Trees and Shrubs That Attract Songbirds and Wildlife Name Evergreen Trees Juniper, Rocky Mountain (Juniperus scopulorum) Pine, Eastern White (Pinus strobus) Pine, Ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa) Pine, Southwestern White (Pinus strobiformis) Redcedar, Eastern (Juniperus virginiana) Spruce, Black Hills (Picea glauca var. densata) Deciduous Trees Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) Basswood (Tilia americana) Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) Cottonwood, Eastern (Populus deltoides) Cherry, Black (Prunus serotina) Crabapple, Flowering (Malus spp.) W Average Fair Fall E Best on moist, acidic Fall C,W Average Fair Fall E,C,W Average E,C,W Average Fair Fall E,C Average ; prefers acid Fall E Generally wet, but will tolerate dry site; not for alkaline E Prefers deep, welldrained s Fall E Moist, deep, acid Spring- Summer E,C,W Bottomland/ wet Fall Fair Fair E Average E,C,W Average * E = Eastern Kansas, C = Central Kansas, W = Western Kansas (see map on last page) Similar to eastern redcedar; birds eat seeds; dense foliage used by wildlife Keep away from exposed sites; seeds eaten by birds and small Very drought tolerant; seeds eaten by numerous birds and small and used for cover Cover for various wildlife; seeds eaten by birds and small Do not use near apples or crab apples; birds eat seeds; dense foliage used by wildlife Slow growing; provides habitat for songbirds Resting and nesting cover for many of wildlife Great for honeybees; forms cavities when older Fruit eaten by many of birds and Cover for turkey and deer; obtains large size Fruit liked by many bird Select disease resistant cultivars; Fruit eaten by birds and Kansas Forest Service
Name Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) Hackberry, Common (Celtis occidentalis) Hawthorn, Cockspur (Crataegus crusgalli) Hawthorn, Washington (Crataegus phaenopyrum) Hickory, Shagbark (Carya ovata) Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) Maple, Sugar (Acer saccharum) Mulberry, Red (Morus rubra) Oak, Black (Quercus marilandica) Oak, Bur (Quercus macrocarpa) Oak, Chinkapin (Quercus muehlenbergii) Oak, Northern Red (Quercus rubra) Oak, Pin (Quercus palustris) Oak, Post (Quercus stellata) Oak, Shummard (Quercus shumardii) Oak, Swamp White (Quercus bicolor) Oak, White (Quercus alba) Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Pecan (Carya illinoensis) Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) Redbud (Cercis canadensis) Sycamore, American (Platanus occidentalis) Fall Fair E Moist, deep, acid s Showy white flowers; birds utilize fruit Fair Fair E,C,W Variety of s Generally liked by songbirds E,C,W Well-drained Has long thorns; good cover for birds E,C,W Average Fall Fair Fair E Bottomlands and northeast facing uplands Fair Fair E Average, welldrained Fall Fair Fair E Prefers slightly acid Summer E,C,W Best on moist, Fair Fair E,C Found on poor, does well on good Has thorns; good cover for birds Nut liked by squirrels Leaves are retained through most of the winter Use cultivars tolerant of summer or Caddo type; birds and small eat the seed Used by more than 50 bird Fair Fair E,C,W Variety of s Hardy tree, large acorn; liked by various wildlife Fair Fair E,C Well-drained, limestone Fair Fair E,C Average,welldrained, slightly acid Fair Fair E,C, moist, acid E,C Does well in poor Fair Fair E,C,W Average Retains lower branches; acorn liked by wildlife Fair Fair E,C,W Acid Fair Fair E,C Bottomland ; prefers acid Fall E,C, welldrained bottomlands Fruit liked by small Fall Fair Fair E,C Deep Nut liked by squirrels and deer Fall E,C Rocky, shallow, Fruit liked by birds and small Fair Fall Fair Fair E,C Average Seed used by birds as an emergency reserve; early flowers for pollinators Spring Fair E,C Bottomland/ wet Mature trees used as dens and heron rookeries
Name Serviceberry, Downy (Amelanchier arborea) Walnut, Black (Juglans nigra) Willow, Sandbar (Salix interior) Shrubs Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) Black Haw, Southern (Viburnum rufidulum) Blackberry, Highbush (Rubus ostryifolius) Buckthorn (Rhamnus lanceolata) Buttonbush, Common (Cephalanthus occidentalis) Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) Coralberry (Buckbrush) (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) Currant, Golden (Ribes odoratum) Dewberry (Rubus flagellaris) Dogwood, Gray (Cornus racemosa) Dogwood, Redosier (Cornus stolonifera) Dogwood, Rough-leaved (Cornus drummondii) Dogwood, Swamp (Cornus