Wonderful. When we first moved here in the Poconos, all those plants grew wild in the undeveloped lots and woods here also. Now the deer have eaten every thing but the ferns.
Pam

That's great Carol! You must have read Doug Tallamy's book Bringing Nature Home, where he advocates this procedure to bring the natives back. Not hard to do, just takes some dedication. Good for you!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bring back bio-diversity

I haven't read that book, Paula, but it sounds interesting. I'm learning how to do this as I go along. Mostly I'm trying to eradicate invasives. I haven't had good luck buying and planting wildflowers. They seem to do best when they spring up naturally.

We're overrun by deer here as well, woodthrush, but the wildflowers seem to survive somehow. I wish deer ate multiflora rose!!

Lol - we are trying to line the property line with multiflora rose. I'm hoping they will root from cuttings. We are in a 'private community' so there is no hunting, just more deer every year.
Pam

woodthrush, be careful with the multiflora rose, I just might do more damage to your property than the deer could! It's listed as a noxious weed in PA, and it's prohibited in many other states (see the link below). I had no idea about this, and I had a couple of these plants growing in my yard, but I pulled it them up when I learned how nasty this plant can be. You certainly know better than anyone about what to grow and what not to grow on your property -- it's just that I remembered now how I wished I'd known earlier about this plant, so I figured I'd pass the info along.

Here is a link that might be useful: rosa multiflora

Thanks, yes, I've read it is invasive. What I want is a fast growing thick hedge to cover the openings in the split rail fencing. If the deer eat it on the back side of the fence fine, but hopefully they won't jump it to eat more.
Funny that list is topped by marijuana - I didn't know it was growing wild in PA! lol
Pam

I can't imagine why you would want to establish multiflora rose on your property. It is one of the most invasive, unpleasant, spreading throny shrubs around. it is also, by far, the most difficult shrub to remove because of the way the thorny stems arch far out from the center, amking it difficult to reach the base to cut the plant down. Yes, the flowers are nice in early summer, and many birds eat the hips, but there are lots of native shrubs that are far better for wildlife, and no shrub that is more of a pain to eradicate once it starts to spread all over your property. I don't think it is likely that a multiflora hedge will work to keep out deer. Deer thrive in many of the same places as multiflora rose and other thick, invasive shrubs. Unless the hedge is really uniform, deer will find a path through it. With other types of hedges, you could find the openings and with some brush patch the holes until the shrubs can grow in. With multiflora, however, you will have a hard time seeing the openings deer use. Multiflora has lots of high, arching canes and deer will go beneath and betwen the canes. You will also have a tough time patching the openings due to the structure of the shrubs.

Why not just let the shrubs grow beneath the fence and see what appears. If there really are too many deer for natural regeneration of shrubs, then use wire fence to temporarily protect the area. You can't do any worse than multiflora and should do a lot better.

That's why I want it as a barrier hedge around the property line. I have had a wire fence for five years but the property owners association says we have to replace it with split rail. I want a thick, fast growing hedge that will fill in the gaps between the rails of the fence and exceed the fence in height. Actually, I have not seen many multiflora around here at all, so it may not be that invasive at this zone.
Anyway, didn't mean to change the subject of the thread.
I'm glad some woodland can be re-generated. But when you drive around a neighborhood and see 10 deer on someone lawn, and you can stop and get out of the car and nearly have to walk right up to them before they'll run off, you know you are over run! lol
Pam

I'm gonna make an off topic suggestion here. Try planting a native shrub rose. I planted this cute little rose a couple of years back, Virginia's rose. Sometimes called 'Pasture rose.' Scientific name Rosa virginiana. Planted it in honor of a dearly departed friend and mentor named Virginia. Oh, I guess maybe sometimes the plant goes by Virginia rose. Anyway, you can only find it at native plant nursuries.

Here's the main point though. That THING grew into a huge, sprawling, behemouth of a thorny BEAST! I had it planted along a fence and it was threatening to take over my entire yard and my neighbor's garden. I live in a tight urban area, this was the wrong plant for that space. It was a beast to get rid of it too. I gave some of the runners to the local arboretum. Anyway, it's native, it's gorgeous when in bloom, it's hardy (I'm still finding runners) can stand the hot, soil-limited conditions of my yard. I would plant this in a heartbeat if I wanted a thorny hedge for a large property.

You can get it at Edge of the Woods Native Plant nursery, which is maybe an hour or so drive from you. Worth a trip if you are a plant lover. They have a fabulous selection and are so nice at helping you choose the right plants. They're right off 22 west/ 309 north in Orefield. Go to www.edgeofthewoodsnursery.com and check it out. Call first to see if they have the plant. There are also other native, fast growing, imposing hedge plant selections. Go to the Web site and call them or e-mail and ask for help. Louise and Sue are very good people to work with and fabulously knowledgable on this subject (deer hedges and anything having to do with landscaping issues). I have NO affiliation with them other than I have bought from them for years and know that they are quite a presence here in the Lehigh Valley.

Here is a link that might be useful: Edge of the Woods Nursery