Spring Planting - Bird friendly plants for your backyard.

As you think about your seeding plans for spring either in your garden or in terms of landscaping in your yard, consider plants that will attract birds. Plants not only provide shelter and nesting locations for birds but they also provide food in terms of fruit or seeds and even insects if the plants are hosts to certain insects. Here are some common plants to consider when planting for the birds:

Plants with fruit: You can expand the diversity of birds in your yard by planting fruit trees or fruit bushes. Consider specifically planting mountain ash, dogwood trees, elderberry, chokecherry, saskatoon berry or apple trees. Other fruit bearing plants that are popular with birds include raspberry or strawberry plants and virginia creeper plants. These plants will attract robins, waxwings, woodpeckers, orioles, towhees, and grosbeaks.

Plants to provide shelter: Nothing attracts birds more to a yard than a large number of trees. Many trees and bushes can provide shelter and safety and even a nesting location for birds. Evergreen trees and bushes are particularly popular due to their year round greenery. So if you have the space, consider adding a few evergreen trees or bushes.

Plants with nectar: Plants that produce nectar will attract hummingbirds. Hummingbirds prefer brightly coloured plants with a cup or trumpet shape. Some of the plants that will attract hummingbirds include: hollyhock, columbines, delphiniums, lilies, snapdragons, petunias, honeysuckle and lilac shrubs and morning glory vines.

Annual flowers: Plants in the sunflower family are very popular with birds that love sunflower seeds. Other popular flowering annuals include cosmos, zinnias, and marigolds.