What?? Remove my leaves from the yard? We prefer to LEAVE THEM!
Leaves left where they lay are returning important organic nutrients originally taken from the soil by the tree roots. Those leaves will be teaming with life throughout the fall, winter and spring.
For years, fall has been about cleaning up and cutting back, with the idea we want our spaces neat and tidy. We now know that it’s important to think twice before raking, blowing, cutting and mowing. That organic leaf matter is not only important for healthy soil, it’s also food, nest sites, overwintering habitat and hiding places for butterflies, native bees, fireflies (and other vital beetles), caterpillars, moths, salamanders, spiders, frogs and other wildlife.
“LEAVE THE LEAVES” and you play an important role in increasing biodiversity in your yard, and it matters. We are slowly losing critical insects and other creatures due to loss of habitat and pesticides. Birds also thrive through the winter and spring, with plenty of biodiversity in our yards for them to feed on.
The majority of Wisconsin butterflies, moths, native bees and beetles overwinter in leaves, lose bark, twigs, stalks and pithy stems. Some overwinter as eggs, others as caterpillars, chrysalis or adults.
It’s COMPLEX and it’s COMPLICATED
Do you know who might be living in your leaf matter? Here’s just a small example:
Bumble bees: Wisconsin has 20 different species of bumble bees. Only new bumble bee queens overwinter to make new hives in the spring. In the late fall, she will dig a small hole a few inches under the soil surface or nestle deep in leaf matter to hibernate through the winter. Kill one bumble bee queen, and her entire generation goes with her. Other native bees, solitary bees, hibernate as either an egg, pupa, larvae or adult in twigs, stem, wood cavities or under the ground in small holes. It’s important to have leaves for winter protection and It’s also important to leave your stem, twigs and sticks …..you never know who is hibernating in them.
Moths and Butterflies: Wisconsin has about 124 species of butterflies that overwinter here.
Some, like this Eastern Comma butterfly (one of the first butterflies we see in the spring), hibernate as adults.
Others species overwinter as eggs, larvae, pupa.
Silver Skipper butterfly, like this one found in our rain garden this year, hibernate in chrysalis that match leaf litter as camouflage.
You can be bet we’ll be taking good care of our leaves this fall!
The lovely Large Luna moth and swallow tail butterflies disguise their cocoon as dried leaves to blend in. While other butterflies or moths will overwinter as pupae or chrysalides actually attached to a brush or dead plants.
Leaves also provide important habitat for overwintering fireflies and other beetles. When you remove the leaves, you remove critical habitat.
“Leaving leaves” doesn’t mean you have to give up a tidy yard, you can gently rake them into designated areas, arrange them neatly under the trees, shrubs or in garden beds for natural mulch and winter protection.
If you’re interested in learning more about fall clean-up and increasing the biodiversity in your yard. Below is some great information that might help you.
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