Gardening for Birds with Native Plants

by Jim Green of Lycoming Audubon Society

In conjunction with the Audubon at Home program promoted by both Pennsylvania Audubon and National Audubon, the Lycoming Audubon Society encourages all of us to give careful consideration to the flora we introduce and maintain on our own properties. Plants native to your specific region are generally easy to grow and maintain, and they play an important part of regional ecosystems--which includes birds, insects, mammals, other animals and flora.

Below are a number of plants native to north-central Pennsylvania (and typically adjacent regions as well) that are especially attractive to birds.

Silky Dogwood, Cornus amomum One bird-friendly shrub worthy of your consideration is Silky Dogwood, Cornus amomum. Native to Pennsylvania and surrounding states, Silky Dogwood is easy to grow and is one of the fastest growing native shrubs. Its whitish flowers in May or June are quite an attraction, even though they are smaller than that of its more famous and larger cousin, Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida). Much more appealing, from an avian point of view, are the prolific metallic blue berries that ripen in late August and September. Catbirds, mockingbirds, cardinals, and many other species munch on these delicacies. Come October, Silky Dogwood dazzles us with lovely purple and red leaves, followed by reddish stems that last the winter.
 

Due to its rapid growth, I recommend buying Silky Dogwood as seedlings no more than 1 or 2 feet tall. According to Native Plants of the Northeast (Leopold, 2005), it can also be propagated by “softwood cuttings” or started from seeds that have been exposed to 3 or 4 months of low temperature. It will do well in either full or partial sunlight and though it prefers moist soil, it has prospered in the moderately dry soil of my backyard. This is a shrub that will grow as much horizontally as it will vertically – up to 10 or 12 feet, so allow plenty of room for it to expand. For a hedge, place plants every 3 or 4 feet apart.

Assuming you don’t have a friend to donate ‘silkies’ to you, where can you purchase them? Musser’s Forest, Inc., a large nursery in western Pennsylvania will ship them to you in bundles of five or more, and our local native plant nursery, Ironwood Acres, also sells them. Other sources include the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery, some of the county conservation districts, and other nurseries that specialize in native plants. Happy gardening! 

Serviceberry

Serviceberry is a small tree native to Pennsylvania with multiple attractions. In the spring, lovely white flowers adorn its slender branches, though the flowering period is short. Soon after, berries start to form and later ripen during late May and June, which explains one of its nicknames: Juneberry. Mockingbirds, cedar waxwings, catbirds and other species savor the reddish-purple berries, which can also be safely enjoyed by humans. I admit that I find them quite tasty! Come autumn, when the angle of sunlight lowers and nights turn chilly, serviceberry’s alternate leaves turn beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Three species of serviceberry trees occur naturally in the Commonwealth: Amelanchier arborea or Downy Serviceberry, Amelanchier canadensis or Shadbush Serviceberry, and Amelanchier laevis or Allegheny Serviceberry. According to The Plants of Pennsylvania (Rhodes & Block, 2000) Shadbush Serviceberry grows naturally only in the southeastern counties, whereas the other two species occur throughout our state. In the wild, these trees usually have multiple trunks and don’t grow much larger than 15 to 30 feet tall. I have observed several healthy single-trunked specimens on city streets in Williamsport and on the Penn College Main Campus. They grow in both damp and dry soil and need at least partial sunshine to flourish. There also are other Amelanchier species classified as shrubs.

Why not add a Serviceberry or two to your property? Once established, they need little maintenance and will not overwhelm a small yard with their modest size. Because their fruit matures so early in the growing your neighborhood birds will appreciate the late spring delicacies. Our Williamsport native plant retailer, Ironwood Acres Nursery, sells Amelanchier laevis and Amelanchier candanensis, and most other nurseries that specialize in native plants also sell Serviceberries. Sometimes, you can also find them at other nurseries and tree farms. Amelanchier is one of the native species that National Audubon recommends to provide food and cover for one of our favorite songsters, the Wood Thrush.

Elderberry

 Black Elderberry, Sambucus canadensis, is a native shrub that is quite easy to grow and care for. It requires at least partial sunlight and prefers soil that does not become dry. Small clusters of creamy white flowers appear in late spring or early summer and are followed by a proliferation of small, dark purple berries. Dozens of bird species relish those juicy elderberries in late summer. Black Elderberry, also called American Elder, is one of the fastest growing native shrubs around. In 2005, I purchased two plants, each about 18 inches tall. Other than adding compost at the start of each growing season and watering them during dry weeks, all I’ve done is watch them grow. And grow they have! Toward the end of the 2006 growing season, they were six feet tall and provided a great crop of berries. The 2007 growing season was quite dry at times, so I watered my Elders more often and was again rewarded with a plentiful crop of berries. In fact, a parent and young Grey Catbird spent much of an entire week in August feasting on them!

If not pruned, this shrub reaches top heights of 10 to 14 feet and can extend almost as wide, so be sure to plant it in a location where it has ample room to expand. Like some other shrubs, it can spread by suckering. Most nurseries that specialize in native plants sell Black Elderberry, including Ironwood Acres Nursery in Williamsport. Musser’s Forests, Inc., a large nursery in western Pennsylvania (from which I’ve purchased many native plants) sells seedlings in bundles of five or more. A closely related species that also grows rapidly and may be just as attractive to birds is Red Elderberry, Sambucus pubens.

Cardinal Flower

This is a beautiful native plant that hummingbirds love! Many of us are especially fond of these tiniest of birds. We marvel at their rapid wingbeats, incredible ability to hover, and their seemingly endless endurance. One of the best wildflowers whose nectar attracts Ruby-throated (and other species of) Hummingbirds is Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis. This spectacular plant, native to Pennsylvania and surrounding states, grows up to 4.5 feet tall and produces an array of crimson red flowers along its long, narrow stalk.  

Cardinal Flower loves moisture, so be sure to keep the soil moist if you plant it in soil that sometimes dries out. It does grow in partially shaded sites, though the greatest flower display occurs on sunny locations with damp soil. Cardinal Flower is not the easiest plant to grow and it may take a year or two after planting to become accustomed to your yard, but its lovely long-lived flowers in mid and late summer make the care you give it worthwhile.

A closely related species, Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica is similar in appearance and growing conditions, generally easier to establish in a new site, and produces light purple flowers which also attract hummingbirds and butterflies.