BIRD HABITAT PLANTS FOR BASTROP COUNTY Compiled by Joan Russell, Horticulturist SPECIES HEIGHT & FLOWER FRUIT SOIL SUN/SHADE ORNAMENTAL AND WILDLIFE HABIT AND USE FLAMMABILTY RATING SMALL BUSHES Flame Acanthus 2‟-4‟ Small, orange- Seed Sand, loam Full sun Very drought tolerant bush with Anisacanthus deciduous red, tubular capsules and clay bright little flowers all summer. insignia flowers Low flammability Hummingbirds love the flowers. June – Sept. Butterflies do too. Agarita 3‟-8‟ Showy yellow Red berries Dry sand, loam Full sun Makes good hedge – blue green Berberis trifoliata Evergreen flowers May - July And clay leaves, drought tolerant. Blooms Feb. – Mar. High flammability very early. Birds love the ripe fruit. Spiny leaves make protected nest sites. Coral-berry 1½‟ - 4‟ Small white Magenta Sand, loam, clay Dappled to part Very pretty spreading tall ground Symphoracarpus Deciduous flowers berries shade cover. Berries last all winter. Fruit orbiculata June – Aug. Oct. - April Low flammability eaten by many local birds. Turk‟s cap 2‟-4‟ Very showy red Red seeds Sand, loam and Part shade to Makes a good garden plant or tall Malvaviscus Deciduous flowers Oct.-Dec. clay shade ground cover in natural areas. Very drummundii May-June xeric. Bright red flowers are plentiful Low flammability all summer. Hummingbirds nectar the flowers and birds eat the fruit. Coral-bean 3-6 Very showy red Red seeds Sand, loam, clay Full sun A most Xeric plant. Beautiful bright Erythrina deciduous flowers May - Oct. Dec. red flowers and colorful red bean in herbacea June Low flammability brown pods. Ruby-throated Hummingbird uses flowers for nectar. Autumn Sage 2‟-4‟ Showy pink or Nutlets Sand, loam, clay Full sun is best Widely used garden plant. Salvia greggii semi- red flowers June to Dec. Hummingbirds love this plant evergreen April – Dec. Low flammability Chili pequin 1‟ – 2½‟ Small white Small red Sand, loam, clay Full sun to part Pleasant understory shrub. Peppers Capsicum annuum Deciduous flowers Mar – chili peppers. shade are used in cooking. Watch out!! Nov. H O T Birds of several species loved Low flammability peppers and disperse seeds. Fragrant sumac 1‟ – 3‟ Inconspicuous Red berries Sand, loam, clay Full sun to part Looks like poison ivy. Forms Rhus aromatica Deciduous May - June shade thickets. Understory bush in natural Low flammability areas. Red berries are earliest summer fruit and popular with several bird species. White mistflower 2‟-6‟ Very fragrant Seeds Sand, loam, clay Full sun to part Hummingbirds swarm on the Eupatorium semi- cream-white shade extremely fragrant, fuzzy flowers in wrightii evergreen flowers. Aug- fall just when they need the nutrients Nov Low flammability for migration. Butterflies flock to this shrub. Pigeonberry 1‟-1½‟ Pink and white Red berries, Sand, loam, clay Dappled shade to This is a charming ground cover. Rivinia humilis Evergreen 2” spikes almost Spring to fall. part shade Plant has flowers and berries at the to dormant all the time same time almost continuously. in winter Low flammability Birds love berries. Pokeberry 3‟-5‟ 6 inch flower Purplish- Sand, loam, clay Full sun to part Not a very good landscape plant but Phytolacca Perennial spikes, black berries shade a wonderful bird and wildlife food americana April – May. throughout plant. Birds disperse seed and will summer till Low flammability likely plant some in your landscape. frost Cigar Flower 3‟ Small, long and Seeds. Well-drained Full sun. Nice non-native garden plant. Dies Cuphea ignea Perennial narrow, tubular soil. back in winter. Blooms all summer. flowers, spring Low flammability Related to Mexican heather. to fall. Hummingbirds use flowers extensively. Oklahoma Plum 1½‟ – 3‟ White flowers Plums, bluish Sand, well- Full sun to part Shrubs look very pretty in spring Prunus gracilis Deciduous April - May purple drained shade covered with white blossoms. Plant in natural area with space to spread. Low flammability Birds eat the wild plums. LARGE BUSHES Barbados Cherry 5‟-9‟ White to pink Drupes, red Sand, loam, clay Full sun to part Highly ornamental shrub, erect with Malpighia glabra Evergreen flowers March to and fleshy shade many slender stems at base. Several Dec. species of birds eat the fruit. Low flammability Smooth sumac 3‟ – 10‟ Small clusters of Velvety red Sand, loam, clay Full sun to part Gorgeous red fall color. Fruit is Rhus glabra Deciduous white flowers berries in shade eaten by 35 species of birds. June to August clusters. Butterflies nectar at flowers. Sept. – Low flammability Oct. American Beauty- 3‟-9‟ Small clusters of Magenta Sand, loam, clay Full sun to part Beautiful soft-looking but rugged berry Deciduous pinky white berries in shade shrub for wood edges where it can Callicarpa flowers at clusters at be seen and enjoyed. Many species americana nodes. May - nodes on Low flammability of birds as well as mammals eat the July stems. Aug. – berries. Nov. Lantana 3‟-6‟ Orange and Black berries Sand, loam, clay