amomum) Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) Gooseberry, Wild (Ribes missouriense) Hazelnut (Corylus americana) New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) Summer E Prefers moist, acid Fair Fall Fair Fair E,C,W Rich upland and bottomland Fruit liked by birds Nut liked by squirrels and rodents Spring Fair E,C,W Any wet Liked by red-winged blackbirds and others E,C Variety of s, prefers welldrained E Best on moist, s Fruit eaten by songbirds Fruit eaten by many of birds and and persists into winter E,C Average Utilized by a variety of wildlife Summer E,C Open sites Grows in dense thickets; liked by many of birds Summer E Open sites any Used by birds and Fair Fair E,C Wet bank stabilizer; attracts bees Summer Fair E,C,W Deep moist Eaten by more than 70 bird Fair E,C,W Alkaline, average to dry Attractive in winter, full of fruit; occasionally used by birds and Summer E,C,W Well-drained More open than gooseberry; used by songbirds and small Summer E,C Open waste areas Grows in thickets; used by songbirds, gamebirds, and Fall Fair Fair E,C Average Easy to grow; fruit readily eaten by birds Fall Fair Fair E, C Moist winter color; fruit eaten by birds Fall E,C,W Dry, or dry, rocky Fall Fair E Average, moist Late Summer for fence rows, stream banks, timber edges; used by birds and small Liked by more than 80 bird Fair E,C Moist Quantity of food excellent; more than 100 of birds like it, also liked by Summer E,C Any welldrained Fall E Well-drained, loamy Fair Fall Fair Fair E Does well on sandy or rocky s Excellent wildlife plant; used by and birds Small nut eaten by a variety of wildlife Seed eaten by quail and turkey; flowers attract pollinators
Wyandotte Name Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) Plum, American (Prunus americana) Plum, Sandhill (Prunus angustifolia) Raspberry, Black (Rubus occidentalis) Serviceberry, Shadblow (Amelanchier canadensis) Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) Sumac, Fragrant (Rhus aromatica) Sumac, Smooth (Rhus glabra) Viburnum, Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium) Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) Fall E Average, welldrained s Spring Fruit eaten by many of birds; flowers are good for pollinators E,C Variety of s Fruit used by a variety of wildlife Fall E,C,W Makes good screen, spreads by sucker sprouts; liked by birds and Fall E,C,W Sandy, light Excellent for stabilization; liked by birds and Summer Fair Fair to poor E,C drainage Eaten by many bird and Summer Fair Fair E,C Rocky hillsides Used by many bird Fall E Average/moist, s Fair E,C,W Average to dry Fair Fair Fair E,C Shallow, rocky Leaves and fruit utilized by many wildlife Excellent fall color; used by a variety of birds Better for than birds; forms thickets E,C Average fall color; used by birds and small Fair Fall E Prefers moist, deep, welldrained acid s Fruit eaten by quail, deer, and rabbits; flowers in fall Cheyenne Norton Phillips Smith Rawlins Decatur Sheridan Sherman Osborne Thomas Graham Rooks Wallace Logan Gove Trego Ellis Russell Jewell Mitchell Lincoln Republic Cloud Ottawa Saline Washington Marshall Nemaha Brown Doniphan Atchison Clay Riley Pottawatomie Jackson Jefferson Dickinson Geary Wabaunsee Shawnee Douglas Leavenworth Johnson This publication is made available in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service. Greeley Wichita Scott Lane Ness Rush Barton Ellsworth McPherson Marion Morris Lyon Osage Franklin Miami Rice Chase Coffey Anderson Linn Pawnee Hamilton Kearny Finney Hodgeman Stafford Reno Harvey Butler Greenwood Woodson Allen Gray Edwards Bourbon Ford Sedgwick Stanton Grant Haskell Kiowa Pratt Kingman Wilson Neosho Crawford Elk Meade Clark Barber Sumner Comanche Cowley Morton Stevens Seward Harper Montgomery Labette Chautauqua Cherokee Western Central Eastern Thad Rhodes Kansas Forest Service 2610 Claflin Road Manhattan, KS 66502-2798 (785) 532-3300 www.kansasforests.org Brand names appearing in this publication are for product identification purposes only. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned. Publications from Kansas State University are available at: www.ksre.ksu.edu Contents of this publication may be freely reproduced for educational purposes. All other rights reserved. In each case, credit Thad Rhodes, Trees and Shrubs That Attract Songbirds and Wildlife, Kansas State University, September 2012. Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service L845 September 2012 K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating, John D. Floros, Director.