In the spring of 2011, Shelly decided to branch out and purchase something to spruce up her garden and attract more native wildlife. It was then that Monster, Stubs and Yet entered her life in much the same way we all do: small, bare and hungry for love. Little did Shelly know that the three youngsters would surprise her with hauntingly fast growth and generous berry production! In just two years, Monster the elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), the eldest of the three, grew a whopping 10 feet and now stands tall and healthy.
“My giant elderberry bush is loaded with berries and provides amazing shade (did I mention this thing grew 10 feet in two years?!), so I have put my hammock under it. It was my favourite place to hang out all summer,” Shelly reports.
Similar to Monster, Stubs the black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) was stocked full of fruit this summer; however, as the smallest sibling, he doesn’t really stick out. Even so, Shelly has sampled Stubs’ delicious berries – she loves them and really hopes they will be a poplar treat for the birds through the winter months.
The third shrub, a bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) named Yet, hasn’t yet grabbed the attention of any bees and butterflies as Shelly had hoped. But that doesn`t mean she hasn’t given this shrub the love and care it needs to flourish. Shelly has knot given up on her honeysuckle - Yet!
Despite “being stunned by how well [her] plants have grown” and enjoying the luxury of walking into her backyard and snacking on the native edibles, Shelly is concerned that in ten years down the road, her thriving bundles of joy may not be there. If she decides to sell her house, she worries whoever moves in will get sycamore of the natural shrub growth and replace her babies with more conventional things, “like tulips.” There is still hope for Monster, Stubs and Yet though, since as everyone knows, tree’s company!
You can get your own spooky shrubs through our Backyard Tree Planting Program!
The Backyard Tree Planting Program is supported by Ontario Power Generation, York Region, Ontario Trillium Foundation, The City of Markham and Toronto Hydro.