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27 Shrubs Every Gardener Should Grow To Attract More Birds

27 Shrubs Every Gardener Should Grow To Attract More Birds

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Want to turn your yard into a birdwatcher’s dream? Shrubs are the secret sauce.

A splash of greenery can work wonders—like rolling out the red carpet for colorful, chirping guests.

I used to overlook shrubs, but it turns out our feathered friends flock to them. Bonus: they’re gorgeous without turning your garden into a jungle.

Best of all? They’re low-maintenance, so you can kick back with your coffee while nature puts on a show.

Plant these beauties, and your backyard will be for the birds—in the best way! 

1. Beautyberry Provides Birds With A Purple Buffet They Can’t Resist 

Beautyberry is known for its vibrant, purple berries that birds adore. It thrives in USDA zones 6-10 and can grow up to 6 feet tall. 

Plant it in full sun or partial shade, and enjoy watching birds flock to it in the fall.

2. American Hazelnut Is A Nutty Delight For Birds

This deciduous shrub provides a feast of nuts for birds like woodpeckers and finches. 

It’s hardy in USDA zones 4-8 and grows well in well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Plus, it attracts pollinators in early spring!

3. Red Chokecherry Offers Birds A Sweet, Tart Treat 

Red chokecherry is a fast-growing shrub perfect for USDA zones 2-8. 

Birds love its small, dark cherries, and it provides excellent shelter with its dense foliage. It’s a win-win for both birds and gardeners.

4. Winterberry Holly Attracts Birds With Its Bright Berries

Here’s a holiday special called Winterberry Holly. This shrub is known for its lively red berries that persist into winter, offering a winter feast for birds. 

Hardy in USDA zones 3-9, this native shrub loves wet soil and grows well in full sun or partial shade.

5. Serviceberry Is A Sweet Snack For Your Local Birds 

Serviceberry provides small, sweet berries loved by robins, sparrows, and cedar waxwings. 

It’s hardy in USDA zones 4-9 and is perfect for attracting pollinators in spring while feeding birds in summer.

6. Spicebush Is A Fragrant Favorite For Birds And Pollinators

If you want both birds and pollinators in the garden, you should definitely opt for Spicebush. This plant 

thrives in USDA zones 4-9, offering birds both shelter and food. 

Its berries are a favorite of chickadees, wood thrushes, and vireos. The shrub has aromatic leaves and bark, so it will also make your outdoors smell mesmerizing!

7. Elderberry Makes Birds Fly In For A Tasty Treat

Elderberry produces clusters of dark purple berries that attract finches, thrushes, and robins

Hardy in USDA zones 3-8, it grows well in full sun or part shade and can reach 12 feet tall. It’s a true bird buffet!

8. Coralberry Gives Birds A Sweet Snack And A Cozy Nook

Here is another pretty shrub called Coralberry, otherwise known as Symphoricarpos orbiculatus. It grows in USDA zones 3-7 and provides a treasure trove of small pink to red berries that birds adore. 

It’s a low-maintenance shrub that can handle partial shade and dry soil.

9. Carolina Allspice Lures Birds With Its Unique Aroma And Fruit 

What most gardeners love about Carolina allspice is that it attracts birds like thrushes and warblers with its spicy-scented flowers and small, reddish-brown fruits.

This beauty grows in USDA zones 5-9 and thrives in moist, well-drained soil.

10. Ninebark Is A Low-Maintenance Bird Magnet 

Ninebark is known for its exfoliating bark and clusters of white flowers followed by red berries. 

Birds, particularly sparrows, love its fruit, and it thrives in USDA zones 3-7. It’s drought-tolerant and perfect for any garden!

11. Viburnum Offers Birds Both Shelter And Delicious Berries  

Viburnum dentatum has white flowers that turn into berries, making it an all-season attraction for birds. 

It’s hardy in USDA zones 3-8 and is a favorite of sparrows, warblers, and even woodpeckers.

12. Juniper Provides Year-Round Foliage And Berries For Birds

Juniper is the plant that attracts bluebirds and waxwings because it offers shelter and tasty berries that these birds absolutely love. USDA zones 3-9 are ideal, and it’s perfect for dry, well-drained soil.

13. Purple Beautyberry Is A Birds’ Favorite Autumn Treat

If you want your garden to be filled with stunning purple berries and birds in late fall, definitely opt for Purple beautyberry. 

