Best Berry Plants for Birds

I spend a lot of time trying to find the right wild bird feeder and keeping those squirrels away from my feeders. With planting season at hand it seemed time to change my focus. I want to add some bushes or trees to my backyard that will also attract birds.

So today I found a helpful article on Better Home and Gardens website: "The Best Berry Plants". One of these bushes will be a great addition to my outdoor space while serving my backyard friends. I need to remember to not plant them near my garden bird bath though. Don't want to give predators a place to hide. Anyhow I am beginning to ramble..haha

Below I have listed those berry plants that attract birds.(click link to see picture of bush)

1. American cranberry bush viburnum (Viburnum trilobum) i
   
   • has white springtime flowers, maple-shape leaves that turn bright colors in autumn, and red fall berries..Berries last well into the winter months.
     
   • Brown Thrashers, Cedar Waxwings & other songbirds love this bush.
2. Red-twig dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)
   
   • clusters of small white flowers in spring, white fruits in summer and fall, and bold red-orange autumn color.
3. Chokeberries (Aronia arbutifolia)
   
   • It spreads by suckering and is a good choice for a hedge
   • Brown Thrashers, Cedar Waxwings & other songbirds love this bush.
4. Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus)
   
   • It produces bright scarlet berries in autumn. It bears red fall color and makes for an attractive informal hedge.
5. Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana
   
   • provides birds with a great source of shelter, and female plants offer blue berrylike cones eaten by many birds
6. Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)
   
   • ferny leaves that turn bold red in fall and clusters of furry dark red fruit that hold on through the winter
   • a variety of birds including robins and vireos like this bush
   • may be too aggressive of a spreader for most gardens. Be sure it is in a spot where it can create a thicket.
7. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
   
   • branches laden with bright red fruit
   • attract mockingbirds, robins, and other birds
   • needs a pollinator to produce berries, so plant both a male and female
8. Crabapples (Malus selections)
   
   • To attract the greatest variety of songbirds, select cultivars with small fruits that hang on through the winter
9. Highbush blueberry (Vaccinum corymbosum)
   
   • Bluebirds, robins, and many other birds love this bush
   • offers bright red-orange fall color
10. Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma)
    
    • Showy clusters of purple fruit
      
    • provides nutrition and moisture for birds in winter
    • produces more berries in a sunny spot.
11. Serviceberry(Amelanchier selections)
    
    • Robins, thrushes, and other birds are quick to eat this fruit
    • pretty springtime blooms and great fall color
12. Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
    
    • pretty little ground cover native to areas of North America
    • thrives in moist, shady spots
    • the berries turn red in autumn and are a favorite of vireos
13. Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
    
    • particularly good shelter plant for birds
    • late summer and autumn, bunches of blue-black berries appear
    • plant near other viburnums to ensure good pollination
14. Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
    • Downy Woodpeckers, Brown Thrashers, Eastern Bluebirds, and many other backyard birds are attracted to the dark fruits
    • a small tree suitable for the edges of woodland areas or partly shaded landscapes.
15. Nannyberry(Viburnum lentago)
    
    • berries ripen to blue-black and last well into winter to feed overwintering birds
    • can be pruned to form a hedge or grown at the back of a border
      
16. American Elder(Sambucus canadensis)
    
    • spreading, 12-foot-tall thickets give excellent shelter and are favored nesting sites.
    • purple berries in fall that attract dozens of different birds
17. Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica)
    
    • berries stay on the plants well into winter, providing food for birds during the cold months
      

Don't forget to check out my website for many things for your backyard. Wooden Outdoor furniture, Outdoor bench, Decorative Birdhouses, Wild bird feeders, garden birdbaths, tuned wind chimes, Poly Recycled Furniture, Outdoor Lanterns, Garden Water Fountains, and much more.

Other posts that may be of interest:
March Gardening Tips for your Region
Your Birdhouses Ready for Nesting Season?
Water will Attract more Birds to Backyard