ts, if at all possible try to identify those "short weed trees". It is not only possible but quite likely that at least some of those are simply young versions of highly desirable species. Trees don't emerge from the ground fully grown!

Then I ask, are there any spring wildflowers? It would be a real shame to not be aware of those native "spring ephemerals" as they are magnificent and are getting bulldozed out of existence everywhwere you look.

Finally, you may in fact improve the overall scene by removing some of the box elders-there's a weed tree for you-and leave room for better plants. And why are you collecting grass clippings off your lawn in the first place? Lawns require lots of nitrogen and your removal of those clippings is the equivalent of one heavy dose of nitrogen fertilizer. Very very much better to not remove lawn clippings-ever. And the woods plants don't necessarily want all that nitrogen...they'r used to a very much different soil regime, where beneficial fungi and bacteria take all the stuff laying on the ground and slowly convert it into nutrients the trees and other plants can use. Fertilizer in a forest-which is what those clippings (and I suppose the doggy do) amount to, is not generally helpful.

Can you get a few of these issues sorted out first? There's right around a ton and a half of plant ideas we could throw in, but in my opinion, these issues need to be dealt with first.

I should have clarified...after reading more of the forum, I see many of you have acres of woodlands. :-) I have control of about a 15' x 40' strip of woods (the rest is neighbors and public property). The red oak is massive (trunk is probably 13' in circumference), the boxelders are smaller (trunks are around 8' in circumference). There are about...5 of these large trees total filling the space. And a bunch of smaller boxelder trees (trunks less than 5' in diameter). The weed trees are likely more baby boxelders...I haven't been able to identify any of the trees myself (except the red oak...I'd have to be an idiot to miss identify that one). I had a tree guy out last year to remove one tree that had fallen (actually, it had fallen ON my one silver maple...had to get that down quick before it damaged it). He was the one who told me these were all boxelders (which explains my boxelder bug problem).

I don't generally collect my lawn clippings...but sometimes I get busy and it grows super long and it's too long to mulch mow...then I have to bag it. I try to make sure to spread the clippings and not just dump them in a big pile.

There are no flowers that grow in my woods, just the trees...I keep trying to find a picture of my yard! The best I can do is an aerial shot from bing maps! This is from a few years ago...but the look of the wooded area is the same. My house is the one with the red truck in the driveway.

Thanks for the clarifications. So, one good way to ID box elder is that the tips of the branches have a waxy bloom on them. Rub it and you can see it kind of rub off, and there is a purplish hue to these stem tips as well. This is for before they leaf out.

I support your idea to control these things. They are native, sure, but they are really junky trees and are mostly just taking up space that could hold a better plant.

Ferns are of course great plants for such a site. I'm not going to name names here this morning, but any web page showing ferns native to your area will give lots of good ideas. And there are lots of them.

Another source would be any web pages detailing "shade gardens" or some such combo of words. Too many for me to list here this morning. And since you're in
MN, maybe have a look at a company devoted to native plants. You've got a very good one in Prairie Moon Nursery, right there in your state. Good people, tons of plant ideas, decent prices...if you look up their catalog I think you will be inspired, far beyond anything I can tell you here.