This hardy shrub grows in USDA zones 5-8 and adds both color and food to your landscape.

14. Butterfly Bush Attracts Birds, Pollinators, And Your Eyes  

Butterfly bush is a magnet for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. USDA zones 5-9 are perfect for this easy-to-grow shrub, and birds adore its seeds and blooms.

15. Bayberry Brings Birds To Your Yard While Scenting The Air  

Everybody loves bayberry because it produces fragrant berries that are a bird’s delight. Hardy in USDA zones 3-7, it’s perfect for coastal gardens or moist soil, attracting everything from cardinals to cedar waxwings.

16. Wild Rose Provides Birds With Sweet Berries And Gorgeous Blooms 

Wild rose is a fantastic shrub for USDA zones 3-8. Its red rose hips are irresistible to birds like robins and grosbeaks, and the blooms add a beautiful touch to any garden.

17. Golden Currant Offers Berries Birds Can’t Resist 

If you want to make your garden more cheerful, then Golden currant is your best bet!

This shrub grows in USDA zones 3-8 and provides yellow berries loved by birds like robins, thrushes, and waxwings. It’s an easy-care shrub for full sun or part shade.

18. Red-Osier Dogwood Is A Splash Of Color And Shelter For Birds 

Red-osier dogwood adds a splash of red to your garden, with berries that attract birds like sparrows, chickadees, and warblers. USDA zones 2-7 are ideal for this shrub.

19. Wax Myrtle Lures Birds With Its Aromatic Berries  

Birds love berries and Wax myrtle produces a bunch of fragrant ones that can attract them. If you live in USDA zones 7-10 and want to have a livelier garden, opt for this unusual shrub.

It also provides shelter and is perfect for coastal or damp soils.

20. Sumac Provides Vibrant Foliage And Berries For Birds 

Sumac is known for its stunning red foliage in the fall and berry clusters that birds love. USDA zones 3-8 are perfect, and it’s a favorite of sparrows and finches.

21. Aronia Berry Offers Birds Sweet And Healthy Berries

Hearty berry treats are birds favorite and this is exactly what Aronia berry has to offer in USDA zones 3-9. Its black berries are a hit with birds and other wildlife.

22. Hawthorn Tree Attracts Birds With Its Sweet Berries And Shelter 

Hawthorn grows in USDA zones 4-8 and provides dense foliage and sweet berries, making it ideal for birds like thrushes, robins, and blackbirds.

23. Elderflower Blooms Are A Sweet Treat For Birds

Birds like finches, robins, and waxwings love Elderflowers’ sweet blooms and delicious berries. This shrub is hardy in USDA zones 3-8, and it’s great for attracting both birds and pollinators.

24. Buttonbush Provides Nectar, Seeds, And Shelter For Birds

Buttonbush is a must-have if you want to attract more birds to your yard. Its unique, globe-shaped flowers are packed with nectar, drawing in hummingbirds and pollinators, while the seeds provide a feast for songbirds.

This shrub thrives in USDA zones 5-10 and loves moist soil, making it an excellent choice for rain gardens or near ponds.

25. Mountain Laurel Brings Birds And Stunning Flowers To Your Garden

Mountain laurel is a gorgeous evergreen shrub that not only attracts birds but also adds a stunning display of pink, white, or red blooms in late spring. Birds love using its dense foliage for shelter, while pollinators flock to its flowers.

Hardy in USDA zones 4-9, it thrives in acidic, well-drained soil and partial shade, making it a great addition to woodland gardens or shaded borders.

So, grab your gardening gloves and get planting – your feathered friends will thank you for the perfect place to rest, feast, and make their way to your backyard.

26. Inkberry Holly Offers Year-Round Appeal And Tasty Berries For Birds

Inkberry holly is a native evergreen shrub that produces small black berries in fall and winter—just in time for hungry birds like mockingbirds and catbirds.

Hardy in USDA zones 4-9, it loves moist, acidic soil and provides excellent year-round shelter for your feathered visitors.

27. Snowberry Charms Birds With Its Unique White Fruit

Snowberry, also known as Symphoricarpos albus, stands out with its clusters of white berries that persist into winter and are beloved by robins and waxwings.

It grows well in USDA zones 3-7, tolerates a variety of soils, and is perfect for adding visual interest and bird activity to your fall and winter garden.