Full sun Colorful, long-lasting flowers. Good Lantana horrida Deciduous yellow 1-2” Sept – Nov. plant for large garden. Hummingbird flower heads Medium attractor. Many birds eat the berries. Spring to frost flammability Wax Myrtle 6‟-12‟ Inconspicuous Bluish-gray Sand, loam, clay Full sun to part Excellent garden shrub. Medium Myrica cerifera Evergreen round, waxy shade green, small shiny leaves. Can be berries. High flammability trained to multi-trunked small tree. Winter Dense leaves provide cover and nest sites. Forty species of birds eat the berries. Pyracantha 6‟-12‟ White flowers in ¼” apple-like Sand, loam , Full sun Introduced species from Asia. Good Pyracantha Evergreen 2” clusters in berries clay that is screen and security plant for coccinea spring. orange in fall, slightly acid High flammability landscape. Many bird species eat red in winter. the berries. Also provides good, protected nesting sites because of the many and sharp thorns. Russian Olive or 5‟-15‟ Inconspicuous. Flecked silver Sand, loam, Full sun to part Non-native good screen plant for full Elaeagnus Evergreen Fall. fruit in late clay, well- shade sun where it will be very dense. Very Elaeagnus winter and drained. Medium drought tolerant. Good nest site pugnens early spring. flammability shrub and birds eat fruit. Cotoneaster 3‟ tall and Pale pink Small, Sand, loan, clay Full sun Low growing shrub that can be used Cotoneaster spreads flowers in orangy-red as groundcover on rocky slopes. horizontalis out. spring. fruit. Late Medium Provides cover and food for birds. A semi-Ever- summer flammability very good colorful evergreen plant. green through Non-native. winter. Not rated for GRASSES flammability Big muhly 2‟-5‟ Spikelets, silver Seeds Loam, clays, Full sun Attractive bunch grass. Striking Mullenbergia warm to tan Sept.-Nov. prefers accent in garden lindheimeri season August limestone Birds eat ripe seeds. Good nesting perennial material. Bushy Bluestem 3‟-4 Spikelets, tan to seeds Moist sand Full sun to part Natural area grass. Pretty in fall. Andropogon warm gold shade Food and cover for many species of glomeratus season birds. perennial Inland Sea oats 2‟-4‟ Spikelets, green Seeds Sand, loam and Part shade Spikelets droop attractively. Natural Chasmanthium warm to tan June-Oct. clay area grass in woodlands near latifolium season streams. Very good forage for birds perennial and mammals also. Little bluestem 2‟-5‟ Spikelets, bluish Seeds Sand, loam and Sun to part shade The most attractive native grass in Schozachyrium warm gray Sept.–Dec. clay the area. Natural area accent. Good scoparium season cover grass and nest material for perennial birds. Not rated for VINES flammability Southern Vine-like White Dewberries Sand, loam and Full sun to part Not useful as ornamental but dewberry climber Feb.-April May-June clay shade innumerable birds and mammals Rubus triviolis relish the berries. Provides good cover as well. Cross-vine Climber up Showy red and Capsule Moist sand, Full sun to part The best native flowering vine. Good Bignonia to 50‟ yellow tubular Sept.-Oct. loam and clay shade garden plant. Covered with flowers capreolata Evergreen flowers. during peak bloom time. Ruby March-April throated hummingbird needs this early blooming nectar plant to survive migration. Trumpet creeper Climber Orange tubular Capsule with Sand, loam and Full sun to part Natural area vine. Premier Campsis radicans Semi-ever- flowers in winged seeds clay shade Hummingbird plant. green clusters June-Sept. Mustang grape Climber up Inconspicuous Grapes Sand, loam and Full sun to part Not a good landscape plant, but Vitis mustangensis to 40‟ Late summer clay shade grapes are eaten by many birds. Deciduous Muscadine grape Climber up Inconspicuous Blue black Sand, loam, clay Full sun to part Grapes eaten by several species of Vitis rotundafolia to 40‟ berries shade songbirds. Deciduous Late summer Carolina Vine to 40‟ Bright yellow, Sand, loam and Full sun to part This beautiful vine needs shaping Jessamine Evergreen funnel-shaped clay shade and trimming in a garden setting to Gelsemium flowers stay in bounds. It has fragrant, sempervirens Late winter and yellow flowers early and is a favorite spring with hummingbirds. Pepper vine Climber Inconspicuous Berries, Sand, loam, Part shade to Natural area vine. Berries are great Ampelopsis Semi- purple clay, moist shade source of food for game and non- arborea evergreen Late summer game birds. SMALL TREES Texas Persimmon 10‟-30‟ Small greenish- Small, black Well-drained & Full sun to part Very attractive dark gray trunks and Diospyros texana Deciduous white fragrant and fleshy gravelly. shade branches. Nice accent or specimen flowers in March fruit. plant for garden. Ripe fruit eaten by June-July Low flammability game and song birds. Farkleberry 8‟-25‟ Small, bell- Small blue Sand and sandy Part shade Attractive shrubby small tree with Vaccinium semi-ever- shaped white berries loam dark green leaves. Good fall color.