Woody plants—the trees and shrubs—can be pure ecological powerhouses, but most of us don’t have room for an entire forest in our backyards. So on a garden scale, which shrubs in particular really get the job done best? Dan Wilder, a longtime native plant expert who is director of applied ecology for Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Massachusetts, is here to talk about just that. 

Dan Wilder urges us to make room for more shrubs in our landscapes to support birds and caterpillars and other animals, while at the same time getting to enjoy their beauty—in flower, in fruit, and even in showy fall color that some of his favorite species boast. In addition to his work at Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Wales, Mass., and its 8,000-acre sanctuary, Dan is a board member of the Ecological Landscape Alliance, and also co-author with Mark Richardson of the book “Native Plants for New England Gardens.”

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