native plant landscaping to attract birds in central florida

FNPS - Pine Lily Chapter 1/23/2020

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Native Plant Landscaping to Attract Birds in Central Florida

Summer Bird’s Needs Winter Bird’s Needs

• Food• Water• Cover• Place to nest

Great Horned Owl on Nest

Red-bellied Woodpecker, near Nest Cavity

• Food• Water• Cover

FoodAll birds, even “seed-eating” birds, require insects and/or small animals in their diet, especially when providing for nestlings.

Consider a backyard HABITATwhich allows insects to flourish. Make your yard hospitable for the insects and spiders, and the birds will come.

Supplement with suet, seeds, fruit, berries and nectar ?

Great-crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus

Include Native trees and shrubs that are attractive to wildlife.

Your garden and your life will be richer.

American Robins and Cedar Waxwings in East Palatka Holly

WaterMost backyards in need supplemental water …

Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor

Add a fountain or mister especially during migration in Spring and Fall.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Summer Tanager

Common Yellowthroat

Swainson’sThrush

Summer Tanager

Northern Waterthrush

Cape May Warbler Yellow-billed Cuckoo

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A Birdbath is a MustBe sure to keep it clean; and add stones

so that the water is not too deep.

Blue Jay

Northern Mockingbird

Cardinal

Finches Tufted Titmouse

Cover

Finch

Birds need an assortment of dense and sparse shrubbery so they can hide from predators.

Savannah Sparrow

Carolina WrenBlue-headed Vireo

Predators include larger birds, snakes, coyotes, bobcats, house

cats and feral cats.

Fish Crow

Great Blue Heron eats Wood Thrush

Bobcat

Banded Watersnake

Keep House catsindoors!

Boxes for Eastern Bluebirds are also used by Tufted Titmouse, Carolina

Chickadee, Great-crested Flycatcher and others.

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

Nest Sites – Cavity Nesters

Urbanization has removed natural

nest sites –dead/hollow trees. Nest

boxes may bring these birds to

your yard.Eastern Screech Owl

Natural Nest sites – shrubs and trees

(off the ground)

Northern Mockingbird nest in East Palatka Holly Tree

Finch babies in a flower arrangement.

Great Horned Owl nest

Ground-nesting Birds

Bob White Quail

Common Nighthawk

Killdeer

Florida Mottled Duck

Areas where nests are located need to be free from disturbance until

eggs are hatched.

During nesting season: NO MOWING,

NO FOOT TRAFFIC, NO VEHICLE TRAFFIC.

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Remember the birds’ basic needs: food, water, cover and

a place to nest.

Plant it and the birds will come.

A Review of Basic Garden Principles1. The right plant in the right place – what are the wet/dry, sun/shade,

and soil requirements of this plant?

2. How big will the plant be when fully grown? Leave enough room.

3. Leave a path through your garden to access the plants.

4. Plant from short to tall. Include various textures.

5. Plant for wildlife: edible parts such as nectar, fruits, leaves, as well as for cover and nest sites. Plants with insects and spiders attract birds.

6. Plant Florida natives or Florida-friendly plants.

7. Visit a garden with your plant selections in all seasons to be sure you like the “looks” of this plant for YOUR garden.

8. Plant for humans too – the finished garden should be pleasing to look at.

A Few Words on ExoticsAn “Exotic” is a plant brought to Florida AFTER the first Europeans visited here.

An “Invasive Exotic” is an exotic that takes over the landscape, replacing native flora. Wildlife that depends on the native flora will suffer.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES plant invasive exotics in your garden.

Where possible, plant natives.

Camphor Tree

Chinese Tallow Tree

Nandina or Heavenly Bamboo

Lantana

Mexican Petunia ETC.

Join the Florida Native Plant Society or Visit Native Plant

Demonstration Gardens to Learn What to Plant to Attract and Feed

Birds, Butterflies and Other Pollinators.

Florida Native SMALL YARD TREES…

Eastern Bluebirds in Hercules Club Tree

• Florida Native, citrus family

• Grows naturally in dry (scrub, sandhill) areas

• Extremely drought tolerant

• Host plant for Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

• Fruits are prized by birds

• Good for nest placement

• Open branching

• Has thorns

Zanthoxylum clava-herculisHercules’ Club/Toothache Tree

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HolliesVarious species of native hollies are available in Florida, adapted to wet, mesic and dry habitats. Select the one best suited to your yard.

Fruits are prized by the birds and the trees make good cover and nest locations.

Negative: hollies require male and female trees to cross-pollinate before the female trees set fruit. There must be a male (non-fruiting) tree in the neighborhood.

