10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds: Part 3

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

20 Nov 2008 12:24 PM

Thanks to some of our fall plants and trees, and the inclusion of a large window bird feeder, our view out of our window is not lacking for the number of birds. The little things are always pleasant to watch, and their antics are enjoyable.

Did you know that the plants that you add to your landscaping can greatly impact the number and type of birds that visit?

If you missed the earlier posts on this topic click here: 10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds and 10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds: Part 2.

5. Perennial Sunflowers

This pretty plant will brighten your fall garden while drawing in some larger birds. The flowers feature big disc-shaped seed heads, and a large clump of these plants will shelter the birds. Birds who particularly love these plants include mourning doves, red-winged blackbirds, blue jays, cardinals and red-bellied woodpeckers.

6. Winterberry

Plant some winterberry, and the migrating birds will have a wonderful place to stop and rest. The bright scarlet berries are a real draw for both those first birds passing through as well as any birds that continue to stick around during winter. One thing to note about winterberry, you'll need 50 percent of your plants to be male, and 50 percent to be female to maintain that fruit and reproduce. Winterberry will attract robins, bluebirds and waxwings with its fruit. The foilage is also a good shelter for towhees, mockingbirds and thrashers.

7. Sumac

Sumac gets a bad name because of the dreaded poison sumac, but regular sumac is harmless and a picture to behold. It contains spiky clusters of hairy red fruit that are as a beacon to birds that fly by. While the fruit matures in the summer, it does hang around a bit during the fall for the fruit-eating birds to feast upon. The foliage is dense and branching, and it provides for protective roosting. Sumac will attract cardinals, robins, mockingbirds, bluebirds and towhees.

Check back again for the rest of the list.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog and caring for little ones in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

Related Articles:

Creating A Bird Book

Identifying Backyard Birds: Cardinals

Identifying Backyard Birds: Mourning Doves

The National Great Backyard Bird Count

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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