This section deals with plants, trees, and shrubs that are beneficial to wildlife (specifically birds) for the fruit they produce. Providing fruit producing shrubs and trees can be a boost to the birds visiting your yard – especilly for late-summer and migration. Some fruits are left overwinter to ripen and soften, providing an overwinter, or early spring food source for residents and early migrants.
Mulberry (Morus rubra) Size: 20-30′ tall/15-20′ wide. Flowering: Fruiting: mid-late June Birds: summer nesting species, especially starlings, robin, blackbirds, rose-breasted grosbeak, waxwing, and some woodpeckers. A very shade tolerant tree – often excelling in the understory of established farm groves, Red Mulberry produces an edible red-purple drupe that resembles blackberry. The fruit is used in jams […]
read moreAmerican Mountainash (Sorbus americana) Size: 10-30′ tall’/15 wide. Flowering: Fruiting: mid-late autumn Birds: catbird, oriole, grosbeak, waxwings, robin, and thrushes (bluebird, solitaire) Mountainash fruit crops are fairly regular and the ability to hang on throughout winter makes the berries excellent emergency food.Yellow-bellied sapsuckers sometimes drill larger specimens for sweet sap. Be cautious of purchasing varieties that […]
read moreWashington Hawthorne (Crataegus phaenopyrum) Size: 8′ tall 10′ spread Flowering: inconcpicuous Fruiting: autumn Birds: late-fall migrants, and into winter species such as cedar waxwing, purple finch, and robin. Washington Hawthorn is a broadly oval to rounded, dense, thorny tree. The foliage is a reddish purple when unfolding gradually changing to lustrous dark green at maturity. Fall color […]
read moreHackberry (Celtic occidentalis) Size: 40′ tall with wide canopy spread Flowering: inconcpicuous Fruiting: autumn Birds: late-fall migrants, and into winter species such as cedar waxwing, yellow-bellied sapsucker, mockingbird, purple finch, and robin. Hackberry is a 40-60′ tall tree with a 30′ spread. This tree can attain very large proportions, usually reaching 40′-60′ tall. When grown in the […]
read moreGrapes (Vitis spp.) Size: 8′ tall with 6-8′ spread Flowering: inconcpicuous Fruiting: late-August to early-September Birds: fall migrants such as catbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, robin, orioles, and waxwings. Many different species of wild grape are native and grow throughout eastern and central North America. They are tolerant of most soils. Some species are found in moist rich soils […]
read moreElderberry (Sambucus spp.) Size: 8′ tall with 6-8′ spread Flowering: Throughout Summer Fruiting: June – September Birds: summer nesting such as thrasher, catbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, robin, and waxwing. Elderberries are hardy, native shrubs that have great ornamental and fruiting value. They produce beautiful, large, white flower heads in the spring that are followed by large clusters of blue-black berries […]
read moreDogwood (Cornus spp.) Size: 8′ tall with 6-8′ spread Flowering: Throughout Summer Fruiting: June – September Birds: fall migrants, especially thrasher, catbird, sparrows, and robin Dogwoods got their name from the Middle Ages when the wood was used as skewers or “dogs.” But, today these plants are widely used in landscapes for their beautiful flowers, showy […]
read moreAmerican [highbush] Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) FOR BIRDS: robin, thrushes, bluebird, thrasher, catbird during fall migration Fruiting: Late Summer to mid autumn Size: 6-10′ tall/3-5′ wide. American cranberry is a hardy shrub with excellent flowers, fruit, and foliage. Flat-topped clusters of white flowers in late spring; shining red fruits in early fall. When used in hedges and screens, plant 4′ apart […]
read moreCrabapple (Malus spp.) Size: 15′ tall and 12′ spread Flowering: May Fruiting: late August Birds: waxwings, robin, starling, Ornamental crabapples (Malus spp.) make nice specimen trees, and produce beautiful flowers and fruits. Most are hardy to Zone 4, but disease resistance can be an issue. Crabapple tress vary in flowering and fruiting colors, and some are […]
read moreCotoneaster (cotoneaster) Size: 14′ tall and 6′ spread Flowering: May and June Fruiting: late autumn Birds: wintering species Most of the 200 species of Cotoneasters are native to the temperate regions of China and the Himalaya and include evergreen and deciduous shrubs and small trees. They are renown for their ability to survive in poor soils, […]
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