MIKE KENDRICK LORI MCALISTER * Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix). Grows 3 feet tall in preferred shade with upright flowers. Attracts birds and butterflies. SUCCULENTS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: American Goldfinch on Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea); Sassafras (Sassafras albidum); Spicebush Swallowtail on Spicebush (Lindera benzoin); Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans); Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). * Woodland Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum). Rock-loving ground cover; blooms AprilJune. Attractive to butterflies and bees. * Smooth and Drummond's Prickly Pears (Opuntia humifusa and Opuntia pusilla). Only widespread cacti in the eastern US; blooms May-July and April-May, respectively. Of special value to native bees. TREES * Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). Grows 60-90 feet tall. Favorite nesting tree for birds; attractive to butterflies and bees for nectar. * American Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). Reaches 15-20 feet; blooms September-December. Seeds and fruits attract birds. 46 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM * Allegheny Service-Berry (Amelanchier laevis). Easy to grow at 15-25 feet. Food for birds; special value to native bees. * Sassafras (Sassafras albidum). Hardy tree that grows 35-50 feet; aromatic blooms from March-May. Attracts birds, butterflies, and bees; acts as larval host to several species of butterfly. * Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum). Grows 30-70 feet in rural areas with rows of hanging flowers in July. Special value to honey bees. * Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana). Deciduous fruit tree that grows 15 to 100 feet tall. Fruits attract birds; special benefit to honey bees. * Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides). Canopied, deciduous tree that grows to 100 feet or more with wind-borne cottony seeds. Valuable for seeds and nesting materials; hosts the larvae of several butterfly species. * American Beech (Fagus grandifolia). Sturdy shade tree that grows 50-80 feet.http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM