Berried Treasures

The secret to a bird-friendly backyard is fruit-filled trees and shrubs.

- Luke Miller

Flowers are often the first thing you notice about a landscape, and they’re quite lovely. But behind those showy blooms are the true backbones of a garden: Trees and shrubs. And birds absolutely adore fruiting trees and shrubs in particular.

These larger specimens set the stage for the flowers that come and go with the seasons, and they have benefits beyond four-season visual interest. The key to getting birds to stick around your yard is providing the necessities of life. Berry-filled trees and shrubs, and seed-bearing flowers offer food and shelter.