaks my heart
Date: Dec 7 21:58:17 2006
From: Wilson Cady - gorgebirds at juno.com


Cascara is one of native plants on our property that attracts
the widest variety of birds when the fruit ripens. Everything from
Band-tailed Pigeons to vireos flock to the tree to eat the fruit. Yes,
vireos do eat berries and will even pierce grapes and drink the juice. We
have several groves of Cascara and in the late summer flocks of Western
Tanager swarm into these trees.
While people have mentioned Blue Elderberries I find that Red
Elderberry is equally attractive to wildlife. The reds ripen early in the
summer but if cut back before blooming they will regrow and fruit in late
summer. This is something I found by accident when cutting back the brush
along our driveway.
Red Huckleberry also ripens late in the summer and hangs onto the
shrub until eaten.
Wilson Cady
Washougal, WA