Planting for Birds and Wildlife

Be like the bird, who
Halting in his flight
On limb too slight
Feels it give way beneath him,
Yet sings
Knowing that he hath wings.

Landscaping your yard or garden with plants that provide food, shelter and/or nesting sites for birds and other animals will provide 3 of the 4 requirements for a successful wildlife habitat. All you need to add is a bird bath or a pond of any size and you'll have a sanctuary for displaced wildlife and a beautiful retreat for you and your family.

Trees

Trees, shrubs and vines can add beauty and form to the landscape, but with a little planning they can also provide a year round food supply for wildlife, too. Try some of these natives and old favorites for a low maintenance, pesticide free addition to your yard. To help you get started I've included a list (with photographs and descriptions)of our favorite, easy to grow wildlife plants. I'll be adding more as time goes on.

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)- Large deciduous native, early summer fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the tiger swallowtail butterfly. Attracts 30 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Taiwan Cherry (Prunus campanulata) Small imported, deciduous tree, very early spring flowers, late spring fruit, full sun to part shade, Hummingbirds use the flowers, fruit eating birds devour the cherries.

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) - Large deciduous introduced species, spring fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 29 bird species (bluebird favorite)

Black Gum (Nyssa Sylvatica) - Medium/large deciduous native, fall fruit, full sun/light shade. Attracts 16 bird species.

Southern Crab Apple (Malus angustifolia) - Small deciduous native, fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 15 bird species.

Dogwood - Flowering (Cornus florida) Medium deciduous native, fall fruit, sun/shade.
Rough-leaf (Cornus Drummondii) Small deciduous native, early summer fruit, sun/partial shade. Larval food of spring azure butterfly. Attracts 15 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Wild or Domesticated Plum (Prunus spp.) Small deciduous native (or imported), spring bloom, summer fruit, full sun/part shade. Attracts birds and other wildlife.

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) - Small deciduous native, late spring fruit, full sun/light shade. Larval food of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly. Attracts 14 bird species.

Service Berry (Amelanchier arborea) - Small deciduous native, spring fruit, sun/partial shade. Attracts 14 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Magnolia - Southern (Magnolia grandiflora) - Large evergreen native, late summer-fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana) - Medium/large evergreen native, July-October fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the tiger swallowtail butterfly. Attracts 13 bird species.

Common Fig (Ficus carica) - Small deciduous introduced species, midsummer fruit, full sun. Attracts 10 bird species.

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) - Large deciduous native, fall nut-like fruit, medium sun to shade. Attracts 10 bird species.

Devil's Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa) - Small deciduous native, summer-fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 9 bird species.

Hackberry (Celtis laevigata) - Medium to large deciduous native, early fall fruit, sun/shade. Larval food of the hackberry, eastern snout, & question mark butterflies. Attracts 8 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Oak (Quercus spp.) - The acorns feed many wildlife species.

Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) - Many mammals and birds use the nuts.

Hickory (Carya spp.) - Many mammals and birds use the nuts.

Pine (Pinus spp.) - Birds like the Pine Warbler and Brown-headed Nuthatch need Pine trees to survive. The Pine nuts are eaten by many species of birds and mammals.

First day of spring;
On the ancient plum tree
three open blossoms.

American Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana) - Large native deciduous Shrub with beautiful red-purple colored berries in fall. Attracts 10 species of birds.

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) - Large, semi-evergreen shrub, summer- fall fruit, full sun/light shade. Attracts 31 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Ham & Eggs Lantana (Lantana spp.) Tropical shrub, winter die back, late spring flowers, summer fruit, full sun. Hummingbirds and butterflies use flowers, fruit eating birds love the berries.

Pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea) - Evergreen introduced shrub, fall/winter fruit, full sun. Attracts 12 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Southern Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) - Small evergreen native, early fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the red-banded hair-streak butterfly. Attracts 22 bird species.

Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana) - Large perennial herb, summer-fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 20 bird species (bluebird favorite)

Huckleberry (gaylussacia spp.) / Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) - Most are large semi- evergreen native shrubs, spring fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 21 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Arrow-wood (Virburnum dentatum) - Large deciduous native shrub, late summer fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the spring azure butterfly. Attracts 12 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Hollies - American (Ilex opaca) - Medium evergreen native tree, fall fruit, full sun/partial shade.

Deciduous Holly (Ilex longipes) - One of the deciduous Hollies, small tree, large shrub, berries in winter, sun to part sun.

Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) Large evergreen native shrub, fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 18 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Hawthorne - Parsley (Crataegus Marshallii) Large deciduous native shrub, fall fruit, full sun/partial shade.

Mayhaw (C. opaca) Small deciduous native tree, spring Fruit, full sun/partial shade. Great for jelly. Attracts 12 bird species (thrush favorite).

Blackberry and Dewberry (Rubus spp.) - Deciduous thorny brambles, late spring fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 31 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Grapes, Muscadines (Vitis spp.) - Large deciduous native vines, late summer-fall fruit, full sun/shade. Attracts 28 Bird species.

Summer Grape (Vitis )

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) - Deciduous vine, summer fruit, full sun/shade. Attracts 24 bird species (bluebird favorite).

Greenbriars, Sawbriars (Smilax spp.) - Evergreen or deciduous native vine, late summer-fall fruit, sun/shade. Attracts 13 bird species.

Perennials
Coral Bean, Mamou (E ) Herbaceous perennial with a large root, spring flowers, fall bean-like seeds, full sun to part shade. Hummingbirds use the flowers and many animals use the seeds.

Native Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) Herbaceous perennials, full sun to part shade, most bloom in late summer and fall, seed in late fall / winter. Seeds are eaten by goldfinches and other small seed eating birds.

Louisiana Iris (Iris spp.) Evergreen leaves from rhisomes, full sun, moist soil, blooms in spring, seeds in fall. Hummingbirds and other nectar eating birds use flowers, wood ducks will eat the seeds.

Annuals
Zinna and Sunflower seeds are eaten by a large number of birds.

Chickweed (Stellaria media) Annual cool weather ground cover, grows anywhere, seeds are eaten by many birds, whole plant can be eaten.

Hummingbird Feeder - 10 ounce - $ 26.45
10 oz. Hummingbird Feeder with 4 ports and perches. 4 Port Hummingbird Feeder with Internal Ant Moat, Dependably Durable, Pole Mountable.

Oh, there's music
  In the forests
And there's music
  In the glen
As the birds
  Are warbling greetings
To the spring
  That's come again.

See our other designs at Naturally Native on Zazzle.com.

Woodpecker, woodpecker,
Peck! Peck! Peck!
Drill with your bill
And bob your neck!

Peck out a hole
In the trunk of a tree.
Peck out a nest
For all to see.

Cling to the wood
With your sharp clawed feet.
Peck through the bark
And find bugs to eat!

Woodpecker, woodpecker,
Peck! Peck! Peck!
Drill with your bill
And bob your neck!

Traditional Bluebird House - $ 34.50
This traditional Bluebird House has a 1 9/16 in hole. Woodlink makes high-quality, Ornithologically correct houses and shelters.