How to Plant Trees That Attract Birds

Birds can bring a backyard to life and help reduce your bug population as well. When planting trees to attract birds to your yard, keep in mind the amount of space you have and what grows well where you live. Read on to learn how to plant trees to attract birds.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Plant Crabapple. Crabapple grows well in most areas of North America. Birds as well as other wildlife eat its small fruit, and it provides dense roosting and nesting branches. Give Crabapple trees lots of space.

2. Plant Hawthorn to attract Cardinals and Cedar Waxwings. Hawthorn is a smaller tree that's well suited to smaller yards. Its fruit provides birds with a winter food source.

3. Plant Elderberry to attract a wide variety of birds. Elderberry require a moist soil with good drainage. It provide birds with food and shelter.

4. Plant oaks, pines, Magnolia, Beech, Box Elders and Sweet Gum for their seeds and nuts. Be sure to plant varieties that grow well in your area. Oaks grow well in dense, clay soils. Pines grow better in loose, sandy soil.

5. Plant Ash, Black Gum, Cedar, Cherry Laurel, Dogwood, Hollies, Juniper, Mulberry, Wax Myrtle and Yaupon for their fruit and berries.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid planting large growing trees very close to your house, or very close to the street. Also avoid planting trees over your buried utility and water lines, or directly under overhead power lines.