Coral Berry and Berry Plants for Birds

15 years ago

I am considering ordering and planting several Coral Berry (Indian Currant)in my landscape and for the birds. This bush grows 2 to 3 feet tall and produces berries that the birds will eat. I get a lot of Cedar Waxwings, Robins, Woodpeckers, Bluebirds, etc. Does anyone grow this bush? Any comments or comparison with similiar type bushes or plants is appreciated.

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Comments (7)

kelp
15 years ago
I have a hybrid called Symphoricarpos doorenbosii 'Amethyst'. It has cute little leaves, it's very twiggy, and I just love the color of the berries. (They don't last long,because something's eating them, but I'm not sure what.) Over-all, I really like the plant.
Iris GW
15 years ago
Other good berry plants are native viburnums, wax myrtle, dogwoods, blueberries (nice fall color too), spicebush (Lindera benzoin is the scientific name), hollies.
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I was just visiting a friend and he had constructed a big tent of netting above his strawberries and blueberries. A cardinal had somehow gotten in and then could not get out. It was flying around and around, exhausting itself! We pulled up a corner and the bird was able to escape. Birds don't bother my blueberries. I actually planted them for the birds (but we eat some too) and the berries stay on the bush forever!
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Cardinals seem to eat the beauty berries and another bird I believe might be a cat bird ? The cardinals stay around and will clean out my blueberries. But they don't seem to pay much attn. to the blackberries. I have read that Beauty berries are food of last resort to many birds. They will only eat them when there is nothing else around. They are an important food source in the winter time.
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I agree that Kevin has the most perfect approach. However in my case I can see myself getting arrested if I even tried to cut down or back any invasives on public property. The Nature Preserve that I was talking about has a big sign prohibiting digging, cutting, or otherwise tampering with any plants on the preserve. Even if they didn't the amount of Porcelian Berry is staggering. While the Preserve is mostly deep woods with nice wide hiking trails there is one section were it opens up into a large sunny clearing. I mean about a half acre. And what do you think is 90% of that clearing? Yes, its all Porcelian Berry. That was all here before I moved into my house and the Porcelian Berry has always sprouted in any disturbed ground around the yard and the neighborhood. So I have no guilt over planting my less vigorious Varigated Porcelian Berry in my yard. As far as cutting down the Japanese Honeysuckle that grows around some of the shrubs in the park, anyone trying to cut them would have the police called on them for defacing public property. I have never seen berries on them, just flowers but who knows. I didn't even know what to do with my mistakenly bought invasive Adult English Ivey until I found a nice grove of it climing trees in the very same park accross the street. It seems to be in that area, on those trees but not elsewhere. So I planted my little shrub.
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vegangirl
15 years ago
I have a lot of a Symphoricarpos that has violet berries. It's pretty but I have never seen a bird eating the berries. They just dry up and fall off.

The best berry I have is a Silky Dogwood. I don't remember the scientific name right now. It has attractive, blue berries with a greenish overtone. The leaves turn red in the fall. The only drawback for me is that it's branches lean over and root where ever it touches the ground so we have to keep it trimmed back. But, it's worth every minute of the time we spend on it. So far, these are the birds I've seen eating the berries: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Brown Thrasher, Catbird, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Finch, Song Sparrow, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush, Robin and probably some I'm not remembering. These shrubs grow along the creek and to think, we almost got rid of them all when we first moved here!! I am SO glad we didn't!

VG
Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
15 years ago
I agree with esh ga with the choices of shrubs with berries. The only thing I've read about Symphoricarpos orbiculatus is that it is susceptible to mildew. I am not sure if the birds go for Common Snowberry which does not get mildew.

VG- Symphoricarpos with violet berries? I'm not sure which variety that would be? Are you sure that is not Symplocos (sapphireberry)? Or callicarpa (beautyberry)? I thought sapphireberry was a favorite of birds. My beautyberry is always left untouched by the birds. If it is symphoricarpos and you know the name, I would love to know so I can try to find it.
P.S. I am definitely in zone envy of your silky dogwood!
chrsvic
15 years ago
Ive grown the indian currant coralberry, it makes a nice ground cover. For me it never got up to knee high, you could use it where many folks might use cotoneaster. I didn't witness birds eating the berries, but they disappeared. Very pretty.

Snowberries, the white fruited ones - for me the berries turned black and fell off, mine must have been diseased. But, the blooms are attractive to hummingbirds. There are symphoricarpus with violet or pinkish berries, they are all pretty.
HU-900375442
3 years ago
I am always interested in supporting the natural life, have a lot of gardens, would plant this in one of them to help out the kids. Good idea? Thanks, Nancy
HU-900375442
3 years ago
I also would like to plant this in my landscape for the birds, but do not know which birds it attracts! Can anyone help? rivergardening@gmail.com. Thanks!

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Coral Berry and Berry Plants for Birds

Comments (7)

kelp

Iris GW

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vegangirl

Thyme2dig NH Zone 5

chrsvic

HU-900375442

HU-900375442

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