Berry bearing small shrub (UK)

[pigsonthewing]

Suggestions, please, for a shrub (whose berries will be left for birds to eat), for a very small, shaded garden in the English Midlands. It has heavy clay soil, waterlogged in winter (yes, it's a nightmare!).

Thank you.

[Adey Baker]

Cotoneasters do well enough in my clayey soil

[Richard D]

Hawthorn thrives almost anywhere, although you might have to give it a very occasional chop to keep it small enough.

Richard

[pigsonthewing]

Cotoneasters do well enough in my clayey soil
Thanks - I have one, C. horizontalis, and the birds never seem interested in the berries. Which do you suggest?

[Nutcracker]

Try these:

Daphne mezereum
Viburnum opulus
Leycesteria formosa
Ruscus aculeatus

[Adey Baker]

Thanks - I have one, C. horizontalis, and the birds never seem interested in the berries. Which do you suggest?

They should go for them later in the winter, which is probably what we want them to do (rather than stripping them bare in a few days in early autumn!)

I think mine are probably descended from horizontalis originally - basically, they were seedlings from one or two plants that were already in my garden that the birds have 'distributed' themselves.

Some of the 'Tree' Cotoneasters seem to attract Waxwings - salicifolia, for instance needn't grow too tall.

[Sleeper]

Suggestions, please, for a shrub (whose berries will be left for birds to eat), for a very small, shaded garden in the English Midlands. It has heavy clay soil, waterlogged in winter (yes, it's a nightmare!).

Thank you.
Mahonia aquafolium

Leycesteria formosa

Viburnum opulus "compactum"

I too have a cotoneaster "simonsii" and the birds do not touch these at all.

The position and conditions you mention would most likely lead me to the Mahonia

Good luck

[birdman]

Pyrocanthus (Firethorn) seems pretty robust... well ours do. I know the Blackbirds eat the berries...

[Nina P]

Gaultheria is a low growing plant that has survived in my heavy clay soil under the ash tree.Pyrocantha is handy right against the walls. but have you tried the crab apples, as they do encourage the thrush family, and my Hawthorn (I cut it in stages to keep the berries, but also keeps it to the right height) I have several and each gets the same treatment, and the berries are still there as the filedfares or waxwings have never visited us this year.Another few are snowberry bush, rosa rugosa, berberris two colours, and the pieris has berries too that the finches seem to like. Are they enough or do you want more?

[Leif]

Suggestions, please, for a shrub (whose berries will be left for birds to eat), for a very small, shaded garden in the English Midlands. It has heavy clay soil, waterlogged in winter (yes, it's a nightmare!).

Thank you.

Not quite a shrub, but Ivy is said to be good for birds because it fruits in the Winter.

My late mother's Cotoneaster was well liked by birds till the neighbours took a chain saw to it. Not sure of the tree species.

I also seem to think that crab apple and quince are good. I've seen some birds eating them, and they probably encourage insects which is good for birds.

Also Elder is very good. I've often seen blackbirds feasting on Elderberries.

Leif

[herring99]

I've got cotoneaster horizontalis, two types of pyracanthas and an established ivy, all planted in waterlogged clay soil. The thrushes prefer the fruits on the ivy as do the local woodpigeons and for the last two winters blackcaps as well. The thrushes do however eat the berries on the other shrubs. It may be a question of letting them get used to the new plants (the ivy came with the garden, the others are two years old). The fruits on the cherry tree I planted also seem popular with the birds and so far the soil has agreed with it (it even survived being flattened by the fence during a gale last year)! Hope you can decide on what to plant and keep us posted with your decision.
All the best
Herring