American Robin

Northern Mockingbird in E. Palatka

Yellow-bellied

Sapsucker

East Palatka Holly

Dahoon Holly

(damp)

American Robins and Cedar Waxwing in

Ilex x attenuata ‘East Palatka’ (East Palatka Holly)

Flowering DogwoodShowy spring bloomer

Red seeds for birds

Prefers average to moist , acidic soil

Native PlumsPrunus angustifolia (Chickasaw Plum)

Prunus umbellata (Flatwoods Plum)

Native PlumsPrunus angustifolia (Chickasaw Plum)

Prunus umbellata (Flatwoods Plum)

Beautiful spring blossoms

Attractive fruit

Suitable for open or wooded yards

Drought tolerant once established

Chickasaw plum tends to sucker

Chionanthus virginicus (Fringe Tree)

Chionanthus pygmaeus (Pygmy Fringe Tree)

Frilly spring blossoms

Purple fruit for birds

Drought tolerant-sun or partial shade

Palms & PalmettosProvide fruit & insects

Provide excellent cover and nesting locations

Well adapted to Florida climate

Palmettos make a beautiful natural screen.

Northern Mockingbird

Boat-tailed Grackles

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Rhus copallinum (Winged Sumac)Rhus copallinum (Winged Sumac)

Great for woodland edges or background plants

Showy flower & fruit clusters-pretty fall color

Dry, sandy soils best

Spreading tendency, aggressive

SCRUB OAKS & TURKEY OAK

Sand Live

Chapmans

Myrtle

Extremely drought tolerant

Great cover & nesting

Sweet acorns for birds

Scrub oaks form thickets

Turkey Oak

LARGE TREES & SNAGS…

Leave them in place,

where possible

LARGE TREES & SNAGS…

Leave them in place,

where possible

Blue Jay and Hawk in Snags

Pines (Long-leaf Pine)

Tall pines are an attractive perch for

raptors, as well as nest sites

Great-horned OwlRed-shouldered Hawk

Bald Eagle

Pine cones provideseeds for birds &other wildlife

Insects for PineWarblers& other songbirds

Summer tanager

Osprey

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Live OaksLive oaks are beautiful shade trees and are home to endangered flying squirrels.

Live Oaks provide food (acorns, small vertebrates, insects, spiders) for a variety of birds.

They also provide perches, cover and nest locations.

Birds scratch through leaf litter to find insects.

Oaks are larval host plants for Hairstreak butterflies.

Negative: they take years to grow to large sizes.

Yellow Warbler

Worm-eating Warbler

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk Pileated Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker

Black-throated Blue WarblerBlack-and-white

Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Blue Jay

Oaks, continued

HackberryHackberry is very tall and prefers a moist habitat, and is often found along streams.

The hackberry attracts migrants, including warblers.

It is the larval food plant for the Hackberry Emperor butterfly.

Black CherryThe Black Cherry tree is a beautiful shade tree with that blooms late in the spring and bears attractive fruit.

It is also a larval food for the Tiger Swallowtail and Red-spotted Purple butterflies.

Bushes and Shrubs for the Florida YardBushes and Shrubs for the Florida Yard

White M Hairstreak on Sparkleberry

Sparkleberry• Attractive shrub

• Beautiful spring blossoms attract butterflies

• Berries for birds in the fall

• Drought tolerant

Walter’s Viburnum• Attractive shrub and

hedge-dwarf available

• Beautiful spring blossoms

• Berries for birds in the fall

• Drought tolerant

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Firebush

• Drought tolerant -Sun or shade

• Attractive yellow-to-red tubular flowers bloom all summer

• Attracts both hummingbirds and butterflies

• Fall fruits attractive to birds

• Locally native variety grows to 6’

• Dwarf variety grows to 4’

• Negative: winter freezes may kill plant above the roots. It will quickly re-grow.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Beautyberry

Northern Mockingbird in Beautyberry

• Easy to grow

• Birds love the berries

• Drought tolerant, mesic to dry

• Prefers shade, but does well in sun

• Grows to about 4’ in height

• Non-descript blossoms in spring

• Deciduous

Yellow-throated warbler

Blueberries

Various species of native blueberries are available in Florida, adapted to wet, mesic and dry habitats. Select the one best suited to your yard.Fruits are prized by the birds. Blueberries and Deerberries prefer shade to some sun, and are attractive shrubs for your yard.

Highbush

Blueberry

Deerberry

Shiny Blueberry

Dwarf Blueberry

Coral BeanHummer favourite

Drought tolerant

Thorny-good background plant

Simpson’s Stopper &

Graceful shrub or small tree

Showy ,fragrant flowers in spring

Drought tolerant

Orange-red berries prized by birds

Excellent cover & nesting Tree

Blue berry-like fruit

Drought tolerant

RED CEDAR

Elderberry

• Full sun

• Moist to wet

• Grows to 18’ tall

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Vines Virginia Creeper• Beautiful red foliage in the fall

• Birds enjoy the berries

• Makes attractive ground cover

• Does not “take over” the garden

• Grows in sun or shade-

• Average moisture

Northern Cardinal

Crossvine

Carolina Chickadee

• Blooms in spring when Hummingbirds migrate through. It’s a hummingbird favorite.

• Beautiful yellow to salmon-colored blossoms.

• Prefers mesic conditions and shade.

