Winter is a lean time for birds. Many of us opt to help the winter birds by feeding them with birdseed, and this is quite the effective invitation for them to come to your yard if you’re craving their company. But there’s another fantastic way to attract winter birds that we sometimes overlook: plant trees, shrubs, and grasses that will provide them with a winter meal. Not only do these plants feed birds in the winter, but they provide food and shelter for bees and other important critters while beautifying your yard. Some of them require more effort than others, but in the long run, they’re well worth it. Here’s what you can plant to attract birds in winter:
With their long-lasting fruit, Crabapple trees are an excellent source of food for birds in the winter. Cardinals, cedar waxwings, and robins are especially drawn to crabapples.
Providing a winter food source for birds is just one of their benefits. In the spring, they’re covered with flowers that attract bees, and in the fall, the leaves of some varieties turn a beautiful, bright shade of red. They’re truly a tree for every season.
There’s a stunning number of varieties—over 900, by some counts—and the fruit of different varieties will ripen and soften at different times. To feed birds with crabapples over the winter, choose any of the following varieties that soften within the season:
It’s also important to note that birds refuse to eat the crabapples from some varieties. Avoid these ones:
Like most apple trees, it’s best to plant at least two crabapples so they can cross-pollinate. After you plant them, it can take anywhere from two to five years before they start bearing fruit. But it’s worth the wait. A mature crabapple is a sprawling, gorgeous centerpiece that also provides shelter for birds and lives for 30 to 70 years.
If you’d like a plant that can start feeding birds faster, a good choice is bluestem grass. You can plant both little bluestem and big bluestem in the spring, and by fall they will be ready to feed the birds.
Bluestem grass is native to North Dakota, along with much of North America, and is known for its blue-green blades; delicate, reddish seed heads; and solid, flat stems, all of which make it an attractive ornamental grass. It’s a perennial that grows in clumps, and it’s recognized as a good food source not just for birds but also deer, voles, and even livestock. The little bluestem is also a larval host for skipper butterflies.
Unlike the other animals, what the birds will focus on is the seeds, of course. So in the fall, resist the urge to collect or clear away the seed heads. Let the winter birds do that for you!
Like the crabapple, the hawthorn tree will dazzle you with flowers. Depending on the variety, you can get white, pink, or red flowers in the spring along with leaves that turn orange, red, or even purplish in the fall. But most importantly, hawthorn trees produce glossy red berries that stay on the tree well into winter and are a favorite of many birds.
As with crabapple, the hawthorn will require several years to mature and get to the point where it bears fruit. Just how long depends on the variety and growing conditions. But unlike the crabapple, it doesn’t require cross-pollination with another of its kind, so you can plant a single stand-alone hawthorn if that’s what you prefer. Lastly, beware of its sizable thorns—it’s from the rose family.
Crab apples are a tasty treat that many backyard birds love. Offering crab apples is an easy way to supplement birds’ diets and attract new feathered friends to your yard. But which birds eat crab apples? And what’s the best way to serve them up? Let’s explore the wonderful world of feeding crab apples to birds!
An Overview of Crabapple Trees
Crabapples belong to the genus Malus, which includes domestic apple trees. However, crabapples tend to be much smaller, growing 15-30 feet tall in most cases. They are native to North America, Europe, and Asia. The fruits resemble tiny apples, usually less than 2 inches in diameter. While too sour and bitter for human consumption, they make perfect bird food.
There are over 100 different crabapple species and cultivated varieties In yards and gardens, they are commonly grown as ornamental trees for their spring blossoms and fall fruit display. Crabapples grown for fruiting will attract more birds than strictly ornamental non-fruiting cultivars.
Why Birds Love Crabapples
There are several key reasons crabapples rate so highly as a bird food source:
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Nutritious – The fruits are high in sugars that provide quick energy for birds, They also contain various vitamins and antioxidants
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Plentiful – A mature crabapple tree can produce hundreds to thousands of fruits creating a readily available food bonanza.
