PLANTS THAT ATTRACT BIRDS IN BREVARD COUNTY
University of Florida/ Brevard County Extension Service
TREES
Scientific Name
Common Name
Bumelia tenax
Tough bumelia
Flower Color
Height Spread & Season
15-30 10-20 Incon.
feet
feet
only
Light
Conditions
Full sun
Salt Spray
Tolerance
High
Carpinus caroliniana
Blue beech
20-30
feet
20-30
feet
Incon.
Full sun
to shade
None
Deciduous; moderately drought resistant; fluted trunk is very attractive;
good specimen for small area; slow grower; attracts birds; shade tree;
prefers moist, acidic soils; red-orange fall color; host plant - red-spotted
purple butterfly; found at Erna Nixon Park
Carya floridana
Scrub hickory
30-40
feet
15-20
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
Moderate
Deciduous; multi-trunked; well-drained soils; dry soils; prefers alkaline
soils; golden-yellow fall color; female plants produce nuts that attract birds
& squirrels; found at Turkey Creek Sanctuary & The Enchanted Forest
Carya glabra
Pignut hickory
50-65
feet
30-40
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
None
Deciduous; drought tolerance; moderate growth rate; tolerates wide range
of pH; fruit (nuts) can be a litter problem; yellow fall color; cold tolerant;
prefers well-drained, moist soils; attracts birds & mammals; shade tree/
Chionanthus virginicus
Fringe tree
12-20
feet
10-15
feet
White
spring
Full sun to
shade
None
Deciduous; slow grower; fragrant flowers; likes acid soils; flowers before
the foliage emerges; attracts birds & mammals; prefers moist soils;
butterfly host plant
Coccoloba uvifera
Seagrape
25-30
feet
20-30
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
High
Evergreen; attracts birds & mammals; edible fruit; high drought tolerance;
leaves and fruit can be a litter problem
Diospyros virginiana
Persimmon
40-60
20-35
feet
Incon.
feet
Full sun
High
Deciduous; drought resistant; female plants attract birds & mammals; can
to shade tolerate extended flooding; edible fruit; can form a thicket in open
areas; host plant - Henry’s elfin butterfly; tolerates wide range of pH; can
be found at Turkey Creek Sanctuary
Eriobotrya japonica
Loquat
20-30
feet
30-35
feet
White
fall, winter
Full sun
partial shade
Moderate
Evergreen; edible fruit; sensitive to pests and diseases, attracts birds
and mammals; tolerates a wide range of pH; fragrant flowers
Forestiera segregata
Florida privet
10-15
feet
5-10
feet
Incon.
Partial shade
High
Semi-evergreen; tolerates wide range of pH; drought tolerant; berries on
female plants only; attracts birds; tolerates poor soils; cold tolerant
Ilex cassine
Dahoon holly
20-30
feet
8-12
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
Moderate
Evergreen; attractive berries on female plants only in the winter;
tolerates a wide range of pH; can tolerate extended flooding; attracts birds
and mammals; prefers wet or moist soils; tolerates dry soils
Comments
Evergreen; slow grower; showy fruit attracts birds & mammals; well
drained soils; dry soils; tolerates wide range of pH; thorns; cold & drought
tolerant
Scientific Name
Common Name
Ilex opaca
American holly
Flower Color
Height Spread & Season
35-50 15-25 Incon.
feet
feet
Light
Conditions
Full sun
to shade
Salt Spray
Tolerance
High.
Ilex vomitoria
Yaupon holly
15-25
feet
15-20
feet
Incon.
