Fruiting

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Fruiting Plants

Fruiting

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.

Ninebark

Plants for Wildlife - Fruiting

Common Ninebark (Physocarphus opulifolius)

Size: 6' tall with 4' spread

Flowering: May and June

Fruiting: pods in late-summer

Birds: upland game birds, and seed eaters such as grosbeak, jay, thrasher, and migrating finches

Common Ninebark is a large attractive shrub covered with 2 inch clusters of small white flowers in May and June and attractive seed pods later in the summer. The foliage turns yellow-green in the Fall and its peeling bark adds interest in winter. Plant in humus rich, well drained soil and full sun. The flowers are a good nectar source for butterflies and the seeds are eaten by several bird species - especially by upland game birds, and lare seed-eaters such as grosbeak, jay, thrasher, and migrating finches.

Ninebark also provides nectar for a butterflies, including the spring azure. The clustered flowers provide an easy platform for insects to land and attracts a variety of bees, wasps, flies, caterpillars and other insects.

Chokecherry (Prunus)

Plants for Wildlife - Fruiting

Chokecherry

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)

Size: 20-30' tall/ 20-25' spread

Flowering: mid-may

Fruiting: Late August

Birds: fall migrants, especially robin, catbird, sparrows, thrasher, thrushes, warblers

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.

Rose

Plants for Wildlife - Fruiting

Rose

Rugosa 'Saltspray' Rose (Rosa rugosa) is a coarse, dense shrub 4 to 6' in height with pink, occasionally white flowers. Fruit is a large persistent 'hip' filled with seeds, which is used by songbirds, mammals and upland game birds. It grows well in dry, sandy soils, and is recommended for hedge rows; valuable for difficult sites such as banks, cuts, fills, sandy soils and salty environments. More than 50 selections and hybrids of this species are known; some of which do not produce "hips" so be careful when ordering.

Raspberry

Plants for Wildlife - Fruiting

Red rasberry

Red Rasberry (Rubus idaeus)

Size: 3-4' canes usually in large swath of growth

Fruiting: July-August

Birds: late-Summer feeding of young such as red-headed woodpecker, robin, thrasher, and catbird.

Red Raspberry plants are broadly distributed throughout North America; most often found in open woodlands and streamsides growing from 3 - 5 feet tall. The juicy, red fruits ripen in July and August, and are very tasty to humans and birds. They are very low-maintenance plants, that prefer full sun to partial shade, and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions; though they prefer moderate moisture.

Black rasberry

Black Rasberry (Rubus occidentalis) has small, greenish-white petals that start appearing in late May to early June followed by their edible fruits appearing between July and August. They are most often found in forest or grove clearings, disturbed sites such as road crossings, woodland edges, or abandoned farm fields. The fruits are thought to be consumed by more that 150 species of birds and animals... including humans.

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Fruiting

Ninebark

Chokecherry (Prunus)

Rose

Raspberry