One of the most favored hobbies of outdoor enthusiasts, gardeners, and wildlife lovers is feeding the birds. Setting out a bird feeder with seed or suet cakes is a popular way many people use to feed the birds, but there are other ways to feed birds. Birds scavenge seed from plants, they will get their protein by eating insects, some birds like the blue jay will eat acorns from oaks, and some birds will pluck berries growing on trees and shrubs for a meal. 

To make your yard an ecological success, you must consider what animals need. In addition to shelter, water, and space, a critical requirement for animals is a reliable food source. As mentioned, bird diets vary according to species and their lifecycle stage, and there are many ways to attract birds to your backyard. But let’s focus on frugivore birds (birds that eat fruit).

It is important to state that most songbirds rely on insect protein as nestlings, but many adult birds will forage on berries and seeds. The other useful aspect of berries is they can be an ornamental trait for our landscapes. Having berry-producing plants in your landscape is a two-for-one benefit giving us aesthetics and bird food. There will be some botanically minded folks reading this and saying, “That’s not a berry!” I know, but I like the term berry succession. The botanical terms of the fruit are stated below for each species.

Birds eat berries throughout the year; however, most shrubs and trees produce berries only once a year. To have a succession of berries means we need to plant different species of berry-producing plants to ensure a fruitful food source over the course of the year. Here are some shrubs and trees that will provide juicy berries for the birds and add pops of color to your landscape throughout the year.

Spring

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) begins spring with a show of white flowers. As the flowers fade they are replaced by dark purple to red berry-like fruit called pomes. These are beloved by birds and humans alike. Serviceberry is a small to medium-sized tree. There are different species and cultivars commonly available at garden centers. 

Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) deserves to be mentioned, mostly because birds are a primary pest of this crop. It should go without saying, many birds enjoy eating blueberries just as much as humans. Blueberries have lovely spring flowers followed by the all-to-familiar blueberry. The shrubs get a lovely red fall color, and the young stems will be red throughout winter. Blueberries have specific acidic soil requirements, which doesn’t always make them a good fit for every home. 

Summer

American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) was relatively unknown to me until I took a closer look at a colony-forming plant in the woods behind my house. An umbrella-like corymb of white flowers gave way to clusters of dark purple to nearly black fruit called drupes in the summer. Almost as soon as the fruit appears, it disappears to swarms of birds. While my colony of elderberry seems to thrive, it flowers and fruits best where the plants are able to reach part to full sun. 

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemose) resides along the boundary of my yard and the neighbor. This large shrub is 15 feet tall and similar spread. This shrub has also sent up root suckers in the landscape where it is located. Some of these sprouts I have encouraged, while others I have removed. White flowers in late May to June and give way to white berry-like drupes in the summer. The fruit does not last very long on my dogwood. I have yet to capture a photo of the fruit as they are quickly gobbled up by the birds. This any most species of dogwood produce fruit eaten by birds.

White fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) may be relatively unknown to many. True to its name, fringetree sports delicate-looking clusters of fragrant, white flowers in the late spring, followed in the late summer by dark blue to black berries edible to birds, but not humans. White fringetree is dioecious, meaning they are separate male and female plants. The males are a bit showier with their flowers, while the female plant will produce fruit. However it has been noted some minor fruit development on male plants as these can produce a few perfect flowers (meaning both male and female flower parts). If you have room, plant both male and female white fringetrees for an outstanding flower display and bird-friendly fruit set.

More summer-fruiting species:

• Northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
• Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) – A groundcover dogwood better suited to northern climates.

Fall

Chokeberry (Aronia spp.) is on my list for planting in my yard. These medium to large shrubs offer multiple seasons of interest from pinkish-white spring flowers to fall red to black fruit (depending on species). The fruit is edible, but true to its name is quite astringent for humans. The birds don’t seem to mind. This grouping of plants typically has an outstanding red fall color. 

Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) has white fruit creating a delightful contrast to the red fruit of chokeberry. White summer blooms will yield berry-like drupes in the fall. Snowberry is not picky about conditions and will grow in part shade to full sun, but fruit production is better with the more sun it is given.

More fall-fruiting species:

• Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
• Viburnum (Viburnum spp.)
• Mountain ash (Sorbus americana)
• Smooth or Staghorn Sumac (Rhus spp.)
• American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

Winter

These are technically fall-fruiting plants, but very often these fruits will persist into the winter months.

Holly (Ilex spp.) has several different species that would work well in the fall and winter months for a succession of bird-friendly fruits called drupes. Hollies tend to have tougher, more waxy fruits, which deters initial bird feeding in the fall. Many holly drupes will persist into the winter adding pops of red in the stark winter landscape. I often will find robins and cardinals gobbling up holly berries in my yard in mid-winter on some of the coldest days. 

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) took me by surprise during a polar vortex. As daytime temperatures neared -20 degrees Fahrenheit, a smaller tree (about 20 to 30 feet tall) stood out in the wind-whipped landscape. The bright red berries (technically pomes) were like runway lights for a flock of robins sheltered in the nearby woods. Pretty much one at a t time a robin would appear from the forest and swoop over the field to grab a Hawthorn fruit and quickly return to the woods. Hawthorns do have thorns and if you wish to avoid those there are thornless cultivars.

Are all berry-producing plants created equal?

One caveat to berries and birds is that plants use their energy-rich fruits to aid in spreading their progeny. It is important to be mindful of what type of berry you are providing the birds as some can be invasive species such as the bush honeysuckle. Not all fruits produced by plants would be considered high-quality or energy-rich. But this varies by plant species. More research is needed to analyze the different plant species fruits to determine their nutritional value and energy contribution to birds. 

Hopefully, you have some room in your yard to include berry-producing shrubs and trees to add beauty for your enjoyment and food for our feathered friends. Incorporating berry-producing shrubs and trees supports the local ecosystem and offers a delightful way to observe and enjoy the diverse birds that visit your garden. 

Good Growing Tip of the Week: Poison ivy (Toxicodon radicans) is another berry-producing plant that is enjoyed by the birds. This is why we often find poison ivy sprouting and growing in areas where birds perch and deposit the seeds.