Lately when I’ve gazed out a window, driven down the road or checked my social media pages, I’ve seen gorgeous views of brilliant crimson, blazing orange and dazzling yellow leaves. New Hampshire has had a stunning foliage season this year. However, these leaves are starting to fall as rain and wind strip them from their branches.
Many homeowners dread falling leaves because it’s a lot of work to rake or blow them into piles to be hauled away. But it doesn’t have to happen that way. In fact it’s better for the natural cycle of things to “leave the leaves.”
Research on native plants and animals that live in our yards and neighborhoods illustrates that our fall cleanup habits are actually detrimental to local ecosystems. Fallen leaves are essential as habitat and shelter to numerous pollinators and beneficial insects that we want to promote with the native plants that many of us have been adding to our landscape.
Some examples include the larva of great spangled fritillary butterfly and Isabella moth (the latter is better known as the wooly bear caterpillar) which hide among leaves during the winter for protection from cold and predators. Some butterflies and moths overwinter in the egg form, depositing their eggs on fallen leaves. Yet others like the luna moth and swallowtail butterflies pass the winter in the pupa stage where their cocoons and chrysalises are camouflaged, blending in with, and looking like dried leaves.
In addition, bumble bees rely on leaf litter to insulate the ground where they burrow down to hibernate. Countless other insects, spiders and other invertebrates nestle within the leaves or use them as food. In turn, some of these creatures become food for small mammals and birds. If you look to the woods as an example, it’s easy to see how important leaves are to the forest ecosystem. A lack of leaves can have a harmful effect on a wide network of living creatures and plants.
By now you might be thinking, but my yard is not a forest and it will be messy if I leave the leaves on my lawn. What will the neighbors think? Maybe you even live in a community where fall cleanup is required or done by an outside company. Keep reading so you can have more information to share with the decision-makers and help educate others about this goal.
Lawns have their purpose, but they are a real wasteland when it comes to biodiversity. It’s estimated that there are more acres of lawn in the U.S. than there are of cropland that is used to feed people and animals. So one way to support wildlife is to reduce the size of your lawn. Starting around the edges and leaving a layer of leaves that is a couple inches thick is a great way to begin. Even if you can’t do that, research has shown that lawns benefit from a thin layer of leaves. The remainder can be used to mulch around trees, shrubs and perennials, or to cover any bare soil in a vegetable or annual bed. These leaves not only provide protection for the animals, but they also provide great weed suppression, moisture retention, insulation for the newly planted perennials, and as they break down they add organic matter back into the soil.
Some gardeners might think it’s best to shred the leaves to use them as mulch or help them to break down faster for compost. Remember those insects – they would be shredded too. Keeping leaves whole is best. If you have space, create a leaf pile with the ones that you really must move.
It is also best to rake rather than blow the leaves when you collect them. In addition to reducing noise pollution and fossil fuel use, the force of the blower is much more likely than gentle raking to destroy any insect life.
So as the leaves drop from the trees, don’t think of them as litter. Embrace them as a blanket, a nursery, a food pantry and use some time that you might have spent removing them to enjoy the idea that you are helping the environment and making your corner of the world a little richer.
Take Me Outside is a monthly feature exploring New Hampshire wildlife and the natural environment. Ruth Smith, earned a master’s degree and state-wide and regional awards in environmental education. She has taught countless children and adults about ecology at several New Hampshire non-profit organizations. She lives in a solar-powered home on a small homestead farm in Canterbury. She is not a member of the Monitor staff.