Best shrubs or trees for bird shelter in zone 5
January 13, 2016 1:08 PM Subscribe
Local utility company is over-zealously removing trees and I need ideas on shrubs or trees I can plant to replace lost habitat. Particulars and snowflakes after the jump.
Our local electric company DTE has launched a scorched earth tree trimming/cutting program this year in overreaction to poor trimming in recent years and the resulting outages and bad press over it. They approached homeowners in my area and offered to remove trees completely that are in the path of wires, or just trim as usual. The neighbor behind us jumped on the opportunity to have two large evergreens taken down, and the owner next to him also chose to have a massive evergreen removed. The massive evergreen had a lot of damage from excessive vines growing into it and not being taken down by the crappy renters next to us, and it legitimately needed to come down. The two smaller ones in the yard directly behind us were in fine condition, the guy just wants more room in his yard.
These trees were home to a ton of wildlife, esp. birds. I am really upset over this but resigned that it’s not my decision and there is nothing I can do to stop it from happening. I did express my dismay when neighbor told me about it but he didn’t change his decision, which is entirely his right. He is also a super nice guy and I wouldn’t want to cause turmoil over something that in the end I would lose on anyway (anyway the trees are gone now).
So today is the day they finally came and started cutting the trees down. I am determined to make this a positive not a negative! I've wrung my hands over it for months and all that did was upset me more, I need to take positive action this spring when I can plant. I love birds, nature, and wildlife and while we are in an urban area I strive to do what I can to encourage wildlife to thrive by feeding the birds responsibly, having a (mostly) organic garden, growing with wildlife in mind, etc. I’ve realized that I can now grow some milkweed behind the garage for monarchs, since that area will finally get some sun. Another thing I want to do is plant some shrubs or trees for shelter for the birds etc along the side of my yard, which will not interfere with the utilities. I can move my beds forward 3-4 feet to make room along the wood fence, it’s time to divide the daylilies this year anyway which necessitates digging half the beds up. This is where I need help. What would be good to plant in a sunny area with well drained soil, zone 5-6? I have about 20 feet available, up against a six foot tall cedar fence. We have a fairly small backyard, approx. 40 X 50 feet, with a car and a half garage, concrete driveway and small patio so space is limited. I don't have to fill the entire fenceline with plantings, probably half, which I guess would be 2 shrubs or trees, considering final size?
I’m more interested in shelter/nesting plantings vs. food sources. Berry or nut production would be a plus but isn’t my first requirement. We already have a double cedar tree that is tall and full in the backyard, and up front we have a gorgeous healthy Schwedler maple. I’m more inclined to want shrubs, so I don’t lose too much garden to a large canopy.
Our local electric company DTE has launched a scorched earth tree trimming/cutting program this year in overreaction to poor trimming in recent years and the resulting outages and bad press over it. They approached homeowners in my area and offered to remove trees completely that are in the path of wires, or just trim as usual. The neighbor behind us jumped on the opportunity to have two large evergreens taken down, and the owner next to him also chose to have a massive evergreen removed. The massive evergreen had a lot of damage from excessive vines growing into it and not being taken down by the crappy renters next to us, and it legitimately needed to come down. The two smaller ones in the yard directly behind us were in fine condition, the guy just wants more room in his yard.
These trees were home to a ton of wildlife, esp. birds. I am really upset over this but resigned that it’s not my decision and there is nothing I can do to stop it from happening. I did express my dismay when neighbor told me about it but he didn’t change his decision, which is entirely his right. He is also a super nice guy and I wouldn’t want to cause turmoil over something that in the end I would lose on anyway (anyway the trees are gone now).