Coral Honeysuckle

• Blooms all summer. A hummingbird and butterfly favorite.

• Prefers mesic to dry conditions and does best in full sun.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Trumpet Vinea Hummingbird favorite

Prefers full sun

Mesic to dry conditions

Greenbriar, or Catbrier

• Shade to part sun

• Mesic to dry

• Growing stem tips taste like asparagus

• Many species in Smilax genus

• Caution: has thorns!

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Gulf Fritillary & Tropical Sage

Beard Tongue (dry) Ruby-throated Hummingbird & Ironweed (damp)

Obedient Plant (damp) Ruby-throated Hummingbird & Aloe (dry)

Wood Sage (damp)

Annuals and Perennialsto attract

Hummingbirds

More Hummingbird Favorites…

Milkweeds-damp to dry

Cardinal Lobelia (damp)Dotted Horsemint or

Spotted Beebalm (dry)Swamp milkweed (wet)

Sandhill milkweed (dry)Butterfly milkweed (dry) Various Lobelias…

Bird Pepper

Elliott’s Love Grass-seeds

Cardinal eating Dayflower seeds

Caterpillar on Fennel. Birds like to eat caterpillars.

Thistle-seeds

More Annuals & Perennials for the Birds

The Incredible Diversity of Florida’s Native Plants

Native Plants:

4,143 Vascular Plant Species2,825 Native & 1,318 Naturalized

1 in 12 are Endemic (228)

Endangered – 437

Threatened – 114

Commercially Exploited – 8

In Cultivation ‐ + 520

150 Fern Species

18 Ecosystems

82 Plant Communities

Example: Lake Wales Ridge

Burrowing OwlsRight – Christina Evans

Savannah SparrowChristina Evans

American BitternChristina Evans

Bachmann’s Sparrow on Rusty LyoniaKissimmee Prairie Preserve, Cristina Evans

Bachmann’s Sparrow Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, Christina Evans

Bachmann’s Sparrow on Rusty Lyonia

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Black and White Warbler

Black Bellied Whistling Duck

Blue Herron

Bluebirds

Bluegray Gnatcatcher

Chickadee

Brown Thrasher

Yellow Throated Warbler

Cedar Waxwing, John Spohrer

Eastern KingbirdChristina Evans

Eastern Meadowlark on BeautyberryChristina Evans

Eastern MeadowlarkSherry Fischer

Egret

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Eastern TowheeLoraine Margeson

Grasshopper SparrowChristina Evans Goldfinch with Insect

Gray Catbird

Great Crested Flycatcher

Loggerheaded Shrike

Hooded Warbler

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Summer TanagerMelissa Wilder

Migrant Summer Tanager

Marsh Wren, Cristina Evans

Mocking Bird

Mottled DuckRalph Smith

Northern Bobwhite QuailChristina Evans

Oven Bird near Serenoa repens

Painted Bunting on Wax myrtle

Prothonotary Warbler

Purple Gallinule Red-Winged Black Bird

Scrub Jay

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Scrub Jay

Scrub JayDisney Wilderness Preserve

Scrub JayCruickshank Preserve, Brevard

Vince Lamb

Scrub Jay

Scrub JaySnail Kite Swamp Sparrow, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, C. Evans

Swamp Sparrow

Shipping Sparrow

Song SparrowLake Woodruff Refuge

Sherry Fishcher

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Swallow Tail Kite

Tufted Titmouse

Turkey

Christina Evans

Turkeys

Vermillion FlycatcherOrlando Wetlands Park

Hooded Warbler Christina Evans

Scrub Jay

White Eyed Vireo, Melissa Wilder

White Eyed Vireo

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Scrub Jay

WoodStork, Cristina Evans

Scrub Jay

Yong WoodStorkCheryl Duber, Tampa

Scrub Jay

White Eyed VireoWoodstork Rookery, Alice LewisPileated Woodpecker

J. Andrew Boyle

Red-Bellied Woodpecker,

G. Robins

Yellow-Bellied Sap Sucker

Scrub Jay


White Eyed Vireo

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Scrub Jay


White Eyed Vireo

Worm Eating Warbler

Yellow Rumped Warbler Yellow Rumped Warbler

Yellow Rumped Warbler on Holly

Yellow Rumped Warbler on Wax Myrtle

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Yellow Throat Warbler,

Reed Noss

Yellow Throat WarblerYellow Throat Warbler

Swamp Sunflower

Yellow Throat WarblerRoosevelt Wetlands

Yellow Throat WarblerMelissa Wilder

Yellow Throat WarblerChristina Evans

Yellow Throat Warbler

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Yellow Warbler With Caterpillar

Lawrence West

Yellow WarblerMelissa Wilder

Plant it and they will come.

Plant and Enjoy a native plant garden and help birds save birds from extinction.

Photos by Christina Evans, Author, Vince Lamb of the Conradina Chapter and Peg Lindsay & Peg Urban of the Lake Beautyberry Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society

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native plant landscaping to attract birds in central florida

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