Here Are 5 Vines That Will Attract Birds To Your Garden

As I noted in a previous article, bird-watchers who want to see them up close usually attract them with bird feeders, houses and baths. There are, however, other ways of enticing them that shouldn't be overlooked. The landscape can be transformed into a bird sanctuary by including plants that provide food and shelter. Ornamental vines are important components of such a plan.

Here are 5 ornamental vines that birds find irresistible.

A Clarion Call For Hummingbirds 

Trumpet Vine (pictured above) or Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) is a climbing deciduous vine native to the southern United States. Travelers may have noticed it growing up and over fences and signposts along the highway. Large, bright yellow, orange to red trumpetshaped flowers appear from midsummer to fall. Campsis is popular world-wide for its stunning flowers, and because it attracts hummingbirds.

Campsis is cold-hardy in USDA climate zones 4 through 10. For best results, plant in full sun, well-drained soil with average to poor fertility. Plants are drought tolerant when established and heat-loving. It is best planted next to a permanent structure for support.

Yellow Garlands of Spring 

Gelsemium sempervirens – known as Carolina Jasmine, Carolina Jessamine, Yellow Jasmine, and whatever else comes to the viewer’s mind – is another great native plant that provides nectar for the birds. It’s grown mostly for its glorious early spring flowers. Southerners wax nostalgic about it. Unfortunately, it is cold hardy only in USDA climate zones 7 through 9. The flowers usually appear before the hummingbirds arrive, so is best planted as a nectar source for other species. I’ve written much more about it in a blog article, Carolina Jessamine – The Yellow Garlands of Spring.

Wild and Wonderful 

Most of us think of English ivy and all its varieties as a rampant but boring evergreen covering, or worse. But look closer and you’ll find a plant with lots of interesting variations that can not only provide mass ground- or wall covering, but also shelter and an ornamental food source for birds.

Some folks dislike ivy for it's vigorous growth habit. The very characteristic that makes it a fine ground cover can render it unwelcome; it covers ground. It's true that ivy can be troublesome if completely unchecked, but ivy does not damage trees or sound structures. It isn't a parasite. It cannot harm a mature tree, but it could outlive an old one. It cannot collapse a sound building. Ivy is a major food source for many birds, and the fruits ripen up just in time to fatten them before winter arrives. Hedera ivies also provide abundant shelter.

It Keeps Institutions From Crumbling 

Boston Ivy - Parthenocissus tricuspidata - is native to east Asia, not Massachusetts. Each leaf is composed of three lobes. In juvenile foliage, each lobe is very distinct. It is a vigorous climber, as anyone who has seen it on a wall knows well. Fall brings bright colors of yellow, orange, red or burgundy. The walls it adorns seem draped in a majestic tapestry. It is also widely used to cover trellises, pergolas, and as an ornamental ground cover for erosion control. Small flowers appear in July or August followed by fruits in October or November, and birds love 'em.

Boston ivy grows in any fertile, well-drained soil, and thrives in USDA climate zones 48. In other words, it'll probably perform well in your garden.

A Native With Great Possibilities 

Virginia Creeper - Parthenocissus quinquefolia - is native to many parts of North America, from Quebec to Florida, and westward to Colorado. It's a member of the grape (Vitaceae) family. The relationship is easy to see when you look at the flowers and fruits, but I don't recommend them for human consumption. Each leaf is composed of five leaflets. It climbs vigorously. Fall brings bright colors of yellow, orange, red or burgundy. The depth of fall color seems to depend upon available sunlight. Virginia Creeper is widely used as an ornamental ground cover, but its fall color and ability to cover walls, trellises and pergolas makes it popular as well.

Virginia Creeper thrives USDA climate zones 3-9, a broader range than Boston ivy will tolerate. Its fruit and dense growth habit make it very attractive to birds for food and shelter.

These suggested vines, along with many bulbs, perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees will be welcome additions to your landscape from the birds' points of view.

Remember to think outside the bird feeder when you plan to feed the birds.