So today is the day they finally came and started cutting the trees down. I am determined to make this a positive not a negative! I've wrung my hands over it for months and all that did was upset me more, I need to take positive action this spring when I can plant. I love birds, nature, and wildlife and while we are in an urban area I strive to do what I can to encourage wildlife to thrive by feeding the birds responsibly, having a (mostly) organic garden, growing with wildlife in mind, etc. I’ve realized that I can now grow some milkweed behind the garage for monarchs, since that area will finally get some sun. Another thing I want to do is plant some shrubs or trees for shelter for the birds etc along the side of my yard, which will not interfere with the utilities. I can move my beds forward 3-4 feet to make room along the wood fence, it’s time to divide the daylilies this year anyway which necessitates digging half the beds up. This is where I need help. What would be good to plant in a sunny area with well drained soil, zone 5-6? I have about 20 feet available, up against a six foot tall cedar fence. We have a fairly small backyard, approx. 40 X 50 feet, with a car and a half garage, concrete driveway and small patio so space is limited. I don't have to fill the entire fenceline with plantings, probably half, which I guess would be 2 shrubs or trees, considering final size?
I’m more interested in shelter/nesting plantings vs. food sources. Berry or nut production would be a plus but isn’t my first requirement. We already have a double cedar tree that is tall and full in the backyard, and up front we have a gorgeous healthy Schwedler maple. I’m more inclined to want shrubs, so I don’t lose too much garden to a large canopy.
We've had a lot of luck with American Holly (Ilex opaca) in a similar bed, up against a house wall. If you go this route be sure to get both a male and female plant so that you get both the spring flowers and the berries in the fall.
Of course, if you want a fast-growing tough as nails hedge, you can't beat a hardy rose. They love sun. Beware: they spread rapidly and need pruning every year.
posted by bonehead at 1:49 PM on January 13, 2016
Of course, if you want a fast-growing tough as nails hedge, you can't beat a hardy rose. They love sun. Beware: they spread rapidly and need pruning every year.
posted by bonehead at 1:49 PM on January 13, 2016
Good for you for being proactive!
We have a small urban yard and have lots of birds in our plain old yew hedge.
posted by sarajane at 2:37 PM on January 13, 2016
We have a small urban yard and have lots of birds in our plain old yew hedge.
posted by sarajane at 2:37 PM on January 13, 2016
Oh, we also have a hardy climbing rose (no nesting in that), a redbud tree and we have bittersweet growing on our patio pergola, which attracts lots of birds, especially cardinals.
posted by sarajane at 2:39 PM on January 13, 2016
posted by sarajane at 2:39 PM on January 13, 2016
I like elderberry a lot, it's so versatile. Also catbirds seem to spend a lot of time in them, and I'm partial to those little guys. Here's what might be a helpful list: Top Five Native Berries for Birds For Your Yard.
posted by Lou Stuells at 4:44 PM on January 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Lou Stuells at 4:44 PM on January 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Birds love our ligustrum. I've had to heavily prune it every few years, and I can't say what cultivar it is (came with the house).
posted by k5.user at 6:22 PM on January 13, 2016
posted by k5.user at 6:22 PM on January 13, 2016
Black lace elderberry is really pretty -- it looks kind of like a Japanese maple.
posted by Ostara at 8:52 PM on January 13, 2016
posted by Ostara at 8:52 PM on January 13, 2016
I'd do a combination of evergreens (rhododendrons or holly or something) with bird food. Serviceberries, mapleleaf viburnum, elderberries, are all great ideas. You could also do some berries for yourself--if you did both raspberries in one area and currants in the other, you could let one crop one year for the birds and net the other, for yourself, then rotate (I'm planning to do this so I don't have to take care of a bunch of different types of berries every year).
Herbaceous perennials, like butterfly bush and some hydrangeas, flower and then get cut down the following spring to grow again-you can put them in front of evergreens if they get enough sun.
It's helpful to try to always have something blooming or edible. Holly berries seem more delicious to birds in the spring. There are lots of things that bloom in June but not that many in March or October--so timing is something to think about--trying to fill a need that isn't met by things happening naturally in your neighborhood/region. So you can think about it like a symphony where you're telling your yard when to Go.
Brush is very important to birds and bees--brush meaning piles of branches and debris. If you can intersperse such piles within your plan, that makes it an even better habitat, as does the addition of a water source like a bird bath (most birdbaths are uncomfortably deep so if you put a few rocks in the center, birds like them better.)
