As Thanksgiving approaches, I thought that instead of writing about all the ways we can feast
on birds, this week I'd write about all the ways we can provide feasts
for the birds.
As I fill my bird feeders and realize I've begun the cycle of refilling all winter long, I start to think about additional ways to create a friendly habitat for our outdoor feathered friends. And of course what fits the bill perfectly? Shrubs! Berry-producing shrubs create a naturally occurring food source and with good planning, they can feed the birds from mid-summer, well into the winter.
 |
| Low Scape Mound™ Aronia |
The bird buffet starts in late summer with the delightful
Aronia shrub
. Proven Winners
® ColorChoice
® (PWCC)
Low Scape Mound™ Aronia is a dwarf variety, and even though it's the 2019 PW National
Landscape Shrub of the Year, it will also perform beautifully in your home garden. It's adaptable to wet or dry soils and it's only about 1-2' tall so it can be planted alongside your house as a sweet little border that is virtually maintenance-free. White spring flowers give way to dark purple summer berries. Commonly called a chokeberry for its astringency, the fruit is praised for its antioxidant qualities, but pick them quickly if you want a harvest for yourself, the birds love them!
 |
| Sunjoy Todo™ Berberis |
Berberis is another spring flowering shrub that gives way to summer berries. I know, barberry is shunned for its invasive tendencies, but there is a non-invasive choice. PWCC
Sunjoy Todo™ Berberis is a much more manageable variety with a semi-dwarf, mounded habit and the deep purple-maroon foliage that really sets barberry apart. Showy bright orange-yellow spring flowers will give way to summer berries, but university testing has shown that this hybrid variety produces no seed.
 |
| All That Glows® Viburnum |
Sambucus and
Viburnum will also produce fruit in late summer; remember to plant two different varieties because these plants typically need a pollinator to fruit.
 |
| Pearl Glam® Callicarpa |
Pearl Glam®Callicarpa is definitely a rock star when it comes to beautyberry plants. It sets purple fall fruit but the show really starts in spring, with its dark purple foliage, then late summer brings white flowers that yield spectacular violet-purple berries by the hundreds. Pearl Glam
® beautyberry is a vigorous plant with an upright habit that makes it a space-saver compared to more conventional varieties, too.
For winter foraging and a colorful seasonal show, you can't beat winterberry holly.
Ilex Verticillata normally grows to heights of 6-8'
 |
| Little Goblin® Orange Ilex Vert |
but for tighter spaces, there are smaller varieties like
Little Goblin® Orange winterberry holly. This little ball of color lights up the darkest season with dozens of extra-large, bright orange-red berries and is just 3-4' tall and wide. In order to get fruit, you will need to plant
Little Goblin® Guy winterberry holly as a pollinator. Birds do eat the fruit of winterberry holly, but usually not until it has been softened by cold for several weeks. This means that you can usually enjoy the berry display until at least mid-January.
 |
| Proud Berry® Symphoricarpos |
Another late-winter bird food favorite is
Symphoricarpos.
Proud Berry® coralberry will fill your landscape with gorgeous, big, pink berries that are guaranteed to turn heads. Bell-shaped summer flowers develop into large dark pink berries in fall, the color intensifying with cold weather. As pretty as it is, this native plant is also amazingly hardy and deer-resistant.
Symphoricarpos is a mouthful, but not for humans as the berries are not edible. However, the birds will enjoy them as they soften mid-to-late winter.
Finally, when you're thinking about the creatures that survive outside even in the coldest conditions, think about the perimeter of your yard. These often unused spaces can be landscaped to create shelter for local wildlife. Take those neglected edges of your property and plant some groupings of specimens with wildlife appeal. A mix of tall and short evergreens and deciduous plants will not only provide you with a beautiful, ever-changing display of varied textures and colors, but it will also create micro-habitat for local wildlife.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and we'll see you next week!
- Natalie
