Planting native trees and shrubs is a great way to attract and sustain wintering, migrating, and breeding birds. Suburban birds need native plants to supply the insects that are needed as a protein source to keep them healthy. Native trees are a good source of food, especially the ones that produce fruit. Here are a few of the native trees and shrubs that will attract birds to your yard.
Mulberry – A summer fruiting, medium -sized tree that attracts cardinals, waxwings, and other songbirds. Choose the native Red species for the best results. The fallen fruit can be messy, so don’t plant it near walkways or cars. It also provides nesting sites.
Serviceberries – A medium-sized tree that produces white or pinkish flowers in the spring and reddish berries in the summer. Robins, tanagers, grosbeaks, cardinals, waxwings, and others will visit. It can be used as a nesting site also.
Flowering Dogwood – Insects come in the spring for the white, pink, or red flowers and birds in the fall for the scarlet berries. It offers nesting sites and attracts bluebirds, grosbeaks, robins, thrushes, catbirds, and many others.
Winterberry (Holly) – Birds love the fruits and dense cover that hollies provide. The scarlet berries from the female plant provide food for resident winter birds. Only female hollies bear fruit, so it is important to plant a male tree nearby for pollination. It attracts waxwings, bluebirds, robins, and other birds.
White Oak – A large slow-growing tree that produces acorns every year. It provides food in the fall and winter for woodpeckers, jays, grouse, and other birds. Many different species of caterpillars feed on oaks, which provides plenty of food for birds. It has good nesting sites and cover.
Eastern Red Cedar – A native coniferous tree that grows 50 to 90 feet tall. It produces pale blue, berry-like cones on female trees, only in the fall and winter. Waxwings, hummingbirds, and Saw-whet owls love it for food, cover, and nesting sites.
Community growth is shrinking the native habitat that birds need to survive. Next time you’re planting a tree or shrub consider choosing one that is native to the area. Planting native trees will help the birds to survive. You will enjoy watching them while the native tree enhances your landscape. If you need to remove a tree, please call Integrity Tree Care today for an assessment.
