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Even common birds like robins appreciate a well planted native yard. Why should I attract birds to my yard?
Where to start The most basic way to attract birds to your yard is to install bird baths and bird feeders. Bird feeders and bird tables come in many shapes and forms. People can make bird feeders or buy them from both bird specialty stores and local hardware stores, superstores and off the Internet. The most basic bird feeders are bird tables and tray feeders. These feeders accommodate birds of all sizes, allow easy access and are cheap to build or purchase. There are many disadvantages to these simple feeders. Seeds are exposed to rain and snow, squirrels and raccoons have access to the feed and trays hold a small amount of food. Covered bird tables and hopper feeders protects your seed from rain and larger mammals but exclude larger birds like blue jays or flickers. Tube feeders are the cheapest bird feeders available; these feeders hold large amounts of seeds and protect them from rain and snow. Tube feeders exclude all birds larger than finches and squirrels and rodents can destroy unprotected plastic feeders. These three types of feeders are readily available in stores and are relatively inexpensive. A nice bird feeder is no good without bird seed. There are almost as many options for bird feed as menu items at a major fast food establishment. Going native Bird feeders and bird baths are quick ways to get wild birds to your yard. Not all birds eat seeds and birds are less likely to drink or bath in open manicure lawns. Adding native plants will increase the amount of native and beneficial birds around your yard. Exotic plants also attract a smaller amount of birds but landscapes dominated by exotic plants offer little or no habitat for local wildlife and attract pest species. Some exotic plants harbor pests and diseases that harm native ecosystems and food crops and many plants are invasive. There are the three main roles that native plants have for wildlife, food, shelter and places to raise young. Birds will visit native trees, shrubs, vines, plants and grasses for fruits, seeds and insects throughout the season. Birds also nest in many plants or plant communities, some examples include Field sparrows in dense weeds, mockingbirds, in brush, tanagers high in hardwoods, pine warblers in pines, thrushes in subcanopy trees and blackbirds in marshland. Each bird has its own habitat preference; some birds are generalists while others require a specific habitat to breed. Another important component of a bird garden is ample cover, birds like dense habitats. Meadows and old fields appeal to grassland birds, woodland birds like woodlots hedgerows and shrubland and edge birds like transitional habitats including hedgerows. Combining multiple habitats in to your yard will maximize the diversity of birds, mammals, insects and reptiles. Some exotic plants such as Camellia, crape myrtles or Asian azaleas are garden staples but mixing them with native plant improves the value of the landscape to native wildlife. Bird Habitat Gardens Grassland Gardens Includes Prairies, Meadows, Savannah, Barren and Marsh Gardens Grassland gardens simulate habitats dominated by grass and forbs and ground covers. Grassland gardens are the most common and easiest habitats to create. Grassland gardens can either be formal gardens with native plants or naturalistic grassland patches. All native grassland gardens require only watering during the first year, annual or bi annual mowing, and occasional weeding. A well planted grassland garden will increase the curb appeal of your propriety while attracting birds, insects and reptiles of all sorts. Grassland Gardens attract seed eating birds like finches, sparrows and buntings and attract insect eaters ranging from forest dwelling chickadees to starlings and meadowlarks of grasslands. If your garden is large enough or has minimum disturbance, new species of grassland birds may arrive. Types of Grasslands Prairie Gardens: Prairie Gardens are the most common type of grassland garden. Natural prairies are dominated by one or several species of grasses and sedges and contain many colorful wildflowers. Prairie contain no woody vegetation higher than two feet or only isolated shrubs and trees. In the Southeast people need to mow their prairies annually to prevent woody vegetation, exotic weeds, from taking over and to encourage perennials to re sprout in the spring and seeds to germinate. Prairie gardens near hedgerows and in backyards will attract most backyard birds including chickadees, finches, wrens, buntings, cardinals and thrushes. Old Field Garden: Old Field Gardens closely resemble prairie gardens but contain a mix of early successional shrubs, and pioneer plants. Old Field Gardens are great for attracting birds like Field Sparrows, Towhees, Indigo and Painted Buntings and Mourning Doves. Annual Mowing and disking (clipping saplings) every few years prevents your field from becoming a shrubland. Keep Old Field planting at least 20ft from prairie and savannah plantings and 30 or more feet from manicured gardens. Old Fields are great for attracting flocks of seed eating goldfinches and chickadees.   