Plants for Birds Giveaway
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Evergreen Huckleberry
Vaccinium ovatum
Huckleberry is an evergreen shrub with glossy leaves that grows from 3-5 feet in the shade and up to 12 feet in the sun. It thrives in acidic soil that can be either moist or dry. This plant produces pink-white flowers (April to May) that are loved by hummingbirds. In late summer the berries attract Black-capped chickadees, Grouse, Bluebirds, Thrush, and Tanagers.
Pacific Ninebark
Physocarpus capitatus
Dense deciduous shrub with large maple-like leaves that grows 4-8 feet. It’s known for its reddish-gray bark, which is flaky and peels away in many irregular thin layers. This plant has clusters of small, creamy white flowers with five petals and numerous red-tipped stamens, which appear in late spring and persist into midsummer. The fruit has inflated glossy red pods which dry and brown and eventually split open to release seeds. Chickadees, Titmice, Crows, Magpies, Jays, and Nuthatch enjoy the seeds, and the flaky bark is used in bird nest building.
Beaked Hazelnut
Corylus cornuta var. californica
A deciduous shrub with an open multistemmed habit that grows to 5-12 ft. in sun and part shade. Male flowers are pendent catkins, and female flowers are small rounded buds with bright red stigmas. They produce hard-shelled nuts that birds like Steller’s Jays, Corvids, and even squirrels enjoy eating.
Red Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
This deciduous shrub is named for its signature winter-red bark that grows 6-9 ft. in part shade. In late spring, Red Twig Dogwood produces small flowers (which will attract insects, which will in turn attract birds). In late summer, white berries appear, which are quite attractive to birds. Because this shrub forms thickets, it is used for nesting by the American Goldfinch. Waxwings, finches, and thrushes thrive on this plant.
White Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
White Snowberry is a rounded and bushy shrub with small leaves on arching stems. Clusters of small bell-shaped pinkish-white flowers begin to bloom in early summer, followed by attractive snow-white berries later in the season. It is 2-5 ft. tall, gradually forms a thicket 4-6 ft. wide, and can be grown in sun and part shade. Grouse, grosbeaks, and thrushes eat the berries and hummingbirds enjoy the flowers.
Salmonberry
Rubus spectabilis
This perennial shrub grows to 13 feet tall and has stems covered with fine prickles. It prefers moist soil, can tolerate partial shade, and flourishes in disturbed areas. Magenta flowers are produced in early spring to early summer. The fruits resemble an orange-red raspberry. The flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds and the blooms often coincide with the return of the Rufous hummingbird. The berries are popular with grouse, pigeons, quail, grosbeaks, jays, robins, thrushes, towhees, waxwings, sparrows, and other species.
Red-flowering Currant
Ribes sanquineum
An upright, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with showy clusters of deep pink flowers. This plant grows 3 to 10 feet and prefers semi-dry soil and sun. It grows on rocky slopes, in open forests, in disturbed areas, and along forest edges. The early Spring flowers provide a nectar source for hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators. It produces whitish-blue berries eaten by many species of birds, including grouse, pheasants, towhees, waxwings, jays and woodpeckers.
Vine Maple
Acer circinatum
This is a multi-stemmed broadleaf deciduous small tree or shrub, with sprawling branches that re-root, sometimes forming a clump or thicket 10-20 ft tall. This plant likes moisture and is very shade tolerant; the amount of sun it receives affects whether the plant grows straight or vine- like. It also has more fall color when grown in full sun. It has small deep red flowers in spring, and the leaves turn red, orange, and yellow in fall. The seeds, buds, and flowers supply food for a variety of wildlife. Vine maple is used by nuthatches, chickadees, grosbeaks, warblers, waxwings, vireos, and woodpeckers for food and shelter.