Full sun
to shade
High
Evergreen; tolerates wide range of pH; well-drained soils; tolerates
extended flooding; drought tolerant; attracts birds & mammals; shears well
Ilex vomitoria
‘Pendula’
Weeping yaupon holly
15-30
feet
6-12
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
High
Evergreen; attractive red berries in the winter attract birds & mammals;
tolerates extended flooding; tolerates wide range of pH; tolerates neglect
Juniperus silicicola
Southern redcedar
nesting
30-45
feet
20-30
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
High
Evergreen; fast grower; berries attracts birds; tolerates wide range of pH;
drought tolerant; can tolerate wet or dry soils; cold tolerant; provides
for birds; host plant - olive hairstreak butterfly
Liquidambar styraciflua
Sweet gum
60-75
feet
35-50
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
Moderate
Deciduous; fast growing; produces messy, sharply pointed fruit in the fall; good
fall color; fruit attracts birds & mammals; tolerates wide range of pH &
extended flooding
Magnolia grandiflora
Southern magnolia
60-80
feet
30-40
feet
White
Full sun
spring,summer partial shade
High
Evergreen; flowers are large and fragrant; large, glossy green leaves; seeds
attract birds & squirrels; tolerates wide range of pH; moderate drought
tolerance; prefers moist, rich soils; use a palm fertilizer with trace elements
Magnolia virginiana
Sweet bay
40-50
feet
15-25
feet
White
summer
Full sun
partial shade
Moderate
Evergreen; fragrant flowers; fruit attracts birds & mammals; prefers
moist, acidic soils; tolerates extended flooding; silver hairs on the
undersides of the leaves gives the tree a shimmering appearance in windy
weather; host plant - laurel swallowtail butterfly
Morus rubra
Red Mulberry
50-70
feet
20-40
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
None
Deciduous; attracts birds & mammals; edible fruit; tolerates all soil
moisture levels; fruits can stain cement, etc.; host plant for question mark,
red admiral & gray hairstreak butterflies; found at Sebastian Inlet State
Park; Erna Nixon Park; Enchanted Forest & Lori Wilson Park
Myrcianthes fragrans
Simpson’s stopper
20-30
feet
15-20
feet
White
spring
Full sun
partial shade
High
Evergreen; fragrant flowers; slow grower; tolerates wide range of pH;
colorful berries attract birds; minimum height is 12 feet; good replacement
for crape myrtle; shears well; attractive peeling bark
Myrica cerifera
Wax myrtle
15-25
20-25
feet
Incon.
feet
Full sun
High
Evergreen; an excellent small native tree; berries on FEMALE plants
to shade attract birds and mammals; fast grower; can tolerate extended
flooding; root suckers can be a problem; use as a dense screen; susceptible
to root and wood rot; host plant - red banded hairstreak butterfly
Comments
Evergreen; attractive red berries in the winter attract birds & mammals;
tolerates extended flooding; drought tolerant; tolerates wide range pH; tolerates
neglect
Nyssa sylvatica
Black gum
tolerate
65-75
feet
25-35
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
Moderate
Deciduous; foliage turns golden or crimson in the fall; fruits attract birds &
mammals; prefers moist, acidic soils; high drought tolerance but can
extended flooding; shade tree
Osmanthus americana
Wild olive
15-25
feet
10-15
feet
White
spring
Full sun
partial shade
High
Evergreen; fragrant flowers; prefers acid soils; fruit attracts birds &
mammals; tolerates extended flooding; moderate drought tolerance
Persea borbonia
Redbay
30-50
feet
30-50
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
High
Evergreen; drought tolerant; tolerates wide range of pH; attracts birds &
mammals; foliage is fragrant when crushed; prefers dry soils; shade tree;
host plant - palamedes swallowtail, spicebush swallowtail & laurel
swallowtail; can be found at Wickham Park, & Lori Wilson Park;
P. palustris grows in wetter soils
Pinus elliottii var. densa 50-70
Slash pine
feet
35-50
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
High
Evergreen; fast grower; tolerates acidic to slightly alkaline soils;
well-drained soils; tolerates occasionally wet soils; drought tolerant;
attracts birds & mammals; 2-3 needles per bundle/ 7-12 inches long;
host plant - spicebush swallowtail
Podocarpus macrophyllus 30-50
Podocarpus
feet
20-25
feet
Incon.
Full sun
to shade
High
Evergreen; slow grower; well-drained soil; dry/droughty soils; fruit attracts
birds; tolerates wide range of pH; drought tolerant
Prunus angustifolia
Chickasaw plum
12-20
feet
15-20
feet
White
spring
Full sun
partial shade
Low
Deciduous; fragrant flowers; attracts birds & mammals; prefers dry to
moist, acidic soils; well-drained soils; high drought tolerance; thorns; can
form underground runners which can create a thicket; nectar plant butterflies; host plant - viceroy, eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies
Prunus caroliniana
Cherry laurel
25-40
feet
15-25
feet
White
spring
Full sun
to shade
Moderate
Evergreen; attracts birds and mammals; high drought tolerance; fragrant
flowers; well-drained soils; tolerates wide range of pH; host plant - viceroy &
eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies
Quercus myrtifolia
Myrtle oak
20-30
feet
20-30
feet
Incon.
Full sun
only
Moderate
Evergreen; attracts birds & mammals; well-drained soils; dry soils;
tolerates wide range of pH; host plant - red banded, southern oak & white
M hairstreak butterflies
Ulmus americana
var. floridana
Florida elm
60-80
feet
50-60
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
Moderate
Deciduous; fast grower; attracts birds; tolerates wide range pH; welldrained sols; tolerates extended flooding; moderate drought tolerance;
prefers moist soils; host plant - question mark & hackberry butterflies
Vaccinium arboreum
Sparkleberry
12-18
feet
10-15
feet
White
spring
Partial shade
to shade
Low
Evergreen; attracts birds & mammals; moderate drought tolerance;
prefers moist, acidic soils; well-drained soils; tolerates occasionally wet
soils; attractive red bark; crooked branches form an open, irregular crown
SHRUBS
Scientific Name
Common Name
Bumelia tenax
Tough bumelia
Height Spread
maint. 10-20
6-12
feet
feet
Flower Color
Season
Incon.