Images from our grassland beds and native flowerbeds, an American Lady Butterfly to the left and Carolina Rose with a visiting digger bee to the right. Savannah Beds: Gardens or areas of lands containing park like stands of pines, cedars, oaks or hickories can be converted in to savannah. Planting native colonizers like bluestem, switch grass, wiregrass and love grass is a great way to start any grassland bed. These grasses perform well in savannah and barren beds. Natural pinelands contain many cool wildflowers including milkweeds, several species of salvias, phlox, yellow eyed grass and rare orchids and carnivorous plants. If your yard is large enough for a large savannah garden and has park like stands of trees, Bachman’s sparrows, pine warblers, mockingbirds and other savannah birds may call your yard home. A small backyard savannah garden will still attract mockingbirds, bluebirds, wrens, chickadees, chipping sparrows and warblers due to the high insect diversity. Savannah Gardens need to be burned or mowed at least once every 3 years to prevent it from reverting in to an old field, prairie or brush land. If you make a boggy area and properly attain orchids, Venus Flytraps and Picher plants, this will add a whole new set of species to your garden, ranging from ants and wolf spiders adapted to retrieve insects from pitcher plants to grass frogs that breed in the fluids of a pitcher plant. Barrens: Creating a barren does not require an open park like stand of pines and turkey oaks like a pine barren. Barrens are any location in your yard that is sandy, mostly devoid of vegetation and too poor for woodland, prairie, or meadows until nitrogen fixers improve the site. Barren gardens can be pioneer plants like native sensitive briers, java beans, jewel weed and indigos or noninvasive asyliums and marigolds. If your barren is large enough and has enough plant diversity and little or no woody plants, a vesper sparrow, killdeer, horned lark or a nighthawk may call it home. Barrens contain tons of aggressive colonizers that produce tons of seeds for finches, sparrows and chickadees, some of them include juniper, goldenrod, thistles and many grasses. The downsides of barrens include nitrogen fixing exotics like autumn olive, tree of heaven, privet and garlic mustard or aggressive exotics like Bahia grass or pampa grass can get a foot hold in your yard and form a thicket. Within a few years, a barren will revert in to an old field, prairie, and meadow or savannah area depending on the moisture, soil condition, plant species allowed or planted, and the exposure. To keep the area a barren for specific animals, the landowner can burn, trim or mow the area annually or several times a year or add pine or juniper to compete with some of the sun loving colonizers. Marsh Garden: Marsh Gardens are grasslands dominated by tall grasses, sedges, rushes and some shrubs in water. A freshwater marsh can be created by digging a pond, using containers or utilizing a naturally wet area or the area under a downspout. Cattails, bulrush, horsetails are great pioneer plants but can take over the entire yard if left un checked. Once a garden is established, blue and yellow flag irises, white topped sedge, other grasses, marsh marigolds, crocuses, and American Lilly of the valley can be added. A wet area or a well-established container marsh can even provide the right soil conditions for willows, marsh and seashore mallows or button bush to be planted or occur. A large marsh can attract a colony of Red Winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Sedge and Marsh Wrens, herons, ducks and even rails. A smaller container marsh with the right amount of cover nearby can still host yellowthroats, blackbirds, and catbirds. Salt Marshes are difficult to create and its best to protect the marsh that already exists near your property. Adding a protecting a saltmarsh and allowing it to take over some of your lawn can bring rails, Seaside Sparrows and Boat Tailed Grackles to your yard.
Forest Gardens and Hedgerows Planting groves of native trees and under planting with forest plants like ferns ,woodland wildflowers and shrubs is an easy way to attract forest birds like warblers, wrens and chickadees to the yard. Even if most of the trees in your yard are exotic, you can still under plant them with native shrub and subcanopy shrubs. To appeal to a wide variety of birds, plant native conifers such as Red Cedar, Juniper and Pine and native hardwoods like Oaks, Hickories and Maples. Plant your hedgerows and forest gardens with fruit bearing trees like Beautybush, native dogwoods, elderberries, cherries, blueberries, hawthorns, cherry laurels and magnolias. A combination of fruit bearing trees and shrubs should produce berries for birds and wildlife throughout the year. Winter fruits are the most important for birds and squirrels because insects, and plant mater is at a premium during this time. Nuts and seed producing trees like oaks, pecan and other hickories, beeches, maples, pine and cedar will attract omnivorous forest dwellers like American Crows, Blue Jays as well as nuthatches, chickadees and woodpeckers. In addition, squirrels and rodents are less likely to raid a bird feeder if there are many types for food available. I noticed that when I started adding native woodland and grassland plants to my garden. One of the most important ways to attract wildlife to a woodland garden is to preserve natural leaf fall and woody debris. Rake or blow your leaves under bushes, trees or woodlands instead of throwing them out. This will ensure moisture for your native and ornamental trees provide insects for birds and save you money in mulch and fertilizers. If it’s safe, leave dead trees standing in your yard to encourage woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees to nest. If this is not an option, plant wooden snags into the ground or install nest boxes of the appropriate size in your yard. With all of these features, an average urban or suburban backyard can host many new birds and other wildlife. In addition, deciduous trees placed on the Southside of the house reduce cooling costs in the summer by shading your house. Once winter comes, the leaves fall away, allowing light in to your house.