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Strolling Around To Discover Deer Resistant Plants

Big honkin' buck captured by my game cam

I'm frequently asked about deer-resistant plants. A customer who lives on Skidaway Island, Georgia declared that "deer eat absolutely everything" in her yard. (I'm sure they don't, for I've explored Skidaway Island since my youth, and the island is far from denuded.) Of course she wanted to know what deer won't eat.

The first thing anyone needs to understand is that very hungry deer will eat practically anything. They're almost proverbial billy goats. They won't eat tin cans, but goats don't either.

I was on Kiawah Island working on another project. Kiawah is much like Skidaway, so, inspired by her query, I decided to take a stroll to see what plants deer hadn't touched.

Viburnum odoratissimum

The first ornamental shrub I spotted was Viburnum odoratissimum, aka Sweet Viburnum. There was nary a nibble from it. V. odoratissimum is native to Asia. It is evergreen, grows to about 20' high, and as wide, and is at home in USDA climate zones 7-9. I don't know why it was untouched. Perhaps it smells better than it tastes.

Palm frond

Then there were palms. Lots and lots of palms of various species. Some were native; some were not. Palms are wonderful ornamentals, from the lowly Serenoa repens - aka Saw Palmetto - to the stately Roystonea regia - aka Royal Palm. Palms are typically considered to be for tropical to semi-tropical climates, but the Rhapidophyllum hystrix - aka Needle Palm - is cold-hardy to zone 6a. I suppose palms are deemed inedible by deer because they are stringy and hard to chew.

Persea borbonia

Redbay - Persea borbonia - was untouched even though deer reportedly like it. I didn't spy any damaged by ambrosia beetle, either. Redbay isn't often used as an ornamental, but it could be. The leaves are fragrant when crushed. It's a small, evergreen tree. Folks used to use the leaves for seasoning. American Indians used the leaves as a medicine to induce vomiting. I would guess that deer know of that effect, so avoid it unless needing an emetic.

Ilex vomitoria berries

Moseying along, I came upon a stand of native Yaupon holly - aka Ilex vomitoria. It was unmolested, perhaps because it is also a strong emetic. A beverage of the leaves will make you vomit. It appears, however, throughout the South as an ornamental shrub or small tree in compact, multi-stemmed, and weeping forms. The berries are very appealing.

Cycas revoluta

Sago Palm - aka Cycas revoluta - is practically ubiquitous in these parts. It's native to Japan, but you'd think it was native to the Southeastern United States. It's not a palm. It is a cycad, related to the deer-resistant native Zamia integrifolia or Coontie. No wonder deer don't eat it; it's poisonous.

Farfugium japonicum

Farfugium japonicum - aka Ligularia, Ragwort, Leopard plant, Leopard's Bane - has grown in popularity in recent years. It's a fine perennial plant for partial shade to full shade. It was obvious to me that deer don't like it, perhaps because they somehow intuit that the plant contains tumorigenic alkaloids. Glossy, evergreen leaves - sometimes spotted - are gorgeous. The yellow flowers are mighty attractive and daisy-like. It's in the  Asteraceae family.

Juniperus conferta

Soon I spied some juniper ground cover - Shore Juniper (Juniperus conferta). It's an ideal choice for a coastal garden because of its salt-tolerance. Deer will eat junipers, especially Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana). You can see evidence of that as you travel along interstate highways. But Shore Juniper has awl-like foliage which can put a hurtin' on the tongue.

Daniella tasmanica

Dianella tasmanica (Variegated Flax Lily) was uneaten. I don't know if it's supposed to be deer-resistant, but it certainly appeared so. It appears with growing frequency in perennial borders.

Cortaderia selloana

Cortaderia selloana, commonly known as pampas grass, was untouched. I understand exactly why. The sharp leaf edges will discourage anyone or thing from intruding. It's a stately grass, and certainly deserving of a place in the large landscape. It tolerates a wide range of temperatures, and is requires very little maintenance. Good thing, too. It's too sharp to handle without gloves, long-sleeves and trousers.

