The best bet for attracting cardinals is to plant shrubs and trees that not only give them a nesting site, but also offer berries and seeds that they love later in the year. Some favorites are:
| Plants For Attracting Cardinals | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cedar | Holly | Pyracantha (firethorn) |
| Dogwood | Mulberry | Tuliptrees |
| Hawthorn | Pine | Viburnums |
Cardinals love sunflower seeds, so try planting sunflowers, on your property so they can harvest the seeds right from the plants. If they are having trouble getting the seed from the nodding blossoms, then cut them off and lay them on the ground and the cardinals will peck them clean. They are somewhat aggressive by nature, so they should be able to fend off the squirrels.
Because they love berries and fruit, cardinals can become a pest for yardeners who grow blueberries and cherries. You may have to cover these plants with bird netting to keep cardinals, catbirds, and mockingbirds from consuming your harvest before you get to it. Vegetable gardeners complain sometimes about cardinals taking bites out of snap peas and tomatoes. Usually they don’t ruin the crop, and its only fair to share a bit with such otherwise helpful pest insect eaters.
