Let Your Landscaping Feed the Birds this Winter!

Are you a bird lover?  If you are like me, the bird feeder is always empty, especially at this time of year. With proper planning in your landscaping, there are many plant material that will assist you with feeding your feathered friends this winter- without lifting a finger. Let's take a look a few for hardiness zones 7-8:

TREES WITH BERRIES (and other FRUIT that Birds Like):

Photo courtesy of Trine Harritz Larsen WWW.RGBstock .com

Photo courtesy of Trine Harritz Larsen WWW.RGBstock .com

  • Serviceberry- Amelanchier canadensis

  • Kousa Dogwood- Cornus Kousa

  • Flowering Dogwood- Cornus florida

  • Crabapple- Malus species

  • Fringetree- Chionanthus virginicus

  • Eastern Red Cedar- Juniperus virginiana

  • American Holly- Ilex opaca

  • Southern Magnolia- Magnolia grandiflora

  • River Birch- Betula nigra

Photo Courtesy of MartynE. Joneswww.RGB stock.com

SHRUBS WITH BERRIES (and other FRUIT that Birds Like):

Photo Courtesy of MartynE. Joneswww.RGB stock.com

Photo Courtesy of MartynE. Joneswww.RGB stock.com

Photo Courtesy of MartynE. Jones www.RGB stock.com

Photo Courtesy of MartynE. Jones www.RGB stock.com

  • Highbush Blueberry- Vaccinium corymbosum

  • Beautyberry- Callicarpa americana

  • Red Twigged Dogwood- Cornus servicea

  • Chokeberry- Aronia species

  • Winterberry- Ilex verticillata

  • Bunchberry- Conrnus canadensis

  • Viburnums- Some of the best varieties are

    • Cranberrybush Viburnum- Viburnum trilogum

    • Arrowood Viburnum- Viburnum dentatum

    • Nannyberry Viburnum- Viburnum lentago

  • Heavenly Bamboo- Nandina domestica

  • American Elder- Sambucus species

  • Inkberry Holly- Ilex glabra

  • Yaupon Holly- Ilex vomitoria

  • Wax Myrtle- Myrica cerifera

  • Pyracantha- Pyracantha coccinea

  • Cotoneaster- Cotoneaster dammerii

The Audubon Society has an excellent publication for the Piedmont region- you can see it here:

http://nc.audubon.org/sites/default/files/documents/piedmont_plants_final.pdf

 Use a few of these specimens at your property and create your own, home-grown bird feeder!

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About the Author:

Lori Hawkins, RLA, ASLA has been a registered landscape architect and active in the landscape design/build industry for over 30 years. Her service area includes Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, Chapel Hill and the Raleigh NC Metro areas. For additional inspiring project pictures, design ideas, or great garden gifts, take a look at these websites:

HOUZZ:    http://www.houzz.com/pro/hawkinsla/__public
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/HawkinsLA2014
FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hawkins-Landscape-Architecture/107145146130?ref=hl
GARDEN ART AND GIFTS: WWW.TriadGarden.com
DESIGN WORK PORTFOLIO: WWW.HawkinsLA.com

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