You'll need the right kind of shrubs or trees around your home to attract song and game birds. The birds will stay, too, if the shrubs and trees furnish nesting places and shelter. The plants you'll want will depend on your own preferences. Keep in mind the space you have available and the usefulness of the various trees and shrubs.

Several of the commonly planted ornamental trees provide a very good source of bird food. Probably the two most popular are the Flowering Crab and Mountain Ash. When selecting a flowering crab, chose a variety which has small fruit that will remain on the tree throughout the winter. Red Splendor is a very good variety. The mountain ash is a medium sized tree with large clusters of orange colored berries, which act as a good source of bird food throughout the winter. The Russian Olive is a small tree which produces dry gray fruits that will remain on the trees until eaten off by the birds.

Some of the common wild fruits we pick for home usage are also a good supply of bird food. The wild plum, juneberry, chokecherry and grapes are all relished by the birds and other wildlife.

Many ornamental shrubs also produce fruits which attract birds. The caragana is a good large shrub for hot dry areas and produces a dry pea-like pod full of fruits. Another large shrub, the highbush cranberry, produces a fruit that resembles cranberries and can be used for jelly. If you leave the fruits on the bushes, they will persist into the winter and be eaten by the birds. The tatarian honeysuckle is a large shrub which is very showy both in flower and fruit and makes an excellent windbreak. Their fruits have an unpleasant taste but are eaten freely by birds.

The Virginia Creeper is an ornamental climbing vine with leaves consisting of five large leaflets. It has a very attractive fall color and produces blue-black berries which are readily eaten by the birds.

Other trees and shrubs which attract birds include: buckthorns, buffalo berry, dogwood, silverberry, sumacs and wild roses.

This page was last updated April 2003

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