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Pennsylvania blackberry (Rubus pensilvanicus)

Black Cherry (Prunis Serotina)

Virginia Strawberry(Fragaria virginiana)

Red Elderberry (Sambucus Racemosa)

I wanted to stick these 4 together because May here in zone 4 is the time in which an abundance of berries start to bloom.

These 4 all have a unique place in a landscape and one could make berry forest incorporating each of these together.

Black Cherry (Prunis Serotina) is tree that has the potential to grow 80 feet tall and can live 150-200 years. This tree is 2nd to the oak tree when it comes to hosting pollinators. While the cherries are kind of tart, birds such as Eastern Bluebirds and Cedar Waxwing flock to these berries and love gifts that this tree provides. The flowers on this tree looks like a gathering of white spires or spheres and is an amazing source of early nectar for bumble bees, mining bees, and sweat bees.

Red Elderberry (Sambucus Racemosa) can grow right underneath the Black Cherry tree with a max height of 20 feet. . This plant is notable for its vibrant red berries, lacy foliage, and ecological value. This plant acts as a tree like shrub, and will probably be the earliest of the 4 to bloom. The fruits are reportedly safe to eat when cooked, but are potentially poisonous when raw. Cooked berries can be made into jams, jellies, or syrups. Along with bees, this plant is great for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

Pennsylvania blackberry (Rubus pensilvanicus) is also known as the Eastern Blackberry. This one would be a great plant to place underneath the Red Elderberry as it gets wide, but doesn't necessarily get tall. Black, aggregate fruits that ripen in summer, comprising tiny drupelets. They are sweet and juicy, often used in culinary applications. Out of all plants listed in this post, this one probably is my favorite. The dense thickets provide shelter for small mammals and birds. Birds, such as thrushes and catbirds, and mammals, including foxes and raccoons, feed on the berries if you leave them on the plant.

Virginia Strawberry(Fragaria virginiana)

Also known as wild strawberry, It is the ancestor of the cultivated garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) and is cherished for its sweet, aromatic fruits and ecological contributions, though smaller than the kind you'd typically find in the grocery store. Tiny, red, conical berries that are sweet and fragrant, ripening in late spring or early summer. The seeds are visible on the surface of the fruit.

The Virginia strawberry is a keystone species in native plant gardens, providing critical resources for early-season pollinators. Its flowers offer a reliable nectar and pollen source, while its low-growing habit creates a microhabitat for beneficial insects.

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When grown together, the Red Cherry Tree, Red Elderberry, Virginia Strawberry, and Pennsylvania Blackberry create a harmonious environment. These plants grown together mimic a natural forest ecosystem, enhancing biodiversity, improving soil health, and supporting pollinators and wildlife while producing a variety of fruits for human enjoyment.

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Virginia Waterleaf

(Hydrophyllum Virginianum)

This one is a foragers delight. This whole plant is edible, tasting like parsley when its young, but spinach as it gets more mature. One of the first things to spring up out of the ground after the last frost. Easy to find come spring, but hard to come find summer. The waterleaf name comes from the leaf of the plant looking as if it has water stains, but to me it looks almost like a painting. Of all the plants I've highlighted so far, these leaves are the most majestic. The bell shaped blooms are an amazing source for both pollen and nectar.

The older the plant is, the least amount of spots it has. Much like adults, our view of magic kind of fades away until we are able to discover it again. These leaves are also covered in a fuzz, but if you boil them the fuzz goes away.

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Foxglove Beardtongue

(Penstemon Digitalis)

Another plant that is one of the first to bloom in Spring. I imagine the common name of the plant being that of two agents, Agent Foxglove and Agent Beardtongue, investigating the end of winter. Soft tubular blooms that open like a beckoning glove, an invitation to bees who dive in headfirst, leaving only their fuzzy bottoms in view as if they are going spelunking. These long tubular flowers are perfect for long tongued and common wisdom has it that moths visit night-blooming plants with flowers that are typically white or pale in color.

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Marsh Marigold (Caltha Palustris)

Despite bearing "Marigold" in its name, this plant is no Marigold at all, but a buttercup, a trickster of a bloom that dances between identities, although these identities are purely social constructs that we have provided for it. Its scientific name, Caltha palustris, is a phrase that feels less like a word to speak and more like a secret to whisper, a charm carried on the tongue, delicate and fleeting. Try saying it out loud and you'll know what I mean.

Every part of the plant holds a quiet danger; its leaves, stems, and roots are poisonous unless boiled three, even four times, as if its secrets must be coaxed out with patience and fire. Its heart-shaped leaves hug the earth, while its rhizome roots anchor it to worlds unseen, a world inundated and saturated with water and soil. Five golden petals glimmer like drops of stolen sunlight, and its nectar, a banquet for those brave bees who awaken early from their winter torpor, seems almost an offering, a bargain struck between poison for us humans and susitenance for the pollinators.

