>Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 09:50:33 -0500
>From: RONALDJ ROVANSEK
>Subject: evergreens/cover plants for hummers

>Susanna,
>In Louisiana wax myrtle is more commonly grown than its northern
>relative bayberry. The LA wax myrtle is fully evergreen and is a great
>choice for cover plus berries for non-hummer birds. In north LA on a hill
>pines would make nice cover, especially in the first 15 or 20 years when
>they will have branches all the way to the ground. Other choices are
>hollies, including american holly and yaupon, cherry laurel, red cedar
>(juniperus virginiana - another good winter berry plant). I think that the
>bird habitat value of an evergreen thicket is greatly improved by letting
>some vines grow into the evergreens. Hummer-friendly vines like cross
>vine (bignonia capreolata), honeysuckles (lonicera sempervirens,
>lonicera hybrids like lonicera heckrottii, or lonicera japonica, which isn't
>native and will probably arrive on its own once the birds start roosting in
>your evergreens), and trumpet creeper will do fine scrambling over
>bushes. I would wait a few years to plant the trumpet creeper (campsis
>radicans) since it grows fast and needs a large support.
>
>Ron Rovansek
>

>>I want a "thicket" of my own in the side yard.
>>Any suggestions on evergreens?
>

=============================================

Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 00:24:39 EST
From: Ron Rovansek <Rrovansek@AOL.COM>
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast
<HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu>
To: HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu

Wax myrtle (myrica cerifera) is a native, evergreen shrub closely related to
bayberry. Among other great qualities is has waxy berries in the winter that
are a favorite food of many birds, including myrtle warblers. This can be a
pretty large, sprawling shrub (20 x20 ft at full size) so give it space. It
will tolerate a wide variety of conditions, including very wet soil.

Ron Rovansek