Illicium parviflorum

I saw some Illicium parviflorum - Yellow Star Anise - that had been abused, but not by deer. It's a fine shrub, and grows to a large size. The leaves are fragrant when crushed. Unfortunately, these individuals were planted in a hedge, expected to remain compact, and the foliage had been chopped up by a hedge-trimmer. Large-leaved plants do not look good when eaten up by a hedge-trimmer.

Yucca spp.

Yucca had not been touched. Understandably so. The sharp-pointed and fibrous leaves render it inedible for deer. It's a fine ornament, though, especially when in bloom.

Loropetalum chinense

Loropetalum chinense is a fairly new introduction to the landscaping community. It seems that new ones are released every year. It is known to be deer-resistant. This planting was no exception.

Eleagnus spp.

One of my least favorite landscape shrubs was undisturbed by deer - Eleagnus. I've hated it since I was a child. My mother made me prune hers into large globes, and I swear I could hear them growing as I walked away. I must say, however, that I did enjoy eating the fruits when no one else seemed to care. I've seen Eleagnus planted beside highway overpasses and in cloverleafs, probably to stop runaway traffic. They'll do that, for sure.

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) was ignored by hungry deer. Though considered by some folks to be a nuisance vine, it makes a nice ground cover. It also covers stone walls very well. The scarlet fall foliage is gorgeous.

Afternoon shadows were lengthening. It was time for my saunter to end. I hoped that my impromptu discovery hour turned up a few plant choices for my friend to consider.

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Any chance Boston ivy plants will recover from heat stress?

Q. Hi, I bought some of your [Boston] ivy a couple weeks ago, the weather was hot here at the time and the postal carrier left the box of ivy on our blacktop driveway in the sun when the temps were near 100. Any chance these plants will recover?

A. I'm sorry to hear that the plants were subjected to such stress. If the roots remained viable, there should be good hope for recovery.

Any damaged foliage and stems - blackened, dried and brown - should be removed. They won't recover.

I assume you planted the vines soon after receipt, watered them in properly, etc. At this point, take care not to water too much. Fewer or no leaves means less  or no water take-up, so too much moisture in the soil could contribute to root or stem rot. Let soil dry slightly between watering events. Watch for bud enlargement at the leaf axils. I hope this helps. Keep me posted.

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Have any of you readers had an experience such as this? Were you successful in reviving your plants? If so, let us know in the comment section what you did to bring them around.

FAQ: We want to cover walls with evergreen plants to hide the brick.

Q. We have an outside patio behind our house and we want to cover two of the house walls around the patio with an evergreen plant, just to hide the brick that's pretty old. Is Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) a good plant for that? Will it destroy the brick wall? Should we run some fishing nylon strings on the wall so that plants' roots attach to the nylon instead of the wall? Or would you recommend another plant altogether?  We're in New York.

A. Creeping Fig wouldn't survive the winter in your area. It is cold-hardy to USDA climate zone 8. You are in climate zone 7. When I visited Washington Irving's home - Sunnyside - in Tarrytown a few years back, I was impressed by the wisteria and trumpet creeper that had overgrown it, but I personally wouldn't recommend the wisteria. 

Photo of Trumpet Creeper roots

Trumpet creeper is a possibility. My wife insisted on planting a Campis radicans (Trumpet creeper) against a wall. It also attaches by little roots, but I've been able to pull juvenile vines off the wall without damage to the wall. Mature vines leave some of their roots attached.

Boston ivy is often used to cover walls of buildings and highway sound barriers, but it is a species of Parthenocissus which has little discs at the ends of modified roots that look like suction cups. They vines are very difficult to remove from a wall once attached (if you ever decide to remove the vine). It is deciduous.

Hedera helix (English ivy and such) produces little roots that find cracks and crannies in the wall and worm their ways into them. This can cause damage when removing the ivy.

