Blooms of common chokecherry.
My friend Monique asked me to write about shrubs that attract birds. A bird-friendly habitat requires food, water and shelter. Food consists of sap, nectar, pollen, seeds, nuts, berries or fruits. Shrubs should be dense enough to support nests, but also allow birds to move about to escape predators. A diverse plant palette meets a variety of bird needs. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says, “Nothing provides an easier or more dependable food supply than ‘birdscaping’ your yard with native vegetation.”
However, the addition of non-native shrubs can provide not only additional food and cover sources, but also add aesthetic appeal.
When selecting shrubs, look for species that are drought-tolerant, unless you have a wet site. Plants used within 30 feet of a structure should be the least flammable possible. This means no junipers in that area for example.
Native shrubs that attract birds include:
Western serviceberry — Amelanchier alnifolia — berries edible to people too
Mountain whitethorn — Ceanothus cordulatus — fragrant flowers also attract bees
Curlleaf mountain mahongany — Cercocarpus ledifolius — evergreen, fire hazard
Red-osier dogwood — Cornus stolonifera — needs damp soil
Mormon tea — Ephedra viridus — extremely drought tolerant
Bush oceanspray — Holodiscus dumosus
Juniper — Juniperus species — highly flammable
Desert peach — Prunus andersonii — thorns, slow grower
Bitter cherry — Prunus emarginata — forms thickets
Common chokecherry — Prunus virginiana — can be poisonous to livestock
Smooth sumac — Rhus glabra — allergenic to people sensitive to poison oak
Skunkbush sumac — Rhus trilobata — allergenic to people sensitive to poison oak
Golden currant — Ribes aureum — edible fruit for jams, pies
Sierra currant — Ribes nevadense — edible fruit
Desert gooseberry — Ribes velutinum — edible fruit for jams, pies, thorns
Wood’s rose — Rosa woodsii — thorny thicket hard to control
Thimbleberry — Rubus parviflorus — high water use, needs a cool site
Elderberry — Sambucus species — fruit can be used for wines or jellies if processed properly
Common snowberry — Symphoricarpos albus — needs moisture
Ornamental (non-native) shrubs include:
Barberry — Berberis thunbergii — thorns
Butterfly bush — Buddleja davidii — many varieties
Flowering quince — Chaenomeles species — one of first shrubs to bloom
Cotoneaster — Cotoneaster species — many types
Euonymous — Euonymous species — many types and varieties
Honeysuckle — Lonicera species — shrubs or vines
Oregon grape — Mahonia aquifolium — evergreen
Firethorn — Pyracantha hybrids — thorns, colorful berries
Roses — Rosa species
Lilac — Syringa vulgaris and hybrids — another early bloomer
Viburnum — Viburnum species — many types and varieties
For detailed information and growing tips on native shrubs, see my publication “Selected Native Shrubs of Northern Nevada — Are They Right for the Home Landscape” at http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/2007/sp0712.pdf.
JoAnne Skelly is Associate Professor & Extension Educator, Emerita at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She can be reached at skellyj@unce.unr.edu.
