Once the foliage on maple, oak, gingko, birch, poplar, sweetgum, sumac, hickory, and sassafras trees have finished their showy display of autumn colors, they fall to the ground. Then comes the decision–what to do with all those fallen leaves? 

Leaves are beneficial to the environment in many ways. Instead of bagging up fallen leaves and sending them to a landfill, consider this. 

Fallen leaves provide winter shelter and food for bumble bees, butterflies and moths, beetles, millipedes, and roly-polys. Many moth species such as the lovely green Luna moth hibernate in layers of leaves. It is essential to their survival. 

A blanket of dead leaves is a natural winter habitat for other creatures like salamanders, frogs, toads, and box turtles. A bank of fallen leaves is a food bank of insects for many bird species. 

It's easy to establish natural habitats for these creatures in your yard.

How to Incorporate Leaves into Your Landscape

-            Surround trees in your yard with a thick layer of fallen leaves. 

-            Mulch around the plantings in your flower beds with fallen leaves. 

-            Cover a dormant garden site with dead leaves and till into the soil before planting next spring. 

-            Composting extra leaves or simply raking them into a pile in an out of the way spot, provides natural fertilizer and mulch for future use. 

-            To keep a pile of leaves from blowing away, wet it down with a garden hose. 

-            Mowing one last time this year? Mowing over any thin layer of fallen leaves enriches the soil. 

As you select places to house fallen leaves on the ground, you’re helping butterflies, moths, songbirds, and more beneficial creatures survive this winter. And oh, what a lovely sight, to appreciate next spring and summer. 

By Deborah S Tukua, author of Traveling the Natchez Trace Parkway from A to Z.

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