Here are some trees that are great for attracting birds; some trees are native to North Carolina while others are noninvasive, low care exotics. Canopy Trees (over 60ft tall) Bald Cypress
Loblolly Pine
Longleaf Pine
Atlantic White Cedar · Evergreen short needled conifer to 100ft, grows in a cone shape · Most common in swamps, but tolerates most soil conditions · Like most cedars and junipers, White Cedars are great nest sites, shelters from storms and the light blue cones provide food · Favorite nest site for prairie, black throated green warblers, mockingbirds, chipping sparrows and many other birds. Cedar waxwings, yellow rumped warblers, mockingbirds and nuthatches love the seeds inside the cones. An important host for the Juniper Hairstreak butterfly and several moths. Black Gum or Black Tupelo · Deciduous tree to 100ft, does not have cone shaped base like water tupelo · Usually grows in swamps and bottomland forests, great for wet areas · Berries are important for migrating birds and swamp dwelling squirrels during the fall · Likely to attract flocks robins, thrushes, warblers and other birds during the fall. Woodpeckers and nuthatches are attracted to this large tree and its fruits. Red Maple · Deciduous tree to 90ft, tree is either thin and tall or wide and short · Fast growing tree that tolerates various conditions but is the most numerous in eastern deciduous forests and wooded swamps · Groves of maples provide great habitat for vireos, chickadees, warblers and tanagers, sapsuckers and woodpeckers favor its sap and many species eat its seeds or the insects attracted to it. · Attracts many species of birds but woodpeckers, brown creepers, warblers and finches especially love this tree Sweet Gum · Deciduous tree to 130ft, a thin and tall tree with star shaped leaves · Usually occurs in swamps but can grow in many types of soil, can be associated with its equally common lookalike, Red Maple, but red maples don’t have star shaped leaves and are unrelated · Sweet gum is one of the best trees for bird gardens since their cones contain dandelion like seeds that are relished by many birds including goldfinches, chickadees and wrens. · Attracts many species of birds, seeds are eaten by goldfinches, house finches, siskins, nuthatches, chickadees and some warblers Tulip Tree “tulip poplar” · Deciduous tree to 200ft, a tall, straight tree with lobed leaves and yellow flowers in the summer · Usually associated with lowland forests but can grow in average soil · Hummingbirds love to visit the flowers of tulip poplar, insects provide food for warblers and many forest birds · Attracts many birds including orioles, tanagers, hummingbirds, yellow throated warblers and black and white warblers American Beech · Deciduous tree to 125ft, a broad crowned tree with a single trunk · Most common in eastern deciduous forests and oak, beech, maple stands · Nuts are important for birds, squirrels and other wildlife, many butterflies and moths breed on beech. · One of the most important trees for red headed woodpeckers, blue jays and American crows, also attracts white breasted nuthatches, red eyed vireos and eastern wood pewees. Live Oak · Evergreen hardwood tree to 75ft, can be multi trunk and span over 100ft · Usually associated with coastal forests and eastern deciduous forest, one of the toughest trees in the Carolinas, tolerates wet and dry areas · Many birds and animals use this tree for shelter, food and nesting · This tree will attract warblers, woodpeckers, flycatchers and many other birds, if you have to room for one and give it time for it to mature it could be one of the most valuable trees in your yard or neighborhood for wildlife. Shingle Oak · Deciduous hardwood tree to 60ft, single trunk pointed leaves · Found in eastern deciduous forests, mixed forests throughout the Midwest and east, a good tree for urban areas and small yards · I noticed that the birds and squirrels favor the acorns of shingle oak more than most of the other 100 species of oaks in the Carolinas. Oaks have the highest insect diversity in the United States; they can support over 534 species of butterflies and moths, according to Douglas Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home. · Chickadees, warblers, titmice and red eyed vireos scour this