Plants were chosen from a Birding Conservation Network paper entitled “The Lake Michigan Flyway: Chicagoland’s Role in the Miracle of Bird Migration”.  These were cross correlated with Swink and Wilhelm’s “Plants of the Chicago Region” range maps for McHenry County & received at least a 5 rating on the “Floristic Quality Assessment”.  Planting rare and more sensitive plants may promote rare and more sensitive birds taking up residence.

Forests                                                                                               Savanna/Open Woods

Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)                                                ShagbarkHickory (Carya ovata)

Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)                                                         Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Butternut (Jugulans cinerca)                                                               Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)                                                                American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)                                                             Wild Plum (Prunus americana)

White Oak (Quercus alba)                                                                  New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)

Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)                                                 Prairie Coreopsis  (Coreopsis palmata)  (sands)

Red Oak (Quercus rubra)                                                                   Green-headed Coneflower  (Rudbeckia laciniata)

American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)                                           Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum)

Prickly Wild Gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati)                                        Broad-leaved Goldenrod  (Solidago flexicaulis)

Wild Black Currant (Ribes americana)                                              Bottlebrush Grass  (Hystrix patula)

Wild Gooseberry  (Ribes missouriensis)

Nannyberry  (Viburnum lentago)                                                        Prairie

Black Haw  (Viburnum prunifolium)                                                   Prairie Thistle (Cirsum hillii)                                     

Downy Arrow-wood  (Viburnum rafinesquianum)                              Prairie Coreopsis  (Coreopsis palmate)   (sands)

Yellow Honeysuckle (Lonicera prolifera)                                           Western Sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis)

White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda)                                                Prairie Sunflower  (Helianthus rigidus)

Red Baneberry (Actaea rubra)                                                             Rosin Weed  (Silphium integrifolium deamii)

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)                                         Compass Plant  (Silphium laciniatum)

Green-headed Coneflower  (Rudbeckia laciniata)                               Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceaum)

Broad-leaved Goldenrod  (Solidago flexicaulis)                                  Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)

Elm-leaved Goldenrod  (Solidago ulmifolia)                                      Riddel’s Goldenrod  (Solidago riddelii)  (wet)

Long-awned Wood Grass  (Brachyelytrum erectum)                           Little Bluestem  (Andropogon scoparius)

Common Wood Reed (Cinna arundinacea)                                       Side-oats Gramma (Bouteloua curtipendula)

Nodding Fescue (Festuca obtuse)                                                        Switch Grass  (Panicum virgatum)

                                                                                                           Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans

Wetlands                                                                                          Tall Green Milkweed  (Asclepias hirtella) (sands)

Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)

Blue-fruited Dogwood (Cornus obliqua)                                           Disturbed or Early Sucessional Areas

Riddel’s Goldenrod  (Solidago riddelii)                                             Frosted Hawthorn  (Crataegus pruinosa) (disturbed woods)

Swamp Thistle (Cirsium muticum) (fen)                                           Early Wild Rose (Rosa blanda)  (early successional areas)

Chokeberry (bogs)  (Aronia prunifolia)                                             Sand Milkweed  (Asclepias amplexicaulis)  (sands)

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)  (bogs)                                                Early Goldenrod  (Solidago juncea)  (early successional areas)

Swamp Dewberry (Rubus hispidis)  (bogs)

Swamp Goldenrod  (Solidago patula) (bogs)

Notable McHenry County Bird & Some Mammal* Uses of Specific Plants

Red Mulberry:  Catbird, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Brown Thrasher, Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Red-bellied  Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Flicker, Bay-breasted Warbler, Summer Tanager

Red-osier Dogwood: Prairie Chicken, Yellow-breasted Chat, Purple Finch, Flicker, Evening Grosbeak, Eastern Kingbird, Yellow-breasted Sapsucker, Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, White-eyed Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Bay-breasted Warbler, Scarlet Tanager 

Oaks: Wood Duck, Prairie Chicken, Bobwhite Quail, Wild Turkey, Flicker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Thrasher, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Towhee, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Southern Flying Squirrel, Warblers (May), Blue Jay, Summer Tanager

Early Wild Rose: Prairie Chicken (We can dream can’t we?)

Chokeberry:  Prairie Chicken, Cedar Waxwing, Brown Thrasher, Summer Tanager

New Jersey Tea:  Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Cottontail, Eastern Chipmunk

Cup Plant: Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Black Haw: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Pileated Woodpecker, Purple Finch

Wild Plum: Flicker, Gray Fox

Switch Grass: Bob-o-link, Bluewing Teal, Wilson’s (Common) Snipe, Wild Turkey, Smith’s Longspur, Grasshopper Sparrow, Clay-colored  Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Savanna Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Eastern Wood Pewee

Nannyberry: Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Hermit Thrush, Pileated Woodpecker

Downy Arrow wood: Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Hermit Thrush, Eastern Bluebird, Pileated Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Purple Finch

Prairie Sunflower: Bobwhite Quail, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Vesper Sparrow, Franklin’s Ground Squirrel

Western Sunflower: Bobwhite Quail, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Vesper Sparrow, Franklin’s Ground Squirrel

Winterberry: Wild Turkey, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwing, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Veery, Eastern Bluebird, Brown Thrasher

*Mammal diets from “American Wildlife and Plants: A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits”