Natural Bird Feeders

Native trees and shrubs that feed songbirds

Planting bird-friendly natives will attract fun-to-watch songbirds while making your yard beautiful and easy to care for. 

Planting native trees and shrubs that produce berries, fruit, and seed is a natural way to feed the birds. Native plants co-evolved with native birds and the insects that help nourish them. Many of our favorite birds including bluebirds, orioles, grosbeaks, and woodpeckers feed on protein-rich moths, caterpillars, and insect larvae. Oaks, hackberry, chokeberry, and sumac are a few good choices to support insects that birds rely on for nourishment.

Native plants also provide cover and nesting sites for birds. Arborvitae, juniper, viburnum, and oaks encourage songbirds to make themselves at home on your property. Add a water source like a birdbath or fountain, and you can watch birds easily as they bathe and splash.

Remember, planting trees and shrubs that provide food at different times of the season attracts a diverse array of birds over a long period. Here are just a few suggestions to get started.

Serviceberry - birds relish the blue-black fruit that matures in June  Amelanchier arborea Snow Cloud, Amelanchier laevis and Amelanciier grandiflora Autumn Brilliance

Chokeberry - birds eat the astringent red berries when other food is depleted  Aronia arbutifolia Brilliantissima and Aronia melanocarpa Low Scape Mound®

American Purple Beautyberry - purple berry clusters are a food source for many songbirds  Callicarpa americana Atropurpurea 

Sweetshrub - dense stems provide cover and nesting sites for birds  Calycanthus floridus

Hackberry - berries feed songbirds and the tree provides cover and nesting sites for birds. Celtis occidentalis

Fringetree - birds relish the fruit and trees provide cover and nesting sites for birds  Chionanthus virginicus

Dogwood - wintering birds love the red berries  Cornus florida Cherokee Brave, Cornus florida Cherokee Princess, Cornus florida Rubra 

Hawthorn - berries and nesting sites for birds  Crataegus phaenopyrum, Crataegus viridis

Holly - loads of beautiful berries in winter  Ilex glabra Gem Box, Ilex glabra Shamrock, Ilex opaca Dan Fenton, Ilex opaca Red Velvet, Ilex opaca Tinga, Ilex verticillata Winter Red, Ilex vomitora Shadow's Female, Ilex x attenuata Savannah   

Spicebush - birds eat the red fruit during fall migration  Lindera benzoin

Southern Waxmyrtle - the aromatic fruits are eaten by birds in fall and winter  Myrica cerifera

Northern Bayberry - the aromatic fruits are eaten by birds and thickets provide nesting sites and cover Myrica pensylvanica

American Hophornbeam - nutlets are eaten by songbirds, wild turkey, and quail  Ostrya virginiana 

Oaks - provide acorns for woodpeckers, wild turkey, and other birds as well as nesting sites and cover

Fragrant Sumac - Turkey, ruffled grouse, robins, and flickers feed on the red berries in fall and winter  Rhus aromatic Grow Low

Viburnum - provides fruit for birds and food for caterpillars  V. dentatum Christom,  V. nudum Winterthur

Native Trees and Shrubs are a Natural Win!

Our selection of native trees and shrubs thrive in our Mid-Atlantic climate while providing natural benefits for songbirds and other wildlife.

See all our Natives