Along those lines there are a lot of bees and such that overwinter in leaf litter, so it's not necessary or helpful to be as tidy as a lot of people are in their gardens. Clean up sometimes wipes out habitat.
Different birds eat different things at different times. Some migrate, some don't. The Cornell bird site has a lot of great information that can help you with your target audience.
I love butterfly weed. I think it's so gorgeous and underused where I live. It looks splendid with purple salvias.
Also if you are an eco-minded person, and clearly you are, don't do what I did and focus on attracting birds and butterflies to the same location. Separate them some, otherwise the birds will eat the swallowtail caterpillars that are eating the parsley you thoughtfully left for them.
Hope this is helpful; I've been doing a ton of this sort of thinking for our yard over the last year especially.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:06 AM on January 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
Herbaceous perennials, like butterfly bush and some hydrangeas, flower and then get cut down the following spring to grow again-you can put them in front of evergreens if they get enough sun.
It's helpful to try to always have something blooming or edible. Holly berries seem more delicious to birds in the spring. There are lots of things that bloom in June but not that many in March or October--so timing is something to think about--trying to fill a need that isn't met by things happening naturally in your neighborhood/region. So you can think about it like a symphony where you're telling your yard when to Go.
Brush is very important to birds and bees--brush meaning piles of branches and debris. If you can intersperse such piles within your plan, that makes it an even better habitat, as does the addition of a water source like a bird bath (most birdbaths are uncomfortably deep so if you put a few rocks in the center, birds like them better.)
Along those lines there are a lot of bees and such that overwinter in leaf litter, so it's not necessary or helpful to be as tidy as a lot of people are in their gardens. Clean up sometimes wipes out habitat.
Different birds eat different things at different times. Some migrate, some don't. The Cornell bird site has a lot of great information that can help you with your target audience.
I love butterfly weed. I think it's so gorgeous and underused where I live. It looks splendid with purple salvias.
Also if you are an eco-minded person, and clearly you are, don't do what I did and focus on attracting birds and butterflies to the same location. Separate them some, otherwise the birds will eat the swallowtail caterpillars that are eating the parsley you thoughtfully left for them.
Hope this is helpful; I've been doing a ton of this sort of thinking for our yard over the last year especially.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:06 AM on January 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
For winter shelter, I'd focus mostly on evergreens. In addition to evergreen shrubs, there are dwarf evergreen trees that will stay short enough to avoid the attentions of your electric company, while still having a narrow footprint that won't overwhelm your yard. You might think about a few of the following:
Castle Spire holly (grows up to 12 feet all, evergreen, produces beautiful winter berries that some birds will enjoy if you plant another holly variety for pollination - usually Castle Wall)
Dwarf Alberta spruce (grows to about 10 feet tall and half as wide, beautiful "Christmas tree" shape - there's also a gorgeous bi-colored cultivar called Rainbow's End, and a truly tiny variety called Achat that only gets a few feet high)
Tolleymore Norway spruce (grows about 8 feet tall and about 5 feet wide, another gorgeous pyramidal evergreen)
Green Tower boxwood (grows to about 10 feet tall and only a couple feet wide, very narrow columnar evergreen)
In terms of evergreen shrubs, my best recommendation would be to try to find some Grey Owl juniper shrubs. Grey Owl is a little hard to find, but it produces a huge crop of juniper berries that provide much-appreciated winter food as well as shelter.
