Date: Fri 30-Aug-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: CAROLK

Illustration: C

Location: A14

Quick Words:

Gardener-fall-shrubs-flowering

Full Text:

(Gardener column on fall-fruiting shrubs)

Suburban Gardener-

Attracting Birds With Fall-Fruiting Shrubs

By Anthony C. Bleach

A garden without birds has no surprises and no comedy. The following notes on

how to attract birds by using early fall fruiting shrubs has been extracted

from a paper by Tom Warner as part of the requirements of the "Trees & Shrubs"

course at Naugatuck Valley Comm-Tech College in Waterbury.

Among the many plants used, the highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum) is

a prime attractor. Its height is usually between six and twelve feet, and its

blossoms are white followed by edible blue fruit. This shrub's fall color

turns brilliant scarlet.

The US Department of Agriculture estimates that 36 bird species eat its

berries, including scarlet tanagers, bluebirds, cardinals and orioles.

Blueberries do best in acidic soil, moist or dry and a fair amount of sun.

The crabapple is one of the most beautiful small trees. An estimated twenty

bird species are attracted to it. The Connecticut Audubon Society suggests

planting these two crabapples in particular: Sargent crabapple (Malus

sargentii) and Malus zumi .

The Sargent crabapple is six to eight feet high and has fragrant pink flowers

and bright red fruit. Malus zumi stands twenty feet high with white flowers

and red fruit. Crabapples do best in moist, acidic soil. They should be

planted in full sun for the best development of the flowers and fruit.

Autumn olive (Elaegnus angustifolia) standing twelve to fifteen feet high, is

noted for its grayish foliage. Its quite tolerant to salt, making it popular

along highways and seacoasts. Flowers are fragrant, with silver-white outside

and yellow inside.

The fruit is yellow, coated with silvery scales. There are approximately 25

bird species attracted to its fruit. It is easy to transplant and does best in

light loamy soils, preferring sunny open locations.

Highbush cranberry (Viburnun tribolium) grows eight to twelve feet high. It

has white flowers and edible bright red fruit. Preferring good, well-drained

soil, it is grown in sun or part shade. Wild cranberries are quite plentiful

in Maine, where the sharp-tailed grouse are known to eat its fruit.

Many viburnums are known to attract birds including ring-necked pheasant,

cardinals, crested fly catchers, robins and starlings.

Bayberries (Berberis candidula) are found extensively in wooded areas. They

are easily identified by their sharp spines. Growing two to four feet high,

they make a handsome plant when properly pruned. Easy to transplant, they

prefer moist, well-drained, slightly acid soil, full sun or shade, and also

tolerate pruning well.

Their leaves often turn wine-red in the fall, giving it beauty year round.

Although plentiful, berries are eaten by birds only in critical periods, when

other foods are hard to find or absent. Among the birds are the mockingbird,

cedar waxwing, ruffed grouse and ring-necked pheasant.

The downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) is perhaps the most common and

abundant serviceberry species. The small white flowers are among the first

spring blooms, and its juicy sweet fruit are an important wildlife food during

the early summer period.

Serviceberries look best in a natural landscape. They blend in well along

woodland edges, near ponds and stream banks. They also blend in well along

shrub borders, especially with evergreen backgrounds, preferring well-drained

acidic soil and will tolerate full sun or partial shade.

The American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is found along roadsides, near

streams, on banks and other damp areas. Their clusters of snowy white flowers

produce purple blackberries in August and September. It is a fast grower and

can reach a height of twelve feet depending on the habitat it is in.

The Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a vine worth mentioning

because of its abundant amount of fruit offered to birds in the winter months.

This aggressive vine carpets the ground, offering good food value and ground

cover for wildlife.

Flowers are fragrant and white, with a tinge of pink or purple turning yellow

June through September. The flowers produce black berries August through

October, which will last throughout winter.

Hawthorns (Crategeus) are most common in open pastures and on hillsides in the

Northeast. The dense branching, heavy foliage and thorniness of these shrubs

make them a favorite nesting site for many birds.

Their flowers are white and have a rather disagreeable odor. The fruits are

deep red and apple-like. These shrubs will tolerate many soils, but prefer

well-drained loamy soil. The primary user for the hawthorns' fruit are the

cedar waxwing and sparrows.

Attracting birds and other wildlife can be both fun and educational for the

whole family. Providing a landscape for this purpose could include a few

fruit-bearing shrubs, or can be as elaborate as you choose.

Ideally, a landscape to attract many birds would include an open lawn, flower

beds, shrub borders, shrub vines, tall trees and perhaps an unmowed grassy

wildflower area. Other important features would be a brush pile for cover, a

birdbath or other water supplies for more wildlife and perhaps a dead tree or

two to attract birds that use these for nesting cavities and insect food.

(Anthony C. Bleach coordinates the horticulture program at Naugatuck Valley

Community-Technical College in Waterbury.)