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  • From: "Toni Hawryluk" <tonihawr AT msn.com>
  • To: "Homestead mailing list" <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Homestead] wild bird food - migrating and not ....
  • Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 07:04:24 -0700

What to plant .... this is from a "natives" oriented standpoint -
for a particular part of the country. The emphasis on natives
is because non-natives like English Ivy are out of control in
many parts of the country, and some States have listed it as a
'noxious weed' already. It feeds the birds, all right, but it also
climbs into forest trees and shades them to death. When it
happens in the city/city parks, people can fight back to save
their 'babies' - in rural areas, it's become another kudzu ...
========================================
A few specific berry, nectar and seed plants for the birds:

Blue Elderberry - Sambucus cerulea: a favorite of Band-tailed Pigeons and I'm
sure others. West of the Cascades grows in sunny sites with rocky, sandy or
gravelly soils

Madrone - Arbutus menziesii: the large crop of berries are quite popular with
many birds including Band-tails, waxwings and Varied Thrushes and
unfortunately including starlings; the flowers can provide hummingbird nectar

Salmonberry - Rubus spectabilis is a favorite with Rufus Hummers - look for
them to return from the south in the spring when the first Salmonberries
bloom. Their berries will feed other birds. Naturally occurs in moist
soils

Tall Oregon Grape - Mahonia aquifolium - I include this one even though I
think it is over-used, because I was once surprised to see a Pileated
Woodpecker feeding on the berries. I imagine they will also use M.nervosa -
Low Oregon Grape. M. aquifolium naturally occurs in sunny drier sites. M.
nervosa can be found in sun or shade, but more often in shady sites that are
relatively well drained. They bloom early and can also be used by hummers.

Also Short-styled Thistle and Edible Thistle - Cirsium brevistylum and
C.edule flowers for hummers and butterflies, seeds for Goldfinches and leaves
for Painted Lady and Mylitta Crescent butterfly caterpillars. Mesic to
moist, forest openings to full sun.

Cooley's Hedge Nettle: Stachys (chamissonis var. )cooleyae is a good shade
tolerant wetland hummer plant. Beautiful purple flowers too! still blooming
into October.

and another list :

>From memory, without looking at my notes, here are some of the best berries;
Sambucus sp
Vaccinium sp
Rubus sp
Ribes sp
Fragaria sp
Viburnum trilobum, V. edule
Cornus sp
Lonicera sp
Arbutus menziesii
Symphorocarpus sp
Mahonia sp

I don't recommend non native berries to attract birds, since this is one of
the major reasons many noxious (and ought-to-be-) weeds plants escape and
spread.

And the best hummer plants, again from memory and far from complete;
Lonicera sp
Ribes sp
Vaccinium sp
Mahonia sp
Symphoricarpos sp
Arbutus menziesii
Epilobium sp
Castilleja sp
Aquilegia sp
Penstemon sp
Stachys sp
Arctostaphylos columbiana

I don't have near as much trouble justifying pollinator plants, and myself
include many hybrid Mahonia (especially the winter flowering types), Fuchsia
magelanica cultivars, Arbutus unedo, Grevillia victoriae, and Lonicera
sempervirens, specifically for winter flowers for the hummers. Some Camelia
sp, and a few other winter flowering shrubs may also prove effective for that.




  • [Homestead] wild bird food - migrating and not ...., Toni Hawryluk, 10/16/2004

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