tree for caterpillars. Red headed, red bellied woodpeckers, nuthatches, blue jays and crows join squirrels to feast on its annual crop of acorns. Post Oak · Deciduous hardwood tree to 90ft, single trunk with lobed leaves · Found in dry forests, pine barrens with turkey, black jack, and black oaks · Acorns are not as attractive as other oaks but this tree can still host great insect fauna and provide nest sites · Blue jays, crows, squirrels will eat acorns, great nest site for summer tanagers Pecan Hickory · Our largest hickory, a deciduous tree to 150ft and 100ft wide, sumac like leaves · Found in eastern and Midwestern forests, colonizes fields near upland forests · A very popular yard tree and farms are dedicated to growing pecans for human consumption, Hickories and walnuts can host over 300 species of butterflies and provide valuable winter food for birds and mammals. · A favorite tree for woodpeckers to feed and nest on due to its weak branches many birds including blue jays, crows and woodpeckers eat nuts Black Walnut · Deciduous tree to 125ft, sumac like leaves, usually grows taller than wide · Found in the same habitats as pecan, mockernut and red hickory · Nuts popular with people and wildlife, important host plant for insects. · Warblers, titmice, chickadees and cuckoos feed high in hickories and walnuts due to their high insect diversity. Woodpeckers, crows and squirrels eat nuts and many smaller birds will eat the scraps left behind. Sycamore · One of the largest trees in the Carolinas to 145ft high and 100ft wide, large maple like leaves and white bark, deciduous tree · Usually associated with wetlands, riparian habitats and floodplains, tolerant of many conditions and even polluted soil and air so it’s a popular city tree. · Sycamores are filled with hollows and natural nook that provide nest sites and cover for wildlife, seeds provide food in the winter and many insects use this tree as a host. · Woodpeckers, great crested flycatchers, wrens, chickadees, titmice and starlings often use this tree for nesting due to its naturally occurring cavities and nooks. Many birds forage in this tree and goldfinches, chickadees and grosbeaks extract seeds from the sycamore balls in the winter. Eastern Cottonwood · Deciduous tree to 130ft and 75-100ft wide, massive leaves and cottony seeds · Like sycamores, cottonwoods are associated with wetland areas but do great in most environments. · Cotton down on the seeds are used by nesting orioles, chickadees and goldfinches, this tree attracts many unique insects and produces seeds. · Seeds and buds especially favored by grosbeaks, buntings, finches, chickadees, mourning doves and blackbirds Hackberry · Deciduous tree to 90ft and 40-60ft wide, broad leaves and broad crown · Grows in deciduous forests in the piedmont and mountains, rarer along the coast of the Carolinas · Many insects including several hairstreaks and other butterflies use this tree as its host. Berries are consumed by birds in the fall aiding migration. · Attracts many birds Sassafras · A deciduous tree to 100ft , a broad tree with three different leaves, ranging from one to three lobes · Common throughout the Carolinas but threatened by a beetle and a fungus imported on bay leaves, usually in upland forests, popular in gardens · Spicebush Swallowtail uses this tree as its host, these butterfly only breeds on sassafras, red bay, and spicebush. Berries are important food during fall migration · Towhees, sparrows and thrushes love the berries of sassafras, this tree is the key to getting a cool specie of butterfly to your garden Cabbage Palmetto · An evergreen palm to 60ft, long leaves droop down like an umbrella and spines cover its trunk, dead leaves form a skirt on the trunk. · Only occurs naturally along the coast north to Wilmington North Carolina. Found in coastal hammocks, forests pocosin forests. Planted in cities and at resorts due to its tropical appearance and it tolerance to mild freezes. · An important tree for birds and squirrels. Orange nuts are produced in July and many insects hide and feed in this tree · Attracts woodpeckers, wrens, parula, titmice, blue jays and even creepers. | ||||
Even common birds like robins appreciate a well planted native yard. Why should I attract birds to my yard?