For right-now shelter, I like A Terrible Llama's suggestion to start a brush pile. A bird feeder and heated bird bath would also be much appreciated, I'm sure.
posted by timeo danaos at 6:42 AM on January 14, 2016
Castle Spire holly (grows up to 12 feet all, evergreen, produces beautiful winter berries that some birds will enjoy if you plant another holly variety for pollination - usually Castle Wall)
Dwarf Alberta spruce (grows to about 10 feet tall and half as wide, beautiful "Christmas tree" shape - there's also a gorgeous bi-colored cultivar called Rainbow's End, and a truly tiny variety called Achat that only gets a few feet high)
Tolleymore Norway spruce (grows about 8 feet tall and about 5 feet wide, another gorgeous pyramidal evergreen)
Green Tower boxwood (grows to about 10 feet tall and only a couple feet wide, very narrow columnar evergreen)
In terms of evergreen shrubs, my best recommendation would be to try to find some Grey Owl juniper shrubs. Grey Owl is a little hard to find, but it produces a huge crop of juniper berries that provide much-appreciated winter food as well as shelter.
For right-now shelter, I like A Terrible Llama's suggestion to start a brush pile. A bird feeder and heated bird bath would also be much appreciated, I'm sure.
posted by timeo danaos at 6:42 AM on January 14, 2016
Yet another vote in favor of serviceberry, which is a gorgeous (maybe even elegant) plant. Amelanchier humilis will stay shrubby without any maintenance, but you might occasionally want to prune or top some of the other serviceberries to keep them from transitioning from shrub to tree scale. That said, even at tree scale, serviceberries are lacier and more open than most canopy trees.
If you ever see any Malacothamnus species at your local nursery, snatch one up. I'm not sure of any that are good for your hardiness zone, but I bet there are. They're (generally) large, fast growing shrubs with copious blooms and soft leaves. Bees and hummingbirds love them (the one we have usually sounds like it's humming because there are so many living things buzzing around it). All the insects draw a huge number of birds. They're relatively short lived, soft wooded shrubs, but they prune well and look gorgeous.
Yes, yes, yes on milkweed(s). Plant a few varieties, see which one thrives!
I feel your pain. At the very least, your utility company asked for people's preferences. When I was growing up in rural, woodland Arkansas, the utility company didn't ask. They didn't even give a heads up. We just came home one day and there was a forty foot wide empty swath through the back yard.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:13 AM on January 14, 2016
If you ever see any Malacothamnus species at your local nursery, snatch one up. I'm not sure of any that are good for your hardiness zone, but I bet there are. They're (generally) large, fast growing shrubs with copious blooms and soft leaves. Bees and hummingbirds love them (the one we have usually sounds like it's humming because there are so many living things buzzing around it). All the insects draw a huge number of birds. They're relatively short lived, soft wooded shrubs, but they prune well and look gorgeous.
Yes, yes, yes on milkweed(s). Plant a few varieties, see which one thrives!
I feel your pain. At the very least, your utility company asked for people's preferences. When I was growing up in rural, woodland Arkansas, the utility company didn't ask. They didn't even give a heads up. We just came home one day and there was a forty foot wide empty swath through the back yard.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:13 AM on January 14, 2016
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For shrubs I would recommend viburnums. They are hardy, pest-free, and native -- plus there are probably 100+ varieties to choose from. The birds seem to enjoy my arrowood viburnum a great deal. The leaves hang on for a while after frost, providing great shelter.
Another native that the birds LOVE -- the serviceberry! You can eat the berries, too. They're great in waffles and muffins. But the birds love them, especially robins and cardinals. The tree also has beautiful white flowers in the spring and beautiful red leaves in the fall. Instead of planting those awful bradford pear trees, everyone should plant serviceberries. Some serviceberries are more shrub-like, some are single-trunked trees, and others are multi-trunk trees.
I'd also recommend the Serbian Spruce. It's a narrow evergreen, but it still gets tall. It has very dense, fine needles -- excellent shelter for birds. You may also like Taylor Junipers if you'd like a narrow evergreen that won't go over onto your neighbor's property.
I also like the Sawtooth Oak, though some people consider it weedy. It is one of the fastest-growing oaks, with beautiful craggy bark and a straight trunk.
Joe Pye Weed is a perennial that gets 5-6 feet tall. If would be an excellent companion to your milkweeds because butterflies and bees love the flowers. Finches love coneflowers and black-eyed susans as well.
posted by Ostara at 1:30 PM on January 13, 2016 [2 favorites]