![]() communis, also native to North America and used in landscaping. Also called California myrtle, it’s need to live within site of the ocean and its breezes makes it stand apart from the more common M. This tall spreading shrub or small tree has a characteristic light grey bark and shiny green leaves that are slightly aromatic when crushed. Hardy to Zone 7.Walking along the coast this time of year, you may notice the dip and flit of excited yellow-rumped warblers (affectionately referred to as ‘butter butts’) as they feed on the tough indigo berries (and assorted insects) of California bayberry or Pacific Wax Myrtle, Morella californica (still commonly known as Myrica californica). A Pacific Northwest native, wax myrtle presents purplish berries in fall that persist into the winter months. Pacific wax myrtle (Myrica californica) is an evergreen that grows up to 30 feet at maturity, making it a popular option for a screen or small tree in the garden. Long inflorescences of white flowers with purple bracts hang from the shrub for an extended time in summer and fall and are followed by berries that start out green, turn deep red and then purplish black with all three colors on the plant at once. Himalayan honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa) takes some room to accommodate its 6-foot height and width, but it's more than worth the space. At 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide and rather rangy, snowberry makes a great choice for a bird-friendly hedgerow and its vigorous roots will help with erosion control on slopes. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) is recognized for distinctive clusters of white berries that last well into winter. The cultivar 'Profusion' exhibits an especially abundant amount of berries. This shrub puts on a good display at the back of the border where its 6-by-6-foot stature has room to develop. Beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri) was named for a reason: The exquisite violet to purple berries in mid-winter stop people in their tracks. The state flower grows to an erect 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Dana Sanchez's picks for plants with berries for birds: Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) breaks out in brilliant yellow flowers in mid-winter that leave behind bunches of blue-black berries. Take a look at Sanchez's suggestions and consider adding some berry bearers to your garden. Plants with berries full of good fat provide necessary nutrients, too. ![]() Some plants, like thistle, hold on to seeds that birds fit into their diet. A few insects remain, flying around or hiding under moss and lichen ripe for the picking. For all that, they still need the right foods for energy production. They fluff them and huddle together to reduce heat loss. "They can't eat during the night and they burn off whatever food calories they found during the day." Fortunately, birds have feathers - the ultimate down jacket, she said. "Birds need a lot of energy to make it through cold nights," according to Sanchez. ![]() All are searching for food to give them the energy they need to survive the prolonged stress of cold and wet weather. "In addition to bird feeders, which people sometimes forget to fill, they need plants to forage on." This time of year, you'll notice winter wrens, pine siskins, scrub jays, chickadees and robins. ![]() "Different birds are attracted to different foods and it's good to have a variety," said Dana Sanchez, a wildlife specialist for Oregon State University's Extension Service.
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