Where to start The most basic way to attract birds to your yard is to install bird baths and bird feeders. Bird feeders and bird tables come in many shapes and forms. People can make bird feeders or buy them from both bird specialty stores and local hardware stores, superstores and off the Internet. The most basic bird feeders are bird tables and tray feeders. These feeders accommodate birds of all sizes, allow easy access and are cheap to build or purchase. There are many disadvantages to these simple feeders. Seeds are exposed to rain and snow, squirrels and raccoons have access to the feed and trays hold a small amount of food. Covered bird tables and hopper feeders protects your seed from rain and larger mammals but exclude larger birds like blue jays or flickers. Tube feeders are the cheapest bird feeders available; these feeders hold large amounts of seeds and protect them from rain and snow. Tube feeders exclude all birds larger than finches and squirrels and rodents can destroy unprotected plastic feeders. These three types of feeders are readily available in stores and are relatively inexpensive. A nice bird feeder is no good without bird seed. There are almost as many options for bird feed as menu items at a major fast food establishment. Going native Bird feeders and bird baths are quick ways to get wild birds to your yard. Not all birds eat seeds and birds are less likely to drink or bath in open manicure lawns. Adding native plants will increase the amount of native and beneficial birds around your yard. Exotic plants also attract a smaller amount of birds but landscapes dominated by exotic plants offer little or no habitat for local wildlife and attract pest species. Some exotic plants harbor pests and diseases that harm native ecosystems and food crops and many plants are invasive. There are the three main roles that native plants have for wildlife, food, shelter and places to raise young. Birds will visit native trees, shrubs, vines, plants and grasses for fruits, seeds and insects throughout the season. Birds also nest in many plants or plant communities, some examples include Field sparrows in dense weeds, mockingbirds, in brush, tanagers high in hardwoods, pine warblers in pines, thrushes in subcanopy trees and blackbirds in marshland. Each bird has its own habitat preference; some birds are generalists while others require a specific habitat to breed. Another important component of a bird garden is ample cover, birds like dense habitats. Meadows and old fields appeal to grassland birds, woodland birds like woodlots hedgerows and shrubland and edge birds like transitional habitats including hedgerows. Combining multiple habitats in to your yard will maximize the diversity of birds, mammals, insects and reptiles. Some exotic plants such as Camellia, crape myrtles or Asian azaleas are garden staples but mixing them with native plant improves the value of the landscape to native wildlife. Bird Habitat Gardens Grassland Gardens Includes Prairies, Meadows, Savannah, Barren and Marsh Gardens Grassland gardens simulate habitats dominated by grass and forbs and ground covers. Grassland gardens are the most common and easiest habitats to create. Grassland gardens can either be formal gardens with native plants or naturalistic grassland patches. All native grassland gardens require only watering during the first year, annual or bi annual mowing, and occasional weeding. A well planted grassland garden will increase the curb appeal of your propriety while attracting birds, insects and reptiles of all sorts. Grassland Gardens attract seed eating birds like finches, sparrows and buntings and attract insect eaters ranging from forest dwelling chickadees to starlings and meadowlarks of grasslands. If your garden is large enough or has minimum disturbance, new species of grassland birds may arrive. Types of Grasslands Prairie Gardens: Prairie Gardens are the most common type of grassland garden. Natural prairies are dominated by one or several species of grasses and sedges and contain many colorful wildflowers. Prairie contain no woody vegetation higher than two feet or only isolated shrubs and trees. In the Southeast people need to mow their prairies annually to prevent woody vegetation, exotic weeds, from taking over and to encourage perennials to re sprout in the spring and seeds to germinate. Prairie gardens near hedgerows and in backyards will attract most backyard birds including chickadees, finches, wrens, buntings, cardinals and thrushes. Old Field Garden: Old Field Gardens closely resemble prairie gardens but contain a mix of early successional shrubs, and pioneer plants. Old Field Gardens are great for attracting birds like Field Sparrows, Towhees, Indigo and Painted Buntings and Mourning Doves. Annual Mowing and disking (clipping saplings) every few years prevents your field from becoming a shrubland. Keep Old Field planting at least 20ft from prairie and savannah plantings and 30 or more feet from manicured gardens. Old Fields are great for attracting flocks of seed eating goldfinches and chickadees. Meadows: Meadows are areas of land that are mostly wildflowers and bulbs with one or two species of grasses. Meadows are simpler than prairie, savannah and old field plantings. Some meadows may contain several species of wildflower and grasses while