PLANTS FOR ATTRACTING BIRDS TO THE GARDEN
Gardeners are always looking for ways and means to attract birds to the garden. Planting food plants
certainly helps the cause enormously. Creating suitable habitats with shelter, protection, nesting
sights and water also plays a significant role in making birds feel at home in suburban environments.
These are just a few of the many bird attracting plants that assist the cause.
Annuals and perennials
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Agaapanthus praecox subsporientalis- all hybrids and cultivars (lily of the Nile) (ED) (I) (N)
Aloe vanbalenii(van Balen’s aloe) (E) (I) (N) – note: all aloes are nectar rich and attract birds
whilst in bloom, usually in winter
Amaranthusspecies (marog) (E) (S)
Anigozanthusspecies and hybrids (kangaroo paw) (E) (N)
Chasmanthe floribunda (D) (I) (N)
Delphinium elatum (delphinium) (ED) (N)
Fragariax ananassa(strawberry) (E) (F)
Kniphofiauvariaand all other species and cultivars (red hot poker) (ED) (I) (N)
Lobelia cardinalis(cardinal flower) (D) (N)
Penstemonhybrids (penstemon) (E) (N)
Strelitziareginae(crane flower) (E) (I) (N) (S)
Tageteserecta(marigold) (E) (S)
Verbena x hybrida (vervain) (E) (N)
Watsoniaspecies and hybrids (D) (I) (N) (B)
Grasses – note: most grasses both annual and perennial will attract seed eating birds to the
garden, they just need to be left uncut to flower and seed
Shrubs and climbers
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Alberta magna) (Natal flame) (E) (I)(N)
Aloe arborescens(krantz aloe) (E) (I) (N)
Callistemon citrinus‘ Endeavour) (Australian bottlebrush) (E) (N)
Dovyaliscaffra(Kei apple) (ED) (I) (F)
Erica cerinthoides (red hairy heath) (E) (I) (N) note: all indigenous Ericas (heaths) attract
birds
Erythrinahumeana(dwarf coral tree) (D) (I) (N)
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Feijoasellowiana(pineapple guava) (E) (N) (F)
Fuchsia all species and hybrids (fuchsia or ballerinas) (ED) (N)
Hamelia patens (firebush) (E) (N)
Leonotisleonurus(wild dagga or lions tail) (E) (I) (N) note: all leonotis attract nectar feeders
Leucospermumcordifolium plus all other species and hybrids (pin cushion) (E) (I) (N)
Maytenusprocumbens (dune koko tree) (E) (I) (F)
Metarungialongistrobus (sunbird bush) (E) (I) (N)
Ochnaserrulata(small leafed plane) (E) (I) (F)
Odontonemastricta (hummingbird bush) (E) (N)
Phygeliusaequalisall hybrids and cultivars (wild fuchsia) (ED) (I) (N)
Protea repens plus most other species and hybrids (sugar bush) (E) (I) (N)
Rhoicissusrhomboidea(glossy forest grape) (E) (I) (C) (F)
Russeliaequisetiformis(coral shrub) (E) (N)
Tecomacapensis all forms and cultivars (Cape honeysuckle) (E) (I) (N)
Telopeaspeciosissima(waratah) (E) (N)
Trees
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Aloe barberae (tree aloe) (E) (I) (N)
Antidesmavenosum(tassel berry) (ED) (I) (F)
Apodytesdimidiata (white pear) (E) (I) (F)
Bersamaluscens(glossy white ash) (E) (I) (F)
Brideliamicrantha(mitzeerie) (D) (I) (F)
Carica papaya (paw paw or papaya) (E) (F)
Celtisafricana (white stinkwood) (D) (I) (F)
Ekebergiacapensis(Cape ash) (E) (I) (F)
Erythrinacaffra(inland coral tree) (D) (I) (N)
Erythrinalysistemon(coral tree) (D) (I) (N)
Ficuscarica(eating fig) (D) (F)
Ficusnatalensis (Natal fig) (ED) (F) – note: all wild figs are amongst the finest bird attracting
plants but they need huge gardens to grow in and roots can cause damage to property.
Ficussur (Cape wild fig) (D) (I) (F)
Ficustrichopoda (hippopotamus fig) (E) (I) (F)
Grewiaoccidentalis(cross-berry) (E) (I) (F)
Greyiasutherlandii (Natal bottlebrush) (D) (I) (N)
Hallerialucida(wild tree fuchsia) (E) (I) (N) (F)
Harpephyllumcaffrum(wild plum) (E) (I) (F)
Kigeliapinnata(sausage tree) (D) (I) (N)
Kiggelariaafrcicana (wild peach) (E) (I) (F)
Mimusopscaffra(coastal red milkwood) (E) (I) (F)
Pappeacapensis(doppruim or bushveld cherry) (E (I) (F)
Protorhuslongifolia(red beech) (E) (I) (F)
Rhamnusprinoides(dogwood) (E) (I) (F)
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Schotiabrachypetala (weeping Boer bean) (E) (I) (N)
Sclerocaryabirreasubspcaffra(marula) (D) (I) (F)
Stenocarpussinuatus(fire wheel tree) (E) (N)
Strelitzianicolai(wild banana) (E) (I) (N) (S)
Syzygium paniculatum (Australian brush cherry) (E) (F)
Vachelliakaroo(sweet thorn) (D) (S) note: all the trees previously known as Acacias or thorn
trees produce seeds that attract certain bird species
Key: (E) = evergreen (D) = deciduous (I) = indigenous (F) = fruit (N) = nectar rich (S) = seed (C) =
climber (B) = bulb