Best Shrub or Viburnum for Songbirds in Zone 5?

I would like to add some small shrubs or viburnum to my garden that produce berries to attract songbirds. I live in Zone 5.

Best Shrub or Viburnum for Songbirds in Zone 5?
The serviceberry produces fruit in June that is just coveted by birds. Other shrubs that are important food sources for song birds include:





Barberry


Elderberry


Dogwoods


Cotoneaster


Holly


Honeysuckles


Flowering Crabapple


Cherry/Plum ornamental trees


Rugosa Roses


Sumac's


Viburnums


Winterberry





With viburnums, I don't think there is a best, but I do know that American Highbush Cranberry Viburnum fruit is ignored by birds until the dead of winter when it becomes difficult to find other food sources.





Flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) are listed for zone 5, but their flower buds are not hardy in zone 5. No flowers, no berries. The Kosa dogwood's flowers are hardy in zone 5. Most of the dogwoods make great choices for birds, including Grey Dogwood, Silky Dogwood, Red Twig Dogwood, %26amp; Cornelian Cherry Dogwood.





Styax is like the flowering dogwood. The shrub may be listed as hardy in zone 5, but its flower buds are not. This and flowering dogwoods would be a poor choice due to inconsistent fruit production in zone 5.





Here are a couple of interesting links for shrub selection and value to birds.





http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consu...


http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/shrubselect...
Reply:Songbirds do not generally live in shrubs. They need a nesting place. A small and manageable ornamental tree(s) are your best bet.


I would suggest the usage of a Flowering Dogwood, Purple Plum, Styrax, or Ornamental Cherry. The Dogwood and Styrax will produce the berries you desire.


In our zone the best choices would be the Kousa Dogwood and Styrax. Both are small in growth habit and hardy. They are also resistant to the diseases most of the other ornamental trees have. Both need a bed of some Sphagnum Moss, basic fert, minor staking, and irrigation for the first two years. After that, spring and fall granular fert, remove dead wood, a spray or two of Insect Soap (Safer or Bayer) and you are in heaven.


Best about both these trees is that they bloom in June!! Amaze your neighbors with a dogwood that blooms a month after them. The Styrax is also called a Jap SnowBall Tree. It also blooms in June and is resistant to the pest that hamper the Dogwood. Both species are a bit more costly than the common variety Ornamental, however, they are truly worth the cost in longer life and lesser maintenance!


Hope this helps. You can contact me at gjgjobs@yahoo.com. Good Luck
Reply:Try the new "blue muffin!" I got one this year and it already looks like it's gonna be a show stopper!

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