others may be more specific species. Meadow Gardens are the easiest wildlife gardens to place in your yard and it looks just like a well planted formal bed in full bloom. Meadow Gardens can be mown annually or several times a year or not at all if the meadow contains mixes of aggressive species like huckleberry, goldenrod and creeping phlox. Meadows are loaded with bees, wasp, moth, and butterflies seeking nectar and host plants. Kingbirds, mockingbirds, wrens, chickadees and bluebirds are especially fond of meadow gardens. A meadow of salvia, wild mints, bee balm and cardinal flower will attract Ruby Throated Hummingbirds all summer long. Savannah Beds: Gardens or areas of lands containing park like stands of pines, cedars, oaks or hickories can be converted in to savannah. Planting native colonizers like bluestem, switch grass, wiregrass and love grass is a great way to start any grassland bed. These grasses perform well in savannah and barren beds. Natural pinelands contain many cool wildflowers including milkweeds, several species of salvias, phlox, yellow eyed grass and rare orchids and carnivorous plants. If your yard is large enough for a large savannah garden and has park like stands of trees, Bachman’s sparrows, pine warblers, mockingbirds and other savannah birds may call your yard home. A small backyard savannah garden will still attract mockingbirds, bluebirds, wrens, chickadees, chipping sparrows and warblers due to the high insect diversity. Savannah Gardens need to be burned or mowed at least once every 3 years to prevent it from reverting in to an old field, prairie or brush land. If you make a boggy area and properly attain orchids, Venus Flytraps and Picher plants, this will add a whole new set of species to your garden, ranging from ants and wolf spiders adapted to retrieve insects from pitcher plants to grass frogs that breed in the fluids of a pitcher plant. Barrens: Creating a barren does not require an open park like stand of pines and turkey oaks like a pine barren. Barrens are any location in your yard that is sandy, mostly devoid of vegetation and too poor for woodland, prairie, or meadows until nitrogen fixers improve the site. Barren gardens can be pioneer plants like native sensitive briers, java beans, jewel weed and indigos or noninvasive asyliums and marigolds. If your barren is large enough and has enough plant diversity and little or no woody plants, a vesper sparrow, killdeer, horned lark or a nighthawk may call it home. Barrens contain tons of aggressive colonizers that produce tons of seeds for finches, sparrows and chickadees, some of them include juniper, goldenrod, thistles and many grasses. The downsides of barrens include nitrogen fixing exotics like autumn olive, tree of heaven, privet and garlic mustard or aggressive exotics like Bahia grass or pampa grass can get a foot hold in your yard and form a thicket. Within a few years, a barren will revert in to an old field, prairie, and meadow or savannah area depending on the moisture, soil condition, plant species allowed or planted, and the exposure. To keep the area a barren for specific animals, the landowner can burn, trim or mow the area annually or several times a year or add pine or juniper to compete with some of the sun loving colonizers. Marsh Garden: Marsh Gardens are grasslands dominated by tall grasses, sedges, rushes and some shrubs in water. A freshwater marsh can be created by digging a pond, using containers or utilizing a naturally wet area or the area under a downspout. Cattails, bulrush, horsetails are great pioneer plants but can take over the entire yard if left un checked. Once a garden is established, blue and yellow flag irises, white topped sedge, other grasses, marsh marigolds, crocuses, and American Lilly of the valley can be added. A wet area or a well-established container marsh can even provide the right soil conditions for willows, marsh and seashore mallows or button bush to be planted or occur. A large marsh can attract a colony of Red Winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Sedge and Marsh Wrens, herons, ducks and even rails. A smaller container marsh with the right amount of cover nearby can still host yellowthroats, blackbirds, and catbirds. Salt Marshes are difficult to create and its best to protect the marsh that already exists near your property. Adding a protecting a saltmarsh and allowing it to take over some of your lawn can bring rails, Seaside Sparrows and Boat Tailed Grackles to your yard. Forest Gardens and Hedgerows Planting groves of native trees and under planting with forest plants like ferns ,woodland wildflowers and shrubs is an easy way to attract forest birds like warblers, wrens and chickadees to the yard. Even if most of the trees in your yard are exotic, you can still under plant them with native shrub and subcanopy shrubs. To appeal to a wide variety of birds, plant native conifers such as Red Cedar, Juniper and Pine and native hardwoods like Oaks, Hickories and Maples. Plant your hedgerows and forest gardens with fruit bearing trees like Beautybush, native dogwoods, elderberries, cherries, blueberries, hawthorns, cherry laurels and magnolias. A combination of fruit bearing trees and shrubs should produce berries for birds and wildlife throughout the year. Winter fruits are the most important for