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Persistent – Unlike many fruits, crabapples often cling to the branches well into winter, offering vital nourishment when food can be scarce.
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Attracts insects – Birds flock to fruiting trees to feed not just on the fruit but all the associated insects drawn in.
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Small size – The tiny fruits are perfect bite-sized portions for many bird species. Much easier for them to eat than a full size apple.
This winning combination makes crabapple trees a magnet for hungry birds in late summer through winter.
What Birds Frequent Crabapple Trees
A wide diversity of bird species relish crabapples, especially as winter approaches. Some top crabapple connoisseurs include:
- American robin
- Cedar waxwing
- Northern cardinal
- Blue jay
- Eastern bluebird
- Gray catbird
- Northern mockingbird
- Evening grosbeak
- Purple finch
- Pine grosbeak
- Yellow-rumped warbler
- Downy woodpecker
Larger predatory birds may also visit crabapple trees hoping to snag smaller birds and mammals stopping by for a meal. Hawks, owls, and eagles are among the birds of prey that appreciate fruiting trees as hunting grounds.
When Do Birds Eat Crab Apples?
Crabapples ripen in late summer to early fall, providing a vital food source for migratory birds bulking up for their journeys. Birds continue feeding on the fruits well into winter. The sweet fleshy part is eaten first, then birds will return to nibble the leftover shriveled fruits when other foods are scarce.
During spring and summer, birds are less interested in crabapples. There is more natural food available like insects, berries, seeds, and nectar. But they remember these fruiting trees and return to feast again in fall.
To attract the most birds, it’s ideal to have a variety of fruiting trees and shrubs that ripen at different times. Crabapples are a key late season contributor in this succession of natural bird foods.
How to Offer Crab Apples to Backyard Birds
If you want to supplement your backyard birds’ diets with crab apples, here are some tips:
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Leave fallen fruits under trees instead of cleaning them up. Birds will scavenge the ground for them.
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Skewer halves or slices on branches, stakes, or special fruit feeders.
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Chop in a food processor and mix with suet. Stuff into mesh suet feeders.
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Dice into smaller pieces and place in platform feeders or bowl feeders.
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Impale on a spike through a fence. Birds can perch and peck.
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String whole fruits onto sturdy thread and drape around trees/shrubs.
Offering crab apples in various ways will satisfy different bird species and their feeding preferences.
Planting Crabapple Trees to Attract Birds
Adding a fruiting crabapple tree or two to your landscape is a great way to provide natural food for neighborhood birds.
When selecting varieties, look for those that produce an abundance of smaller fruits, as these are easiest for birds to feed on. Cold-hardy, disease-resistant types like ‘Red Jewel’, ‘Sugar Tyme’, and ‘Adirondack’ are good choices for much of the country.
For small spaces, opt for dwarf crabapples that you can keep pruned to 6-8 feet tall. These can be grown in containers too. Espaliering against a fence is another space-saving option.
Go organic to avoid exposing birds to any potentially harmful chemicals. And be sure to provide a water source like a bird bath.
Crabapples Offer More Than Food
While birds relish crabapple fruits, the trees also support birds in other ways:
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Dense branching provides shelter and nesting sites.
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Flowers offer nectar for hummingbirds and orioles.
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Pollen and foliage attract insect prey.
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Bark crevices offer winter roosts and nest cavities for small birds.
So adding a fruiting crabapple or two creates an excellent backyard habitat for a variety of bird species.
Combining Crab Apples With Other Bird Foods
Although birds eagerly eat crab apples, it’s important to provide a balanced diet. Here are some other foods to include:
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Nut and seed mixes provide protein and fat.
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Suet cakes offer high-energy fat.
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Mealworms and fruit provide live food.
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Nectar feeds hummingbirds.
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Peanut butter treats are a favorite of woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches.
Varying food throughout the seasons will keep backyard birds well-fed and healthy all year long.
The Appeal of Crab Apples for Backyard Birds
With their naturally small size and sweet-tart flavor, crab apples are tailored perfectly to bird tastes. These fruiting trees provide a nutritious and delicious treat that a diverse range of bird species can’t resist. Their persistence into winter makes them a vital food source when insects and other foods are scarce.