Arctic Kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta) is a beautiful vine and produces edible fruits, but it is deciduous. Five-leaf Akebia (Akebia quinata) could be a good choice, but is deciduous. So are many of the other vines popular in your area such as hops, clematis, trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens which is evergreen in the south but probably not in the north), climbing hydrangea, Schizophragma, etc.

One option would be to plant a climber next to your wall, let it grow and don't plan on pulling it off. Growing on the wall doesn't necessarily harm it; pulling it off does. After all these years, Sunnyside is still standing. Maybe the vines are holding it up.

Now that I'm thinking about it, you might consider a shrub or tree espalier to cover the walls.

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FAQ: Is there a vine to climb my wall without damaging the stucco?

Ficus pumila on a brick wall

Q. Can you please recommend me a small-leafed ivy that will grow in full shade in zone 10, and not be considered to have an invasive root system?  I would like something to climb the north facing wall of my South Florida house without doing penetrating damage to the stucco. I need it to climb by itself without a trellis.

A. That's a tough question. Vines climb by two means: clinging and twining. Twining vines wrap around something. You don't want a trellis, so there won't be anything to wrap around. Clinging vines produce growths that allow the plants to attach to the walls somehow.

Parthenocissus (Boston Ivy and Virginia Creeper) have little discs at the ends of modified roots that look like suction cups. They are very difficult to remove from a wall once attached (if you ever decide to remove the vine).

Hedera (English ivy and such) produces little roots that find cracks and crannies in the wall and worm their ways into them. This can cause damage, too.

Ficus pumila (Creeping fig) grows the same way, but I have seen it grow heavy and fall off of a wall during a storm without doing damage to stucco, so that might be a possibility for you.

My wife insisted on planting a Campsis (Trumpet creeper) against a wall. It also attaches by little roots, but I've been able to pull juvenile vines off without damaging the wall, but they were still juvenile. There may be some tropical vines about which I'm unfamiliar that would work.

Trachelospermum asiaticum (Asiatic jasmine) is usually grown as a ground cover, but I've had some escape and try to climb the brick north-face wall of my house. I've been able to pull the juvenile vines off with ease, but they don't really grow thickly enough to achieve the look you desire.

In short, try Ficus pumila. It's not perfect, but may be your best bet. You might have to get it started by erecting a short, temporary trellis.

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Behind A Garden Wall: The Old Unitarian Cemetery, Charleston, SC

Cemeteries often hold a strong fascination, perhaps because they remind us of our mortal end.  Not for me the wide open lawns with metal plaques flush against the turf, and pop-out vases for easy maintenance.  I much prefer those steeped in history with draped monuments, melancholy epitaphs, lambs, roses, willows and ivy carved of stone.  Very much like death itself, they are inconvenient but all the more gripping when concealed.

In Charleston, South Carolina a stone plaque set into a brick gateway on King Street marks the site of the oldest Unitarian Church in the South, founded in 1787 and "avowedly Unitarian since 1819."  Beyond the portal, behind the wall, its cemetery beckons the ambler like a ghost at the end of a darkened hallway.  Through a dark passage beneath an arching green canopy, one emerges into the burial ground teeming with herbs, shrubs and trees in wild abandon.  But neglected it is not.  Meandering among the stones we came upon a gardener drenched with sweat, at peace with himself, futilely pulling weeds.  But, this churchyard is known for its weeds; it simply would not do for many of them to be removed.  I was tempted to "search for truth and meaning" in that.

Well-rooted in and nourished by the past, typical species of a vintage southern garden flourish.  Among them we found Althea, Aspidistra, Azalea, Bignonia, Camellia, Campsis, Canna, Clerodendrum bungei, Crinum, Cyrtomium, Eryobotria, Euphorbia heterophylla, Ficus pumila, Hedera, Hedychium, Lagerstroemia, Lantana, Ligustrum, Liriope, Lonicera, Magnolia, Malvaviscus, Mirabilis, Nephrolepis, Parthenocissus virginiana, Pittosporum, Platycladus, Plumbago, Rosa, Sabal, Viburnum, Vitis, Wisteria, and much more.  If you have a moment, consider our images of that poignant place.