True to its name, the Marsh Marigold thrives in waterlogged soil, its feet firmly planted in mud and mire, as though it belongs to a story of wetlands and whispered promises, a flower that knows the weight of water and the power of resilience.

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American pussy willow (Salix discolor)

"At the tail end of winter, fuzzy nubs start to appear along the branches of pussy willows. These soft silver tufts—as well as the plant itself—are named for their resemblance to tiny cats’ paws, and they feel so much like fur that young children often wonder if they are animals instead of plants. What are those little nubs? Are they seeds? Fruits? And why are they fuzzy?

They're actually flowers just before they fully bloom. The soft coating of hairs acts as insulation to protect these early bloomers from cold temperatures. The species most commonly called pussy willow in the Northeast, Salix discolor, is a small, shrubby species of willow that can be found dotting wetlands and moist woods throughout much of North America. Most other willows make similar flowers, and since they’re among the very first to bloom, they’re especially delightful—they signal the last throes of winter and the brink of spring." - Ashley Gamell  

Willows refer to the entire genus Salix, encompassing hundreds of species with diverse forms and flowers. Pussy willows are specific willow species known for their fuzzy catkins, making them visually distinctive and widely recognized. Planting pussy willows can significantly boost pollinator health in early spring while supporting ecosystem restoration projects. This early bloom provides one of the first nectar and pollen sources for emerging native bees like bumblebee queens, mason bees (Osmia), and mining bees (Andrena), which are among the earliest pollinators to become active.

Also cool is that Pussy willows are dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female. Male plants produce the iconic fuzzy catkins, which are pollen-rich. Female plants offer nectar and act as additional forage resources. Having both types ensures biodiversity support.

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I would like to highlight that is amazing for bees and other pollinators are the Serviceberry Tree:

As Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) trees are native to a wide range of North America, various indigenous and local cultures have developed their own names for the tree. In addition to "Serviceberry," the tree may be called "Juneberry," "Shadbush," "Sarvis," "Sugarplum," and other regional names, reflecting the cultural connections people have with the tree and its uses.

In early American history, settlers would use the flowers of Serviceberry trees as a sign of the arrival of spring. When these trees bloomed, it was often a signal that it was time for religious services, hence the name "service" tree. This historical link contributed to several of its common names, such as "Serviceberry" and "Sarvis."

Serviceberry trees are excellent for pollinators for several reasons:

Early Blooming: Serviceberries are among the first trees to flower in spring, providing an important early-season food source for pollinators, particularly when other plants have not yet bloomed. This early bloom helps sustain bees that emerge in the spring, such as bumblebees, mason bees, and other early solitary bees, which depend on the first available nectar and pollen.

Abundant, Accessible Flowers: Serviceberry flowers are small, but they grow in dense clusters that are easily accessible to many types of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and flies. The flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, attracting a variety of insects, including early-season pollinators.

Attracts a Variety of Bees: Serviceberries are particularly attractive to a wide range of native bee species. Bumblebees, solitary bees, and small sweat bees all visit Serviceberry flowers to collect nectar and pollen, contributing to pollination. The tree's flowers are ideal for both larger bees, like bumblebees, and smaller bees, such as mason and sweat bees.

Support for Pollinator Diversity: The flowers of Serviceberry are also visited by a variety of other insects, such as flies and beetles, which help diversify the pollination process. This makes the tree a great asset for overall pollinator health and diversity in the landscape.

Fruiting for Wildlife: After pollination, Serviceberry trees produce small, berry-like fruits that are a valuable food source for birds and small mammals. These fruits are also beneficial for pollinators by supporting local wildlife, further enhancing the ecological health of the area.

Diverse Habitat: Serviceberries are adaptable to a variety of growing conditions, from forests to open woodlands, and their presence in diverse habitats provides important resources for pollinators across different ecosystems. Their early bloom time also provides a critical resource for pollinators that need to establish their nests or colonies early in the season.

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Red Maple trees (Acer rubrum) play a significant role in supporting native bee populations, especially in early spring.

Early Source of Nectar and Pollen: Red Maples are among the first trees to bloom in the spring, providing a crucial early source of nectar and pollen for native bees after the winter. This is particularly important for bees that emerge in early spring, such as mason bees and bumblebees, which rely on these early blooms to fuel their activities and establish colonies.

Diverse Pollinator Attraction: Red Maples attract a variety of native bee species, including solitary bees, bumblebees, and even honeybees. Their small, clustered flowers are rich in nectar, making them accessible to bees of different sizes and species.

Biodiversity Support: Red Maples often grow in diverse habitats, including wetlands and riparian zones, which support various pollinators. This can help sustain a broader range of bee species, contributing to overall biodiversity in the landscape.

Important for Habitat Connectivity: As deciduous trees that thrive in various soil types, Red Maples can be found in diverse ecosystems. They can also serve as connectors between fragmented habitats, ensuring that pollinators have access to the resources they need across landscapes.

Bees that use tree for nectar and pollen includes bumblebees, solitary bees, honey bees, andrenid bees, halictid bees and more.