By planting crabapples and offering the fruits in creative ways, you can attract more birds to your backyard. Combine with other feeders and bird-friendly plantings to create an appealing habitat. Then relax and enjoy the sight of colorful birds feasting on fresh crab apples right outside your window!
Other Plants That Will Attract Birds to Your Yard in Winter
- Mountain Ash: Mountain ash will add some winter color to your yard with its orange-red berries beloved by cedar waxwings and many other birds. The berries will survive until late winter unless the birds take care of them before that.
- Winterberry: Winterberry offers red or orange berries that could last all the way to spring if the birds don’t eat them first.
- Juniper: Juniper berries are known for flavoring gin, but they’re also a food source for winter birds. The juniper itself is a hardy evergreen that will imbue your winter yard with much-needed greenery.
- Barberry: A low-maintenance, deciduous shrub, the barberry puts on a fall show of red, orange, yellow, and purple leaves. Once the leaves drop, its red berries remain for birds to feast on throughout the winter.
the day I picked crab apples for goose. do they feed ? December 29, 2024
FAQ
What animals like to eat crab apples?
They are small deciduous trees that blossom in spring and provide an important and reliable early food source for honeybees, mason bees, and bumblebees.Jan 7, 2025
Do squirrels eat crab apples?
What eats crabapple?
- Aphids: Aphids are a fairly common problem on apples. …
- Mites: Two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) and European red mites (Panonychus ulmi) can be serious pests of apples. …
- Japanese Beetle: The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) adults feed on the leaves during June and July.
Do hummingbirds like crab apple trees?
Planting a crab apple tree will bring pretty pink or white spring blooms to your outdoor space. And, according to Dave Sheridan of Ascension Tree Care, they can be a great choice for attracting hummingbirds throughout most of the United States. Tommy Wylde, a wildlife expert, also recommends these small backyard trees.
Do birds eat crabapples?
The messy crabapple varieties bear relatively large and juicy fruits. Birds peck at them, but never swallow them: they’re too big. Because of the fruits’ weight, they fall readily from the tree and cover the ground with a slippery mess. When it comes to small-fruited crabs, just let the birds do all the work! Photo: Dave Maslowski, audubon.org
Do birds eat apples?
Birds that eat apples include buntings, cardinals, grosbeaks, mockingbirds, thrashers, waxwings, wrens. The crabapple is North American’s only native apple. But you may grow apple trees and leave some fruit on the tree for birds in winter. Birds can eat the older rotting apples, but you can also slice ripe ones up and offer them on your feeder.
What birds eat fruit?
Thrushes (including robins and bluebirds), tanagers, thrashers, orioles, jays, mockingbirds, woodpeckers and others will eat fruits. Some birds thought of as seed eaters will enjoy fruit, too. Western Tanager eating an orange. What backyard birds eat fruit? What kinds of birds eat fruit? Birds that eat primarily fruit are termed frugivorous.
Do crabapples eat a tree in winter?
In fact, small crabapples usually persist throughout much of the winter (for a very nice effect on a background of white snow, by the way!). And when birds visit the tree, usually towards the end of winter when crabapples are at their sweetest (cold slowly converts their starches into sugars), they swallow the tiny crabapples whole.
Do birds eat golden raindrops Crabapple?
Golden Raindrops® Crabapple has abundant clusters of tiny, golden-yellow fruits that are eaten by birds in fall. Trees that have delayed softening and provide bird food in late fall and into mid-winter include: Malus ‘Prairifire’, Malus ‘Mary Potter’, Malus x zumi ‘Calocarpa’, Malus ‘Profusion’, and Malus ‘Anne E’.
Can birds eat fruit if it goes bad?
Perhaps more than other foods you may feed birds, fruit will go bad fast. Be prepared to remove it from your feeder when it goes bad. This is why it may be good to freeze excess fruit and only put out as much fruit as the birds will eat in a day or two.