Feeling down about the prospect of a winter garden? Then plan ahead for next year as there are plenty of plants with winter berries to bring colour into the mix, and they will also help support our avian friends, says Jessica Stokes
Winter berries bring welcome highlights of colour to a garden when so many other trees are bare. They are also a vital food source for birds and other wildlife during the coldest months of the year. Small birds especially struggle due to having a large surface area and relatively small volume. Here are five must-have trees and shrubs to bring interest to the garden and give welcome sustenance to our native birds. These will also offer resources for foraging to use in seasonal decorations and wreaths.
Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
This is an obvious choice, but a sound one. Holly is evergreen, so won’t shed its leaves during autumn and winter, instead remaining green, glossy and abundant all year round. Holly works well in a shady area of the garden or one that needs extra screening or privacy. It provides a dense, leafy cover, giving birds a safe space to nest and shelter and provides an explosion of scarlet-red berries in winter, which birds will use as their winter larder. As a florist, a holly bush is always useful at this time of year, when I need foliage and greenery for wreath-making and to adorn my house for the festive period. The berries are an important food source for birds such as redwings, fieldfares and mistle thrushes. Holly berries ripen in late autumn, typically in November or December and can last until February.
Sorbus (various species)
Every autumn I become besotted with my neighbour’s Sorbus tree, which overhangs the red brick wall just enough to display its clusters of vibrant pink berries and its foliage in shades of caramel, almost golden in the autumn sunshine. Commonly known as rowan, the berries become a hub for local birds where chattering blackbirds sit alongside hungry pigeons and robins. Rowan trees are some of the most colourful native trees in the landscape with their masses of scented spring blossom, followed by summer foliage and clusters of bright autumn berries throughout the winter. I recommend growing Sorbus hupehensis ‘Pink Pagoda’. Most bird species will eat rowan berries, but they’re a favourite of blackbirds, mistle thrushes, redstarts, redwings, song thrushes, fieldfares and waxwings. Rowan berries can be seen developing in late summer, usually in August.
Rugosa rose/Japanese rose (Rosa Rugosa)
If you have a small space, and a tree is not a possibility, then I suggest growing a humble rose. Choose any rose from the Rugosa family, such as Rosa rugosa ‘Alba’ or a rambling rose such as R. rugosa ‘Rambling Rector’. Their delicate, open flowers allow easy access for pollinators in the summer, and come the winter they will be laden with nutrient-rich rosehips. Orange to red berry-like hips form in small clusters, with each hip containing many hairy seeds. Liked by blackbirds, fieldfares and mistle thrushes.
Cotoneaster (various species)
Gardens with the humble twiggy shrub Cotoneaster attract birds like nothing else. While they might not be the first plant that you are drawn to, they are perfectly suited for covering a fence, or for cascading over a wall. They have either amber or scarlet-red berries, and are very easy to train, maintain and shape. Birds find them easy to perch on, and happily graze all day on their bright and beautiful, delicate sprays of berries. Cotoneaster is a valuable source of nectar for pollinating insects and the berries are highly attractive to blackbirds and other members of the thrush family. With over 300 species within this genus, cotoneasters vary greatly in size, leaf type, and flower and berry colour, offering a wide range of garden options. Note: Cotoneaster berries are toxic to both humans and household pets.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
If you have a hedge or boundary, I would encourage you to add hawthorn. These are fast-growing and easy to maintain. Come May the hedge will be thick with clouds of white scented blossom, which feeds pollinators, and vivid green foliage which attracts a plethora of caterpillars. In late summer and well into autumn/winter the hawthorn turns a gorgeous rusty shade and becomes laden with blood-red berries. The thorns make them a safe and protected environment for birds and the haws, rich in antioxidants, are eaten by migrating birds such as redwings and fieldfares, as well as blackbirds. Berries will typically last from September to November.
These plants will all bring depth and texture to your winter garden as well as offering simple additions for rewilding your garden. By encouraging these otherwise elusive bird species, you will have endless hours of watching and observing their ways. More practically, birds are nature’s way of dealing with common garden pests such as slugs and snails. If we can help them, they will be a gardener’s best friend. Another way to help winter birds is to supply them with sunflower seeds, peanuts, fruit, fat balls, breadcrumbs, cheese, rice and cereals, and a regular source of water.
Jessica Stokes, gardener and sustainable floral designs. Instagram: @_flowerandland; flowerandland.com