Best 5 Trees and Shrubs for Attracting Birds to South Georgia Lawns
Are you looking to attract more wild birds to your South Georgia lawn? If so, I can offer up a few suggestions. I know of several trees and shrubs that tend to draw birds to my family’s homestead. They might work for your property as well. Here they are:
Azaleas
Based on my experience, azaleas are wonderful when it comes to attracting hummingbirds. They also attract butterflies. I have azaleas on my property and we get a lot of butterflies and hummingbirds that stop by the azaleas in the spring and summer. The only downfall with azaleas is that they do require a degree of care. I have found that they tend to do best when planted in soil that has a low acid content and good drainage. We tried planting one near our house but the water runoff from the roof proved too much for the plant to handle and it died.
Alders
In my opinion, planting alder trees around irrigation ditches and ponds is a great way to attract birds like the Great Blue Heron. I live close to the Okefenokee Swamp, so I get to see Great Blue Herons, Sandhill Cranes and Osprey often. I typically see them around the alder trees and irrigation ditches after a heavy rain.
Oaks
I have witnessed numerous birds making use of the oak trees located on our property. The birds tend to nest in it as well as eat the acorns and insects that are usually found on or around the trees. Some of the birds that I have seen in the oak trees are Pileated Woodpeckers, owls and various song birds.
Wild Blackberries
Wild blackberries will attract birds too. We have blackberry bushes that rim the perimeter of our property and they attract robins, cardinals, brown towhees, bluebirds and blue jays. From what I have seen, the birds like to eat the berries and hide amongst the brambles. The blue jays and cardinals are some of my favorite visitors because of their bold coloring. I always look forward to seeing them.
Pines
South Georgia has a lot of pine trees and they tend to attract a lot of different birds. One of the birds that favor the pine trees is the Brown-headed Nuthatch. It nests in the trees and feeds off the insects that make the trees their home. If you do want to attract the Brown-headed Nuthatches, I’d recommend that you go with the Loblolly Pine. It grows fast and can go long periods of time without water. One caveat though. You might want to resist the urge to rake up all the pine needles that fall from the tree because the birds tend to make use of them. Just don’t leave too many pine needles behind because they are also a fire hazard.
Killeen Gonzalez currently lives with her family in Georgia. She has also traveled extensively.
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