birds and squirrels because insects, and plant mater is at a premium during this time. Nuts and seed producing trees like oaks, pecan and other hickories, beeches, maples, pine and cedar will attract omnivorous forest dwellers like American Crows, Blue Jays as well as nuthatches, chickadees and woodpeckers. In addition, squirrels and rodents are less likely to raid a bird feeder if there are many types for food available. I noticed that when I started adding native woodland and grassland plants to my garden. One of the most important ways to attract wildlife to a woodland garden is to preserve natural leaf fall and woody debris. Rake or blow your leaves under bushes, trees or woodlands instead of throwing them out. This will ensure moisture for your native and ornamental trees provide insects for birds and save you money in mulch and fertilizers. If it’s safe, leave dead trees standing in your yard to encourage woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees to nest. If this is not an option, plant wooden snags into the ground or install nest boxes of the appropriate size in your yard. With all of these features, an average urban or suburban backyard can host many new birds and other wildlife. In addition, deciduous trees placed on the Southside of the house reduce cooling costs in the summer by shading your house. Once winter comes, the leaves fall away, allowing light in to your house. Here are some trees that are great for attracting birds; some trees are native to North Carolina while others are noninvasive, low care exotics. These plants are noted with the Words non native. Canopy Trees (over 60ft tall) Bald Cypress
Loblolly Pine
Longleaf Pine
Atlantic White Cedar · Evergreen short needled conifer to 100ft, grows in a cone shape · Most common in swamps, but tolerates most soil conditions · Like most cedars and junipers, White Cedars are great nest sites, shelters from storms and the light blue cones provide food · Favorite nest site for prairie, black throated green warblers, mockingbirds, chipping sparrows and many other birds. Cedar waxwings, yellow rumped warblers, mockingbirds and nuthatches love the seeds inside the cones. An important host for the Juniper Hairstreak butterfly and several moths. Black Gum or Black Tupelo · Deciduous tree to 100ft, does not have cone shaped base like water tupelo · Usually grows in swamps and bottomland forests, great for wet areas · Berries are important for migrating birds and swamp dwelling squirrels during the fall · Likely to attract flocks robins, thrushes, warblers and other birds during the fall. Woodpeckers and nuthatches are attracted to this large tree and its fruits. Red Maple · Deciduous tree to 90ft, tree is either thin and tall or wide and short · Fast growing tree that tolerates various conditions but is the most numerous in eastern deciduous forests and wooded swamps · Groves of maples provide great habitat for vireos, chickadees, warblers and tanagers, sapsuckers and woodpeckers favor its sap and many species eat its seeds or the insects attracted to it. · Attracts many species of birds but woodpeckers, brown creepers, warblers and finches especially love this tree Sweet Gum · Deciduous tree to 130ft, a thin and tall tree with star shaped leaves · Usually occurs in swamps but can grow in many types of soil, can be associated with its equally common lookalike, Red Maple, but red maples don’t have star shaped leaves and are unrelated · Sweet gum is one of the best trees for bird gardens since their cones contain dandelion like seeds that are relished by many birds including goldfinches, chickadees and wrens. · Attracts many species of birds, seeds are eaten by goldfinches, house finches, siskins, nuthatches, chickadees and some warblers Tulip Tree “tulip poplar” · Deciduous tree to 200ft, a tall, straight tree with lobed leaves and yellow flowers in the summer · Usually associated with lowland forests but can grow in average soil · Hummingbirds love to visit the flowers of tulip poplar, insects provide food for warblers and many forest birds · Attracts many birds including orioles, tanagers, hummingbirds, yellow throated warblers and black and white warblers American Beech · Deciduous tree to 125ft, a broad crowned tree with a single trunk · Most common in eastern deciduous forests and oak, beech, maple stands · Nuts are important for birds, squirrels and other wildlife, many butterflies and moths breed on beech. · One of the most important trees for red headed woodpeckers, blue jays and American crows, also attracts white breasted nuthatches, red eyed vireos and eastern wood pewees. Live Oak · Evergreen hardwood tree to 75ft, can be multi trunk and span over 100ft · Usually associated with coastal forests and eastern deciduous forest, one of the toughest trees in the Carolinas, tolerates wet and dry areas · Many birds and animals use this tree for shelter, food and nesting · This tree will attract warblers, woodpeckers, flycatchers and many other birds, if you have to room for one and give it time for it to mature it could be one of the most valuable trees in your yard or neighborhood for wildlife. Shingle Oak · Deciduous hardwood tree to 60ft, single trunk pointed leaves · Found in eastern deciduous forests, mixed forests throughout the Midwest and east, a good tree for urban areas and