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Wildlife's Favorite Fruiting Trees
We, as gardeners, can help restore some
of the valuable habitat that is so important to wildlife by including trees and shrubs that provide
food and shelter for animals in our garden plan. Attracting wildlife to your
yard, especially birds, will also result in a reduction of insect pests without the use
of pesticides. The following 12 easy to grow natives and old standbys not only
add beauty to the landscape but also provide year round food sources and nesting
sites for a variety of wildlife.
Black
Cherry (Prunus serotina) - Large deciduous native, early summer fruit, full sun/partial
shade. Larval food of the tiger swallowtail butterfly. Attracts
30 bird species (bluebird favorite).
Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) - Large deciduous native, spring fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 29 bird species (bluebird
favorite)
Black
Gum (Nyssa Sylvatica) - Medium/large deciduous native, fall fruit,
full sun/light shade. Attracts 16 bird species.
Southern
Crab Apple (Malus angustifolia) - Small deciduous native, fall
fruits, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 15 bird species.
Dogwood
Flowering (Cornus florida) Medium deciduous native, fall fruit, sun/shade.
Rough-leaf (Cornus Drummondii) Small deciduous native, early summer fruit, sun/partial shade. Larval food of spring azure
butterfly. Attracts 15 bird species (bluebird favorite).
Sassafras
(Sassafras albidum) - Small deciduous native, late spring fruit, full
sun/light shade. Larval food of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.
Attracts 14 bird species.
Service Berry (Amelanchier arborea) - Small deciduous native, spring fruit,
sun/partial shade. Attracts 14 bird species
(bluebird favorite).
Magnolia - Southern (Magnolia grandiflora) - Large evergreen native,
late summer-fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Sweetbay (Magnolia
virginiana) - Medium/large evergreen native, July-October fruit, full sun/partial
shade. Larval food of the tiger swallowtail butterfly. Attracts 13
bird species.
Common Fig (Ficus carica) - Small deciduous introduced species, midsummer
fruit, full sun. Attracts 10 bird species.
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) - Large deciduous native, fall nut-like
fruit, medium sun to shade. Attracts 10 bird species.
Devil's Walking Stick (Aralia spinosa) - Small deciduous native, summer-fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts
9 bird species.
Hackberry
(Celtis laevigata) - Medium to large deciduous native, early fall fruit,
sun/shade. Larval food of the hackberry, eastern snout, & question
mark butterflies. Attracts 8 bird species (bluebird favorite).
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Adult Tiger Swallowtail gets nectar from an Elephant Garlic flower. The Larvae feed on Black Cherry leaves |
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Red Mulberries turn black when ripe |
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Service Berry |
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Black berries follow the lovely flowers |
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By Fall the berries of Arilia spinosa (Devil's Walking Stick) have been eaten by many songbirds. |
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American Beech keeps its brown leaves through the winter
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Common Fig will soon be ripe
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Eastern Bluebirds relish the fruit from many of these plants
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| Eldeberries are a bluebird favorite |  |
Wildlife's Favorite Fruiting Shrubs and Vines
Shrubs and vines can add beauty and form to the landscape,
but with a little planning they can also provide a year round food supply for wildlife,
too. Try some of these natives and old favorites for a low maintenance, pesticide free addition
to your yard.
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) - Large, semi-evergreen shrub, summer-
fall fruit, full sun/light shade. Attracts 31 bird species (bluebird favorite).
Blackberry and Dewberry (Rubus spp.) - Deciduous thorny brambles, late spring fruit,
full sun/partial shade. Attracts 31 bird
species (bluebird favorite).
Grapes, Muscadines (Vitis spp.) - Large deciduous native vines, late summer-fall
fruit, full sun/shade. Attracts 28 Bird species.
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) - Deciduous vine, summer fruit,
full sun/shade. Attracts 24 bird species (bluebird favorite).
Southern
Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) - Small evergreen native, early fall
fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the red-banded hair-streak
butterfly. Attracts 22 bird species.
Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana) - Large perennial herb, summer-fall
fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 20 bird species (bluebird
favorite)
Huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.) / Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) - Most are large semi- evergreen native shrubs, spring fruit, full sun/partial shade.
Attracts 21 bird species (bluebird favorite).
Hollies - American (Ilex opaca) - Medium evergreen native tree, fall
fruit, full sun/partial shade. Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) Large evergreen native
shrub, fall fruit, full sun/partial shade. Attracts 18 bird species (bluebird favorite).
Greenbriars, Sawbriars (Smilax spp.) - Evergreen or deciduous native vine, late summer-fall fruit, sun/shade. Attracts
13 bird species.
Arrow-wood (Virburnum dentatum) - Large deciduous native shrub, late
summer fruit, full sun/partial shade. Larval food of the spring azure
butterfly. Attracts 12 bird species (bluebird favorite).
Pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea) - Evergreen introduced shrub, Autumn/winter
fruit, full sun. Attracts 12 bird species (bluebird favorite).
Hawthorne - Parsley (Crataegus
Marshallii) Large deciduous native shrub, fall fruit, full sun/partial
shade. Mayhaw
(C. opaca) Small deciduous native tree, Spring Fruit, full sun/partial
shade. Great for jelly. Attracts 12 bird species (Thrush family
favorite).
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Woodpeckers like this Red-Bellied also eat berries |
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| When these Blueberries are ripe the birds will appear |  |
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| Arrow wood has attractive flowers and berries |  |
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| Native Hollies like this Yaupon provide winter food |  |
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| Pyracantha, a bluebird favorite |  |
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