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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.
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Plants for Wildlife -
Fruiting
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Chokecherry  Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) 20-30' tall/ 20-25' spread. This native Chokecherry is usually found in landscapes in the form of one of its cultivars. It is a cold hardy tree with clusters of white flowers in the spring. The fruit are red at first, but turn black with maturity, and are desired by 70 different species of American birds. Foliage of the 'Schubert' ('Canada Red') cultivar can be striking as it emerges green but turns purple with age. The fall color is orange and red. Be cautious of the 'Melanocarpa' - variety. Though considered a dwarf form, some companies list this as a zone 5 plant. |
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Plants for Wildlife -
Fruiting
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 Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, commonly known as Coralberry, Indiancurrant or Buckbrush is a full sun/part shade loving plant that reaches 5' tall/wide. The flowers of Coralberry may be seen in early July. They are small and appear in clusters along the stem, just as you would expect by looking at the way the fruit is arranged. Probably more important than the food value of its fruit, Coralberry serves as good habitat for wildlife. The knee-high thickets provide nesting and escape cover for small mammals and birds. In addition, the numerous stems serve as a structure that collects detritus, which attracts insects and other small invertebrates, which in turn provide food for larger creatures such as ground-feeding birds. Wandering flocks of winter sparrows will often spend considerable time foraging in a Coralberry thicket. Once established, Coralberry doesn't need seeds to reproduce itself. It sends out lateral stems up to 4 feet long, which then root and grow into a new cluster. It is these runners that snag your shoe and trip you when you try to walk through a Coralberry thicket. |
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Plants for Wildlife -
Fruiting
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 Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) reaches 5-12' tall/5-10' wide. Also known as Candleberry, Bayberry is adaptable to a range of landscape conditions including poor, sterile, sandy soils and heavy clay soils. The leaves can be up to 4 inches long and possibly an inch wide. The leaf color is a lustrous dark green. A unique quality of the leaf is that it is aromatic when brushed or crushed. Even the slightest contact with the plant produces the aroma which is rather pleasant. The leaves are retained well into the fall before dropping. The flowers on the plant are small and white or green in color. Flowering is in late March or early April before the new crop of leaves emerge. The berries are a preferred food of tree swallows, eastern meadowlarks, red bellied woodpeckers and gray catbirds to name a few. Bayberry shrubs also make good nest sites for songbirds. |
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Plants for Wildlife -
Fruiting
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American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) is a deciduous twining woody vine that is best known for its showy orange-red berries that brighten up fall and winter landscapes. reaching 15-20' tall/ 3-6' wide it is not a first choice of birds, however, the fruits hold on during the winter which may provide an additional feast for some in the winter or spring. Bittersweet needs full sun to fruit well, but will tolerate a variety of Zone 3 soil conditions. Caution: Fruits can cause nausea and vomitting if ingested. Female plants need a male pollinator to produce fruit. Be careful that some nurseries do not sell the vines as male or female. Generally one male plant is needed for 6-9 female plants. |
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Plants for Wildlife -
Fruiting
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 Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea) is a great native plant substitute for the invasive exotic, 'Autumn Olive'. Buffaloberry has silvery foliage and produces lots of orange-red fruits that are edible by people and sought after by birds. The fruits make an excellent jelly. Buffaloberry is a thorny shrub with upright, mounded growth. The thorns provide excellent protection for nesting birds. It's also a good xeriscape plant, tolerating extreme drought, cold and alkaline conditions; growing to 8-12' tall/wide, and tolerating Zone 2 conditions. |
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