Attracting Birds: Plants

 

The best thing you can do to improve the habitat for birds is to make sure that the birds have water, plants in which to build nests and find food and hiding places, and a chemical free environment. Such things as chemical pesticides, herbicides, human-made trash, and unhealthful food will make it so the birds will not go to your house.

Most birds like plants such as amaranthus, coriopsis, cosmos, mairgold, sunflower, and zinna.

Some good perennials are plants such as aster, black-eyed susan, goldenrod, purple corn flower, and grases such as little blue stem.

Some good shrubs are sumac, elderberry, viburnum, and boxwood.

Some helpful small trees are holly, serviceberry, and dogwood.

Some beneficial fruit trees and shrubs are blueberry, cherry, crab apple, hawthorn mountain ash, spice bush, sassafras, and black gum.

Birds will avoid plants such as Japanese honeysuckle, crownvetch, and multiflora rose. They have taken over huge portions of habitats. You might not want to plant these in your backyard habitat.

Source: Thompson III, Bill, Bird Watching For Dummies, IDG Books, New York, 1997.

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