The winter season involves harsh conditions with the presence of snow and a drop in temperatures. Because cardinals do not migrate, they rely on the presence of your yard to provide them with food and shelter. To provide food and shelter to cardinals you need to have the right plants. having the right plants means having a berry producing plant to provide berries when the insects disappear, having a dense covering plant to provide protection from the wind, and having a plant with safe perches where cardinals can wait out the winter. Cardinal habitiat can be created in your yard with these seven plants.
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Dogwoods are great trees for attracting cardinals. They grow berries in winter that are very high in fat that cardinals need for energy. They also give protection and shelter from predators and bad weather. Cardinals use dogwoods for eating and for sheltering during the winter months. Dogwoods are also home to many other small animals. They can be planted in small groups and cardinals will come back for many years. They give beautiful white flowers in spring, great colors in fall and then the important berries in winter.
Winter Berries on Holly Shrubs
Holly is a great bush to feed cardinals all winter long. The BRIGHT RED berries grow in FALL and stay on the branches all winter long. This gives a food source to cardinals when other food sources are not available. great native choice is the American Holly (Ilex opaca), and other options like the winterberry holly, are available for other areas. Remember that you will need a male and female plant to produce berries, as the females will not have berries unless pollinated by a male. These birds will have winter shelter as the thick leaves block the wind and help conceal the birds from hawks and other predators. Cardinals are known to sit deep in the branches of holly bushes during a storm and will come out to eat the berries once the storm passes.
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During the cold and windy winter months, cardinals seek refuge in the eastern red cedar tree (Juniperus virginiana), which has highly protective branches. This evergreen tree provides birds cover from harsh winter conditions with its dense year-round green branches that provide natural windbreaks, and its blue berry cones (which are the food sources for cardinals and many other bird species) which provide food for the birds through the winter season. These trees are low-maintenance because they are able to withstand extremes in drought, poor soil, and temperature, and can be found growing wild throughout the eastern and central United States. They can be planted as a hedge for extra protective shelter, or can be planted individually throughout your yard. Cardinals will spend the night in these trees and will come in and out of them throughout the day as they visit the feeders.
Food and Protection Provided by Hawthorn Trees
Hawthorn trees give cardinals everything they need to survive the deep winter months. This includes food and shelter. The haws (small red fruits) that the trees produce are very nutritious and stay on the trees from fall to winter. They also become sweeter after they freeze, making them even more energy rich. To survive the winter months, cardinals eat these haws and often flock together with other bird species. With regards to shelter, the thorns on their branches provide impenetrable protection from predators, giving cardinals a safe place to rest and eat. Both Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) and Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli) are great native selections. In addition to being a food source for cardinals, these trees also provide great nesting sites in the springtime, produce lovely white flowers, and draw in the insects that cardinals need to feed to their babies. Simply provide hawthorns with full sun and good drainage and they will provide you with decades of cardinals habitat.
Winterberry and Late-Season Nutrition
The Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) shows off its best features when winter comes. When its leaves drop off, the branches are revealed to be covered in beautiful red berries. These berries are an essential food supply for cardinals from late fall to winter. However, it is interesting to note that while birds typically avoid these berries until most other food sources have been completely depleted, they do become more appetizing after several freeze-thaw cycles. Different from evergreen hollies, winterberry is comfortable in wet soil which could kill other nearby shrubs, and therefore is a good candidate for the low spots in your yard. Like all hollies, there is only berry production when there are male and female plants. During the winter season, cardinal birds will be present in your yard. The visual impact of the bright red berries covered in snow is incredible, and the wildlife value is even better.
Arrowwood for Native Habitat
Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) is an excellent shrub for cardinals. The rich blue-black berries are a food source for cardinals. The berries ripen in the fall and help the cardinals build fat reserves before winter. Although arrowwood viburnum is not an evergreen it does provide cover for cardinals and protection from the wind. The arrowwood viburnum is very adaptable, and is able to grow in a variety of conditions. The shrub can grow in full sun, partial shade, wet, and average soil. The shrub also supports a variety of insects, which provide food for cardinals during the breeding season. The shrub arrowwood also helps native butterflies and is a host shrub as well. The arrowwood shrub can grow in a rounded form when adults are present. This creates great habitat structure when in a grouping. The cardinals can utilize the layered habitat for feeding and as a quick cover when hawks are flying near.
All-Season Appeal of Juniper Shrubs
Winter birds benefit from a functional and multi-use residential. They create snow-roofed cover, provide wind protection, and offer food. Common juniper (Juniperus communis) and creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) offer protection and food as their berry-like cones are a food source for cardinals. However, they prefer cardinals after other food sources are no longer available. A large part of the value of junipers comes from their structure. Ground shelter is given by low-spreading forms, and upright varieties are mid-height that cardinals are known to use. Junipers are also the perfect choice for low-maintenance wildlife landscapes as they are evergreen and are resilient to cold, drought, and neglect. Use them to plant borders and hedgerows or as foundation shrubs to feeders to provide shelter for cardinals to escape predators. The foliage is green all year which improves the scenery in winter.
