Planting to Attract Birds to Your Yard

The silence of winter is broken by the chattering of birds when spring arrives. The need to start the cycle of life begins again with various species calling out to attract a mate and defend territory.

Bird watching is a hobby of mine and I am always planting with birds in mind. Providing for their needs can make your yard a bird sanctuary and provide hours of bird watching enjoyment.

Birds need four things, most important of which is water. A birdbath or small pond will attract many birds. A habitat to hide, a place to raise their young and a source of food are the other three requirements.

The best way to attract birds to your yard is to research what specific birds like to eat, where they like to nest and what plants will attract the greatest variety of species in your area. Some birds like to nest high up, others low to the ground, so providing varying plant heights is important. Plant evergreens for cover and deciduous varieties, too. Flowering trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals attract birds with their seed production, fruits and flower nectar.

Here are my favorites plants that can provide food and/or shelter to birds in our area.

American Holly (Ilex opaca)

Easily grown in average, consistently moist, acidic, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Leaves typically yellow in alkaline soils. Tolerates a broad range of soil conditions, but will not tolerate flooding or soils saturated with moisture. Avoid poorly drained soils. Best growth in the wild usually occurs in rich bottomlands and swamp margins. Site in locations protected from cold winter winds. Part afternoon shade is best in hot summer climates. Plant foliage loses density in too much shade.

Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)

Native to the U.S., the Wax Myrtle is a fabulous evergreen plant with a long list of positive attributes to its credit. In short, Wax Myrtle is deer resistant, heat and drought tolerant and grows fast in even poor soil. What more could you want in a carefree shrub? If a partition or screen is your objective, then Wax Myrtle performs flawlessly. This shrub, with its dense foliage and quick-growing nature can easily be planted in multiples and shaped into a privacy hedge with occasional pruning. Female Myrtle's will bear fruit berries that grow in clusters, and are green with an attractive bluish-white wax coating that lends them a vaporous gray appearance. The fruit matures in the fall and remains throughout winter, attracting a multitude of birds.

"Fosteri” Holly (Ilex x attenuata "fosteri")

The trunk usually grows straight up through the crown, unless the tree was topped. The small, glossy, almost black-green, linear leaves have spiny margins, and are joined in spring by showy, small, white flowers. The blooms are followed by the heavy production of brilliant red berries, which persist on female trees from fall through winter.

Firethorn (Pyrancantha spp.)

Pyracantha is a genus of thorny evergreen large shrubs in the family Rosaceae, with common names firethorn or pyracantha. ... cover for roosting and nesting birds, summer flowers for bees and an abundance of berries as a food source.

Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)

Butterfly Bush

(Buddleia Davidii) attracts birds, hummingbirds and butterflies, drought tolerant when established, 6-10 feet tall by 4-10 ft wide, is a woody shrub that gets a bit rangy unless pruned back occasionally.

Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Not only do dogwoods have good looks, but they also attract wildlife. All sorts of critters use this tree. For starters, giant silk moths and several species of butterflies favor dogwoods as host plants. The trees’ spring flowers also provide nectar to bees and other pollinating insects, including spring azure butterflies. American robins, northern mockingbirds and sparrows will build nests on the trees’ horizontal branches, and many others seek shelter in its leaves. And, of course, there’s the high-fat, fleshy and red fruit that more than 35 species of birds will eat, including northern cardinals, tufted titmice, bluebirds, juncos and waxwings.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)

This service-berry is a multiple-trunked tree

or shrub, 15-25 ft. tall, with dense, fine-textured branching. White flowers occur in terminal clusters before the leaves appear and are followed by summer berries turning from red to purple or nearly black. Blue-green summer foliage can become orange or red in fall. The bark is smooth and slate-gray with white, longitudinal stripes.

Very easy to grow and provides year-round interest. Berries are edible and juicier than those of the similar A. arborea. Sensitive to drought. A great alternative to the Bradford Pear.

Blue Anise Sage (Salvia guaranitica)

You simply have to love plants that attract hummingbirds in such a fashion that they fight it out for the nectar even if there is enough to feed a hundred of the little aerial acrobats. Such is the case with the blue anise sage (Salvia guaranitica). Sometimes called Brazilian sage, this worthy perennial is always showing out this time of the year, endearing itself to gardeners and hummingbirds alike. This is a tall blooming salvia, perennial in zones 7 and higher and a very worthy annual elsewhere. They normally reach 4-5 feet tall and as wide and load up with enough flowers that all local hummers should be able to feast, other than the fact they are fiercely protective of their food source.

Nellie Stevens Holly (Ilex x "Nellie R. Stevens")

You'll appreciate how these holly trees stay deep green all year, unlike other hedge trees that can brown out during either the summer heat or mild droughts. During the winter months, you will enjoy the red berries against the deep green foliage. Clip off some branches to decorate your home for the holidays.