Best berries for birds?

[Paul mabbott]

Plant as many species of berried shrubs/trees as you can to extend feeding season for birds. Worth noting that some plants may have ripe berries at the same time as other species (Cotoneaster & Pyracantha, for instance) but their fruits may only become palatable to the birds some weeks later, after a frost, when the fruit starts to rot &c..

[Roger B.]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Plant as many species of berried shrubs/trees as you can to extend feeding season for birds. Worth noting that some plants may have ripe berries at the same time as other species (Cotoneaster & Pyracantha, for instance) but their fruits may only become palatable to the birds some weeks later, after a frost, when the fruit starts to rot &c..

Good suggestion. I wonder if we could put together a 'calendar' showing when each species/cultivar is of greatest benefit to birds.

[wanlock dod]

Yew, holly and mullberry are all fairly slow growing trees, and pruning or planting in tubs would probably restrict them further. Sorbus (rowan, whitebeam, wild service) as mentioned earlier are also usually reasonably small (for trees). What about a crab apple or blackthorn?

Perhaps a tastier alternative for a small garden would be to plant currants (red, white and black), you could even make jam if the birds leave you any. Blueberries might also be a good choice, not too big, birds love the fruit, and the leaves go a nice red colour in the autumn.

[Susie]

There are half a dozen or so juvenile blackbirds eating the grapes that are left at the back of the house. I'm glad something is enjoying them. Now if they could only tell the waxwings that they are there ....

[Cordaline]

The Holly & Rowan trees are popular with most birds around here at the moment.
The Cotoneaster that's growing alongside my house, strangely, doesn't seem to be of interest to any!

[willowjay]

I've made a final list of the birds that ate our grapes this year. Black grapes went in a weekend to the starlings. White grapes - blackbird, starling, magpie, thrush, crow, male and female blackcap, woodpigeon, and - the ones fallen on to the patio - Sonic the hedgehog.

[Roger B.]

Originally Posted by Cordaline

The Cotoneaster that's growing alongside my house, strangely, doesn't seem to be of interest to any!

Yes, I've noticed that the birds completely ignore some varieties of cotoneaster.

[Cordaline]

Originally Posted by Roger B.

Yes, I've noticed that the birds completely ignore some varieties of cotoneaster.

Couldn't tell you which one but it's got sage green leaves.

[Brocakat]

I believe the birds find the yellow berries of some varieties of Pyracantha less attractive that the Red/Orange varieties.

I have a ancient leaflet from the RSPB which gives the following information from its text. :-

" That whilst native Holly ( Ilex aquifolium ) is a tree tha timmediately springs to mind when one is thinking about berries - it bears erratically . Ilex pyramidalis bears freely
but grows int a big tree. Most hollies will gro up to about 40ft. unless very severely
clipped (thus ruining its chances of fruiting) - BUT Ilex Golden King is a smaller tree reaching up to 10ft and bearing a good crop of berries. I. Madame Briot is a little taller at 18 ft.
A male plant is needed somwhere in the vicinity to bear fruit.
For a small garden the (dwarf ) Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus ' Compactum' ) is ideal.It does not exceed 6 ft. and bears flat heads of red bwerries. The native Guilder Rose reaches 18ft. The variety 'Roseum' / 'Sterile' / 'Snowball' is sterile-therefore no berries. V. 'Xanthanthocarpum' - 15ft.
Cotoneasters offer a wide choice as they range in size from a few inches to 25ft.
c.dammeri is the smallest. Tip-rooting, so it has infinate spreadability. C.prostrata /prostatus/rotundifolius is slightly taller at 6 inches & has the same trailing habit. Three wall climbers are C. buxifolia,C. franchetti & C. lactea/lacteus. Of the deciduous Cotoneasters,C.horizontalis (5ft) & C.rotundifolia (7ft)
C.simonsii makes a good hedge - or gets to 15ft.

Do N O T get C. conspicuus /conspicous 'Decorus' - whose large red berries are not taken by birds.

If you haver a thorn hedge let some of the plants grow freely to form one or two trees. You will be rewarded by blossoms in the spring and deepcrimson fruits in the Autumn or Winter which are eagerly taken by Thrushes/Redwings, Blackbirds & Bullfinches.

Have you space for the lovely Mountain Ash with its heads of creamy-white flowers in
early summer & bunches of brilliant fruit in the autumn? S.aucuparia is the native species. It is not a tall tree (15~25ft) but is rather spreading. S.vilmorinii has pink berries and does not exceeed 12ft.
Yew is poisonous apart from the fleshy red part of the seed. the seed itself being poinsonous.
Pernettyas are pretty little shrubs (3 - 4ft) The colour of the berries vary in the dfifferent plants . All need a Lime-Free or Acidic soil - preferably peaty soil, + a male plant (Pernettya mascula) is essential if fruit is to be borne. P. mucronata has pinkish
berries, P.m.alba - white ones, P.'Bells seedling' - crimson, P. Donard Pink - pink. The males plants have purple berries.
Daphnes offer attractive flowers in winter and fruit freely,D.Mezerum - Red berries. There is also D.m. 'Alba' - white berries.
It is impossible in a short article to mention all the berry-bearing plants, but the berberis cannot be omitted. As a common barberry, it is loved by most birds and they also seem to relish the cultivated varieties. B.darwinii is the commonest cultivated form. Evergreen, growing to 10ft, purple fruit. B.wilsonae - spreading semi-evergreen.
4ft height, 10ft.spread. B.wilsonae 'gracilis' is 6ft, and can make a hedge. B.aggregata has long-lasting berries and grows > 9ft. B.rubrostilla is the bigggest of the 4, reaching 12 ft . All these have coral-red berries. Berberis are easy, trouble-saving plants. Once they are established they give good thick cover and keep beneath them free of weeds.

Finally,a plant which is not berry-bearing at all but has a great attrqaction for tits,Nuthatches, finches, and,if yuo are lucky,Goldcrests----the Sunflower. Don't just buy a packet of seeds and sow them haphazardly.Try to get named varieties from a good seedsman.It is possible, with JUST the 3 undermentioned varieties, to have them blossoming from July to November, with the result that their seeds will ripen over a correspondingly long period.
Helianthus 'Loddon Gold' is a large double , blossoming in July & August.
Helianthus multiflorus 'Capenoch Star' is a single variety flowering from August to October.
H. sparsiflorus 'Monarch' flowers from September to November.
With only some of the plants metioned in your garden you should have an excellent source of food for manydifferent kinds of birds,and you should also have a garden full of colour throughout the winter .
There are many more fruit-bearing trees and shrubs which have not been mentioned,owing to lack of space, in this article, but a search throught the catalogues will reveal cherries (Prunus) Crab Apples (Malus) Japonica (Chaenomeles)
Buckthorn ( Hippophae) Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) Japanese Laurel (Aucuba), Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium), plus Dozens of Climbing roses, Elder (Sambucus) , Foetid Iris ( I.foetidissima ) to name only a few more f theplants which can be a deleight to you and lifesavers to your birds. "

Hope these extracts from this old leaflet helps.

[Roger B.]

Thanks Brocakat - that's a really useful article.