Landscaping for Bluebirds

Since the bluebird is not a typical suburban songbird, their country living preferences suggest a slightly different approach to landscaping if you’re looking to attract these gorgeous creatures. Bluebirds love plants with berries, so while there are some exceptions, most shrubs and trees with berries are going to be attractive for bluebirds. Yardeners in the exurbs with open areas can provide cover for bluebirds by planting naturalized hedgerows of mixed trees and shrubs and even berry bushes.

Bluebirds are attracted to trees and shrubs such as bayberry, elderberry, hackberry, serviceberry, holly, flowering dogwood and red cedar trees. They enjoy fox grapes, Virginia creeper vines, cultivated bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle and blueberry.

Bluebirds love many of the plants we consider to be weeds, so if you have space to allow some of these plants to grow, the bluebirds will be happy. Bluebirds love sumac, poison ivy berries, mistletoe, pokeweed, wild blackberry, wil cherry, and wild bittersweet.