small yards · I noticed that the birds and squirrels favor the acorns of shingle oak more than most of the other 100 species of oaks in the Carolinas. Oaks have the highest insect diversity in the United States; they can support over 534 species of butterflies and moths, according to Douglas Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home. · Chickadees, warblers, titmice and red eyed vireos scour this tree for caterpillars. Red headed, red bellied woodpeckers, nuthatches, blue jays and crows join squirrels to feast on its annual crop of acorns. Post Oak · Deciduous hardwood tree to 90ft, single trunk with lobed leaves · Found in dry forests, pine barrens with turkey, black jack, and black oaks · Acorns are not as attractive as other oaks but this tree can still host great insect fauna and provide nest sites · Blue jays, crows, squirrels will eat acorns, great nest site for summer tanagers Pecan Hickory · Our largest hickory, a deciduous tree to 150ft and 100ft wide, sumac like leaves · Found in eastern and Midwestern forests, colonizes fields near upland forests · A very popular yard tree and farms are dedicated to growing pecans for human consumption, Hickories and walnuts can host over 300 species of butterflies and provide valuable winter food for birds and mammals. · A favorite tree for woodpeckers to feed and nest on due to its weak branches many birds including blue jays, crows and woodpeckers eat nuts Black Walnut · Deciduous tree to 125ft, sumac like leaves, usually grows taller than wide · Found in the same habitats as pecan, mockernut and red hickory · Nuts popular with people and wildlife, important host plant for insects. · Warblers, titmice, chickadees and cuckoos feed high in hickories and walnuts due to their high insect diversity. Woodpeckers, crows and squirrels eat nuts and many smaller birds will eat the scraps left behind. Sycamore · One of the largest trees in the Carolinas to 145ft high and 100ft wide, large maple like leaves and white bark, deciduous tree · Usually associated with wetlands, riparian habitats and floodplains, tolerant of many conditions and even polluted soil and air so it’s a popular city tree. · Sycamores are filled with hollows and natural nook that provide nest sites and cover for wildlife, seeds provide food in the winter and many insects use this tree as a host. · Woodpeckers, great crested flycatchers, wrens, chickadees, titmice and starlings often use this tree for nesting due to its naturally occurring cavities and nooks. Many birds forage in this tree and goldfinches, chickadees and grosbeaks extract seeds from the sycamore balls in the winter. Eastern Cottonwood · Deciduous tree to 130ft and 75-100ft wide, massive leaves and cottony seeds · Like sycamores, cottonwoods are associated with wetland areas but do great in most environments. · Cotton down on the seeds are used by nesting orioles, chickadees and goldfinches, this tree attracts many unique insects and produces seeds. · Seeds and buds especially favored by grosbeaks, buntings, finches, chickadees, mourning doves and blackbirds Hackberry · Deciduous tree to 90ft and 40-60ft wide, broad leaves and broad crown · Grows in deciduous forests in the piedmont and mountains, rarer along the coast of the Carolinas · Many insects including several hairstreaks and other butterflies use this tree as its host. Berries are consumed by birds in the fall aiding migration. · Attracts many birds Sassafras · A deciduous tree to 100ft , a broad tree with three different leaves, ranging from one to three lobes · Common throughout the Carolinas but threatened by a beetle and a fungus imported on bay leaves, usually in upland forests, popular in gardens · Spicebush Swallowtail uses this tree as its host, these butterfly only breeds on sassafras, red bay, and spicebush. Berries are important food during fall migration · Towhees, sparrows and thrushes love the berries of sassafras, this tree is the key to getting a cool specie of butterfly to your garden Cabbage Palmetto · An evergreen palm to 60ft, long leaves droop down like an umbrella and spines cover its trunk, dead leaves form a skirt on the trunk. · Only occurs naturally along the coast north to Wilmington North Carolina. Found in coastal hammocks, forests pocosin forests. Planted in cities and at resorts due to its tropical appearance and it tolerance to mild freezes. · An important tree for birds and squirrels. Orange nuts are produced in July and many insects hide and feed in this tree · Attracts woodpeckers, wrens, parula, titmice, blue jays and even creepers. List of Native Plants, small shrubs and trees | ||
Sub Canopy Trees Eastern Red Cedar Southern Red Cedar Eastern Flowering Dogwood Eastern Wahoo Eastern Red Bud Cherry Laurel Black Cherry Southern Magnolia Sweetbay Magnolia River Birch Blue Birch or Ironwood Crape Myrtle Nonnative American Plum Washington Hawthorn Southern Crabapple Parsely Leaved Hawthron American Holly Shrubs Camellia nonnative Asian Azaleas nonnative Pink Azalea Wild Azalea Flame Azalea Dwarf Azalea Swamp Azalea Catawba Rhododendron Encore Azalea Nonnative Carolina Rose Prairie Rose Swamp Rose Pin Cherry Pokeweed Buttonbush Highbush Blueberry Lowberry Blueberry Elliott's Blueberry Box Huckleberry Lobolly Bay Beautyberry Spanish Bayonett Yucca Adam's Needle Saw Palmetto Bush Palmetto |