Light
Conditions
Full sun
only
Salt Spray
Tolerance
High
Comments
Evergreen; slow grower; showy fruit attracts birds & mammals;
well-drained soils; dry soils; tolerates wide range of pH; thorns;
cold & drought tolerant
Callicarpa americana
Beautyberry
4-6
feet
6-10
feet
Lavender
spring
Full sun
partial shade
Low
Showy purple fruit -fall; attracts birds; white fruited cultivar;
tolerates wide range of pH; well-drained soils; dry soils; deciduous;
cold & drought tolerant; branches should be cut back heavily after
fruiting to maintain compact growth
Citharexylum
fruiticosum
Fiddlewood
8-10
feet
6-8
feet
White
spring-fall
Full sun
partial shade
High
Prefers alkaline soils; well-drained soils; dry soils; flowers are
very fragrant; shears well; attracts birds; drought tolerant;
evergreen
Coccoloba uvifera
Seagrape
25-30
feet
20-30
feet
Incon.
Full sun
partial shade
High
Attracts birds & mammals; edible fruit; high drought tolerance;
evergreen; well-drained soils; tolerates wide range of pH
Forestiera segregata
Florida privet
10-15
5-10
feet
Incon.
feet
Partial shade
High
Tolerates wide range of pH; high drought tolerance; berries on
female plants only; attracts birds; tolerates poor soils; cold
tolerant; prefers moist, alkaline soils; semi-evergreen
Ilex vomitoria
Yaupon holly
maint. 15-20
2-4
feet
4-6
6-12
feet
Incon.
Full sun
to shade
High
Evergreen; tolerates wide range of pH; well-drained soils; tolerates
extended flooding; drought tolerant; attracts birds & mammals;
shears well
Ligustrum japonicum
Japanese privet
8-12
feet
White
spring,summer
Full sun
partial shade
High
Tolerates wide range of pH; berries attract birds; well-drained
soils; L.j. ‘Variegata’ has predominently cream foliage
Myrica cerifera
Wax myrtle
can be maint.
from 4 to 12 feet
Incon.
Full sun
to shade
High
Can tolerate extended flooding; attracts birds & mammals; only
female plants produce berries; evergreen; cold & drought tolerant;
host plant - red banded hairstreak butterfly; M.c. var. pumila
(dwarf wax myrtle) grows 2-4 feet height and spread 4-6 feet
Rhus copallina
Winged sumac
6-10
feet
3-6
feet
Yellowish
late spring
Full sun
partial shade
Low
Tolerates acid soil; well-drained soils; dry soils; foliage is
orange, red in the fall; attracts birds & deer; deciduous; cold &
drought tolerant; host plant - red banded hairstreak butterfly
Sophora tomentosa
Necklace pod
5-6
feet
3-4
feet
Yellow
Full sun
spring,summer
High
Attracts birds, hummingbirds & butterflies; well-drained soils; dry
soils
15-25
feet
Scientific Name
Common Name
Vaccinium darrowi
Darrow blueberry
Height Spread
3-5
2-4
feet
feet
Flower Color
Season
White to pink
spring
Light
Conditions
Full sun
partial shade
Salt Spray
Tolerance
None
Viburnum obovatum
Walter’s viburnum
8-25
feet
White
spring
Full sun
to shade
Moderate
6-10
feet
Comments
Evergreen; prefers acidic soils; attracts birds & mammals; edible
fruit; dry soils; well-drained soils; prefers moist, acidic soils
(pH<5.5)
Tolerates wide range of pH; attracts birds & mammals; welldrained soils; high drought tolerance; can maintain 4-6 or 6-12 feet
evergreen; cold tolerant; prefers moist to wet soils; replacement for
Ligustrum; shears well; host & nectar plant for butterflies
(Native plants are in bold print)
Prepared by:
University of Florida/Brevard County Extension Service
3695 Lake Drive
Cocoa, FL 32926
(407) 633-1702
OR
4090 Minton Road
Melbourne, FL 32904
(407) 952-4356
Horticulture Technician
952-4536
Dan Schrader - Director/ Horticulture Agent 633-1702
Sally Scalera - Horticulture Agent
633-1702
Doug Kutz - Yard Waste Educator
633-1702