Warming Winter Shelter for Wildlife Constructed Utilizing Cornus alba and Cotoneaster
In the colder months, our feathered friends need a reliable food source to help them survive. Here are some container plants that can provide both food and shelter, making them ideal for attracting birds like robins, waxwings, bluebirds, and finches.
First on our list is the Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), a deciduous holly that produces bright red berries that persist into winter and are a favourite among cedar waxwings and bluebirds. For best results, plant both male and female plants, as they are required for berry production.
Crabapple trees are another excellent choice. They hold small, colorful fruits that feed robins and waxwings late into winter. These trees need full sun and well-drained soil, and varieties that retain fruit in cold months are the best options.
Beautyberry (Callicarpa) is known for its striking purple berries that attract mockingbirds and catbirds. It tolerates poor soil but yields more berries with enriched soil and grows in sun or partial shade.
Holly is an evergreen plant that offers year-round shelter and produces bright red berries in winter. Thrushes, robins, and bluebirds are among the birds that feast on its berries. Like Winterberry, male and female plants are required for berry production.
Echinacea (Coneflower) and Black-eyed Susan are perennials whose seed heads remain through fall and winter, providing food for goldfinches and seed-eating songbirds.
Lavender retains seeds in spent flower heads into autumn and winter, making it a valuable food source for birds when other sources are scarce. It thrives in autumn and winter, ensuring consistent feeding.
When it comes to growing these plants in containers, remember that they will need more water than when grown in the ground. After the growing season, the 'Cornus alba' 'Elegantissima' will be moved out into the wider garden to give it space to grow.
For those in England and Wales, it is an offence to plant or cause 'Cotoneaster horizontalis' to grow in the wild, so it should be kept in the pot. The plant 'Cotoneaster x suecicus' 'Coral Beauty' is an evergreen shrub with small, glossy, dark-green leaves, clusters of small, white summer flowers, and bright-orange berries. It is hardy in RHS H6 and USDA 5a-8b. This award-winning plant (AGM*) has dimensions of 1m x 2m.
'Cotoneaster horizontalis' is a low-growing, spreading deciduous shrub with distinctive, flat, herringbone-patterned sprays of leaves. Its leaves are glossy dark green, turning orange and red in autumn. It produces pinkish-white flowers in late spring and red berries. Its dimensions are 50cm x 1.8m. It is hardy in RHS H7 and USDA 5a-7b.
Lastly, the deciduous, medium-sized shrub 'Cornus alba' 'Elegantissima' has deep-red stems, grey-green leaves, white flowers, and berries. Its dimensions are 3m x 3m. It is hardy in RHS H7 and USDA 3a-7b.
By growing these plants in containers, you can ensure a valuable and visible bird food source throughout late autumn and winter, making your garden a haven for our feathered friends.
- The Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), a type of plant, offers bright red berries that persist into winter, which are favorite among birds like cedar waxwings and bluebirds, making it ideal for gardens.
- Crabapple trees, another plant, bear small, colorful fruits that feed robins and waxwings late into winter, and they grow best in full sun and well-drained soil.
- Beautyberry (Callicarpa), known for its striking purple berries, attracts mockingbirds and catbirds and thrives in both sun and partial shade, with better berry yield in enriched soil.
