You’ve likely heard this refrain more frequently in the past few years, but if not, here’s a quick summary for you.
Many native species depend on fallen leaves, plant stems, and seed heads to provide food and shelter over winter. For instance, many native bees use hollow plant stems to overwinter in, other insects including caterpillars may hide away in leaves, and seed heads provide food for native bird species.
A fan favorite—woolly bear caterpillars—spend the winter under logs or in leaves. So instead of collecting leaves for garbage disposal or shredding leaves (and potentially our native invertebrates!), try collecting the leaves to use as mulch in your garden or around trees. Just don’t touch the trunk of the tree with a mound of leaves or mulch—that can cause the tree to rot. You could also dedicate a portion of your backyard to housing leaves this winter.
