Native shrubs for birds

Birds make an important contribution to our ecosystem - it is therefore worthwhile to specifically create retreats for the feathered garden dwellers. We present 15 native shrubs for birds that expand their habitat.

For many people, birdsong is the most beautiful sound in their garden. But watching the lively musicians is also great fun. But the question quickly arises of how to attract birds to your garden. Native shrubs are ideal for birds: They offer hiding places, breeding places and a suitable food supply. Which shrubs are particularly suitable for birds and what else to consider when planting one bird friendly garden should be considered, you will find out in this article.

The ideal habitat for birds

The best way to lure birds into your own garden is to offer them a habitat that is as natural as possible with sources of retreat and nesting sites as well as various food sources. The best way to do this is with native shrubs for birds: in contrast to exotic ornamental plants these not only have a decorative value, but also an ecological benefit as a food and beverage habitat donor. Hedges and bushes with thorns and dense branches are particularly popular with birds, as they offer reliable protection against predators such as birds of prey. Shrubs, which provide natural food sources such as berries, are also popular with many animals. However, you should not forget to also rely on flowering plants: a

insect friendly garden also benefits birds, because they need the beetles as food for themselves and their chicks. Seed mixtures like the are particularly useful for creating a bird-friendly garden Plantura beneficial insect magnet - the large number of plants contained in it ensures a rich supply of food for birds throughout the year and thus supports the feathered animals.

In addition to choosing the right hedges and shrubs for birds, other management in the garden is also important. Naturalness scores above all here: Uncut shrubs, piles of leaves and clippings attract insects and birds alike and thus provide food and shelter. However, if you don't want to let your entire garden run wild, you should consider creating a "wild corner" in the back of the garden. Even small natural areas can serve as a retreat for birds and thus increase the bird population throughout the garden. On the other hand, you should stay away from chemical pesticides and mineral fertilizers, as these often have a negative effect on the insects and thus also on the birds in your garden. Therefore, it is better to use harmless alternatives like the ones we offer in the Plantura shop offer. To make your garden even more attractive to birds, you can hang incubators and set up small bird baths. A feeding station, such as a self-made bird feeder house and the offer of birdseed make the garden more attractive for birds.

If you want to offer birdseed, you should keep some distance to hedges and bushes. Because the low-growing vegetation allows predators, such as house cats, to sneak up unnoticed. It is better to set up a feeding station two to three meters away from the hedge so that the birds can keep an eye on their surroundings while they are feeding. And if a predator does sneak up on the free-standing feeding station, the birds will quickly find refuge in the nearby hedge. Since most hedges bear juicy berries in late year, the best way to complement the wild birds' diet is with grain feed. Our Plantura sunflower seeds for example, offer a species-appropriate, high-energy winter food with an extra load of important nutrients.

Native shrubs for birds: These hedges are suitable

Bird-friendly shrubs are an absolute must if you want to make your garden more attractive to the feathered animals. Here you will find a list of shrubs and hedges for birds that have proven themselves in the garden.

1. common barberry (Berberis vulgaris): the barberry attracts numerous insects with its flowers and offers an excellent retreat for birds thanks to its long, strong thorns. The red berries of the hedge plant are also excellent food for birds in winter.

2. Black elder (Sambucus nigra): The berries of the black elder are a popular food source for over 60 bird species in late summer. The bird-friendly shrub is also often used as a nesting place and is also considered a magnet for insects.

3. rowan (Sorbus aucuparia): The rowanberry is a bird-friendly shrub that, thanks to its appeal to numerous Insects and, thanks to its red berries, an excellent source of food for up to 60 bird species offers.

4. euonymus (Euonymus europaeus): This tree is very popular with birds because of its pink-orange fruits. Its dense thicket serves as a nesting site. More information about the euonymus - also known as the common one Spindle bush – can be found in our special article.

5. common juniper (Juniperus communis): This native shrub for birds provides food for 43 different species and attracts all sorts of insects with its flowers.

6. sea ​​buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides): The berries of this bird-friendly shrub are often spurned, but its defensive thorns make it a good retreat.

7. hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna): the hawthorn is probably one of the most bird-friendly shrubs, as it provides food for 32 bird species and is very popular as a nesting site due to its protective thicket. In addition, its flowers attract numerous insects.

8. wild roses (pink spec.): Take care of yourself from winter to spring wild roses with her rosehips for a good food supply for birds. But also their great flowers and thorns, which make the plants a perfect shelter, ensure that wild roses are among the bird and insect friendly shrubs.

9. hazelnut (Corylus avellana): The nuts of hazelnut are not only very popular with us humans, but also with some bird species. In addition, the particularly early flowering shrub attracts numerous insects.

10. honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum): Making a hedge bird-friendly succeeds with honeysuckle: its bright red ones Berries are eaten with pleasure and their densely branched growth is ideal as a shelter for birds.

11. Liguster (Ligustrum vulgare): As a hedge for birds is the liguster Highly recommended: its branching growth makes it an ideal breeding ground and its flowers and berries provide plenty of food for birds and insects.

12. blackberry (Rubus fruticosus): Because of its twisted growth and small thorns, it is blackberry a particularly bird-friendly shrub. In addition, it is particularly insect-friendly and, with its berries, a good source of food for birds.

13. buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula): The local alder buckthorn, with its wide range of flowers and berries, is an important forage plant for both insects and birds.

14. raspberry (Rubus idaeus): It's not just people who like them raspberry: The bird- and insect-friendly shrub attracts beneficial insects with its flowers and provides food for birds with its berries. In addition, the thorny growth of the raspberry offers an ideal shelter.

15. holly (ilex): With its jagged leaves and striking red fruits, the holly not only a particularly beautiful decoration, but also a great shelter and source of food for birds.

16. buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica): While the berries of the buckthorn are poisonous to humans, they are readily consumed by many bird species. At the same time, the plants are good sources of food for caterpillars, bees and bumblebees and, as a hedge, offer a good retreat for birds thanks to their dense growth.

17. yew (Taxus baccata): Hardly any other coniferous tree is as versatile as the yew - whether as a hedge, as a free-growing tree or as a topiary, the plant always cuts a fine figure. The bright red berries of the yew not only provide decorative accents in autumn, but are also gratefully accepted by birds. The bird-friendly hedge serves as food for more than 25 native bird species. It is also often used as a nesting site and retreat.

18. hornbeam (Carpinus betulus): Decorative, robust and extremely tolerant of pruning - no wonder the hornbeam is so popular in German gardens. Birds also love the plant, which can easily be raised as a hedge or as a free-growing tree. They use the nutlets of the evergreen, bird-friendly hedge as food, but the hornbeam is also a popular nesting place.

19. dogwood (Cornus sanguinea): With its lush flowering, the dogwood is not only very popular with people, but also attracts numerous insects. Birds also appreciate the shrub because of its berries and its dense growth as a nesting and nourishing tree.

20. Ordinary Snowball (Viburnum opulus): The berries of the snowball are not suitable for human consumption, but birds like them all the more. The hedge is not only bird-friendly, but also attracts numerous insects with its blooms.

These shrubs are not suitable for birds

Not all plants are suitable as bird-friendly hedges and shrubs - especially exotic species are often unsuitable, since they are neither flown over by many insects nor as food sources for birds serve. Unfriendly shrubs for birds include the following plants:

1. Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis): In contrast to its native relative, the common juniper, this shrub only provides food for a single species of bird and is therefore extremely unsuitable.

2. scarlet thorn (Crataegus pedicellata): Despite its close relationship to the hawthorn, the fruits of the scarlet thorn are only eaten by two species of birds, which is why it is better to use its native counterpart.

3. breeding roses (pink): Due to their opulent flowers, breeding roses are not only uninteresting for insects - since most varieties are sterile, they do not form rose hips, which the birds use as food.

4. cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus): One of the best-known hedge plants is probably the cherry laurel. However, it is extremely unsuitable for birds: it offers neither food nor particularly good protection.

5. tree of life (Thuja): The tree of life is also known as a hedge plant. However, since it has neither thorns nor fruit for birds, it is not considered a bird-friendly hedge.

Would you like to further support the birds in your garden? You can find out how to do this in our article "Bird friendly garden“.