Want more birds in your garden? Plant these berry-rich shrubs before March ends
The best varieties for adding colour and attracting birds to your garden
One of the best things about owning a garden is the birdsong that comes with it. However, some gardens are more attractive to wildlife than others, so if you've been struggling to compel feathered friends to visit or want to increase the number of birds in your plot, experts advise thinking beyond the feeder.
"There are many ways we can attract birds to our gardens, including with suitable foods in the right type of feeders," says Lucy Taylor, whose family runs the bird food and wildlife care company Vine House Farm. "But natural foods, such as berries that form on certain trees and shrubs, can be even better for some bird species."
Those species include blackbirds, a type of thrush, which will be the first to feast on emerging berries in spring and summer. Finches and other thrushes, like redwings and fieldfares, can be expected when the first migratory birds arrive.
With late winter and early spring providing the perfect conditions for bare-root trees and shrubs to develop strong roots, now is the opportune moment to plant them in your garden. Next to bird-attracting berries, these types also produce beautiful blooms in spring and summer, so they earn their keep doubly.
Read on to discover the best varieties to plant now.
Rowan
![a waxwing [bombycilla garrulus] perched in a rowan tree. picture taken in cheltenham, gloucestershire , england on the 5th of january 2024.](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/rowan-1909784680-69a05887cab5e.jpg?crop=0.822xw:1.00xh;0.0881xw,0 "a waxwing perched in a rowan tree")
Rowans are small to medium-sized deciduous trees native to the UK. They yield red berries, though some cultivated varieties have different-colored berries, like the one pictured. Because of their compact size, they're a great choice for smaller gardens, says Lucy.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn can be planted as a tree or a hedge. They yield red berries known as haws that are loved by mistle thrushes, fieldfares, redwings, blackbirds, robins, waxwings, bullfinches, and wawfinches.
Holly
Holly is a compact, low-growing shrub valued for its dense, evergreen foliage. In winter, its glossy leaves and bright berries come into their own, with branches that can be cut and brought indoors for festive decoration.
Cotoneaster
This non-native shrub is available in multiple varieties. Low-growing cotoneasters can be used for ground cover, while others grow vertically, adding height to the garden. The colour of their berries varies from yellow to bright red, depending on the variety.
Pyracantha
Pyracantha, better known as firethorns, is a non-native shrub available in various varieties. Most have very spiky thorns – a feature that makes them attractive to nesting birds, as they offer protection from predators.
Wanda Sachs is the Multiplatform Writer for Country Living and House Beautiful, exploring the latest in gardening, wildlife and sustainable living alongside interiors and property. She is particularly interested in human-interest stories, the intersection of design and pop culture, and the evolving relationship between urban and rural life. Previously, she served as Associate Editor at The Berliner in Berlin, where she reported on culture and fashion. Wanda studied English and German at the Goethe University Frankfurt and Exeter University.
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