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Celebrate Your Inner Bird Nerd….Create a Bird Habitat in Your Landscape!
Invite feathered friends into your landscape!
Bird watching is a favorite past time for people of all ages; and the trees and shrubs that produce berries and fruit help give the birds a food source in the winter as well as summer. Thick evergreens shield them from snow, ice, and rain. Tangled growth such as briers and honeysuckle provide good nesting sites for many species and offer protection from predators.
Trees, Shrubs and Vines
- American Holly- a beautiful evergreen, berry producing tree
- Canadian Hemlock- a graceful weeping needleleaf evergreen tree
- Carolina Cherry Laurel- a fast growing, fall fruiting, broadleaf evergreen
- Cotoneaster- depending on variety an either evergreen or deciduous shrub with orange-red or red berries
- Dogwood- a fall fruiting deciduous tree with white, pink or dark pink blooms in spring
- Russion Olive (Eleagnus)- a fragrantly blooming broadleaf evergreen shrub with silvery foliage and berries in spring
- Pyracantha- an thorny evergreen shrub with heavy clusters of berries in fall and winter
- Mahonia- a beautiful broadleaf evergreen, with spring flowers and summer berries formed in grape-like clusters
- Possumhaw Holly- a multi-trunk deciduous holly with berry-like drupes from fall to spring
- Southern Magnolia- a majestic large broadleaf evergreen with white blooms in early summer and seeds in fall
- Viburnum- depending on variety an either evergreen or deciduous blooming shrub with berries; some varieties have fragrant blooms
- Climbing Hydrangea- a vine producing cream colored blooms in May; growth habit producing a great living environment for birds
- Trumpet Creeper- vine producing bright orange tubular flowers that are a primary food source for the Ruby Throated hummingbird
These tree and shrubs are just a few of the many bird attracting plants available in our area. Come visit the Good Earth Garden Center to get more information on any of these plants or to get additional suggestions on inviting birds into your landscape.
Bird Feeders
If you need instant bird watching satisfaction, you might want to install a bird feeder. Tips for bird feeders include:
- Keep feeding area clean to prevent the spread of disease.
- Place feeders above ground level.
- Squirrels may be discouraged by baffles and “squirrel proof” feeders.
- Birds need food most in winter and early spring, however, many people prefer to feed year-round.
- Supply seed according to the type of birds you wish to attract.