Favorite shrubs for habitat improvement

If you want some thick cover, look into hawthorns. Not so much a browse item - your point in post # 11 - ( although deer will eat the young shoots with no thorns ), but it makes excellent screening / bedding cover. The 3/8" red berries that ripen in the fall are very attractive to grouse, turkeys, and a multitude of small birds. The seeds inside the red berries get spread readily by birds and help grow your thickets. They are VERY tough trees. No pampering needed - just cage them until they get about 6 ft. tall to keep deer from topping them for you. ( about 3 years, usually ). Because of their 2 to 2 1/2" long needle-like thorns that they eventually get, deer seem to like bedding in ( under ) hawthorns. The lowest limbs seem to settle at about 4 to 5 ft. above ground. After they get to be about 1" caliper on the trunk, deer will only browse the lowest-hanging, most tender new shoots because they have no thorns. The long thorns on the mature wood protect against everything, including deer. Great security cover for deer and birds.

Thermal cover - spruce, spruce, and more spruce. I believe Black Hills spruce is native to you there, and regular black spruce ( different spruce ) is recommended for wetter ground. ROD is a great choice for wetter ground as others have said. Good luck with your project !!
 
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White Cedar, nothing beats this for winter browse. Biggest problem is getting them established before they get munched
 
White Cedar, nothing beats this for winter browse. Biggest problem is getting them established before they get munched
This looks a great addition. And it's definitely going on my list. Sounds like they need some good protection for quite a few years.

These sound like they can be planted around apple trees without worry about cedar apple rust is that correct?
 
Correct, red cedar which causes CAR, is technically a juniper. White cedar is a true cedar. The fungus should have really been called juniper apple rust, as it is junipers which actually harbor the fungus/spores.
 
Try using a wire mesh cage about 3' diameter.

This will allow the tree to grow as well as allow the deer to browse it when the tree reaches out of the cage.
 
Do you have any wet areas on you property? Any areas with consistent water or moist soils, like a marsh, stream or even a low run-off point that stays wet consistently?
My chokeberries are planted on high ground but the MDC seedling order form has them checked as useful for wetland restoration. I haven't planted any is wet areas so I can't speak from experience. Another option on moist low ground is false indigo. It grows real well, at least in NE Missouri. Eight year old plants are 6 to 8 foot tall and they drop a lot of seeds that birds should like. No need to fence or protect false indigo. They are not a favored food source.
 
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