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Jeepers, Creepers! Virginia Creeper and Boston Ivy

Parthenocissus is a genus of woody, creeping plants that, depending upon the species, are native to parts of Asia and of North America. The name comes from the Greek meaning "virgin ivy." Parthenocissus belongs to the grape family.

The plants may grow as ground covers, but will climb if they meet an obstacle. As they ascend, they attach themselves to the surface by small adhesive disks. Mature height may be 40' or more.

The two most common species in cultivation include Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and Boston Ivy (Parthenoscissus tricuspidata).

Virginia Creeper, also known as Woodbine, is native to many parts of the U.S. and Canada. Each leaf is composed of five dark green leaflets. It is a vigorous climber and will cover whatever it grows upon. If allowed to grow over shrubs, its dense foliage can rob the lower plants of sunlight and weaken them. Fall brings bright colors of yellow, orange, red or burgundy. The depth of fall color seems to depend upon available sunlight. Virginia Creeper is widely used as an ornamental ground cover, but its fall color and ability to cover walls, trellises and pergolas makes it popular as well.

Virginia Creeper is cold hardy in USDA climate zones 3 through 9. It prefers average, well-drained soil with pH ranging from 6.1 to 7.8, but is tolerant of poor soils. It will grow in partial shade to full sun, is heat and drought-tolerant. Pests are limited to a few that nibble the leaves. It is disease-resistant. Birds love the fruit, but the berries are toxic to mammals. The plants can cause allergic reactions in sensitive persons.

Boston Ivy, also known as Japanese Ivy or Woodbine, is native to east Japan, Korea and eastern China. Each leaf is composed of three lobes. It is also a vigorous climber. Like Virginia Creeper, fall brings bright colors of yellow, orange, red or burgundy. It is also widely used as an ornamental ground cover, but is used to cover walls, trellises and pergolas. Because it has been very popular in Boston, it bears the name of that city.

Boston Ivy is cold-hardy in USDA climate zones 4 through 8. The foliage colors best in full sun, but it will tolerate partial shade. Plant in well-drained soil with average to poor fertility.

Prepare the planting bed for Parthenocissus by cultivating at least 6" deep, removing all traces of weeds. Compacted soil should be cultivated to 12" deep. Add enough soil to raise the bed at least 4" above the surrounding ground level. This will help to promote good drainage. Composted manure may be incorporated into the soil. Fertilizer may be used. If you choose to do so, incorporate 5-10-15 fertilizer at a rate of no more 2 lbs. per 100 square feet into the top 4" to 6" of soil. Avoid synthetic fertilizers contacting any part of your plants.

Plant Parthenocissus 12" to 36" apart. Dig planting holes into the cultivated soil a little less deep than the depth of the growing container. If you are planting bare root vines, the roots should be spread out in the hole. Do not plant them any deeper than they grew previously. You should be able to see a difference in the plant tissue at the previous soil line. Place the plants into the holes and back-fill, watering as you go. Press soil around the roots. If you are planting container grown stock, do not cover the root balls with soil. The tops should be slightly exposed. Add a top-dressing of mulch around the plants, not on top of them, about 2" deep.

If the plant is stressed during planting, it will usually drop its leaves as a protective measure. While it is unsightly and may be worrisome, maintaining proper soil moisture will encourage new leaves to sprout.

You might wonder whether it can be easily removed from walls, pergolas and such. It depends upon how you go about it. If you just start pulling them off a painted surface, the adhesive pads will probably pull off paint, especially if the paint is flaking. Because they do not attach themselves by means of penetrating roots, they will not damage brick or stone by pulling. The best way I've found to remove them is to sever their vines near the base, or spray foliage within reach with glyphosate herbicide. When the plants die and dry, the vines can be removed more easily.

Both popular species of Parthenocissus cover ground and buildings, and do it well. The fall colors are fantastic, and the plants are basically trouble-free.

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