While I like the look of my Nandinas, I have never seen a bird eat the
berries! However, birds do like hollies and there are a number of excellent
native hollies available for shade (not only the common holly). Some are
deciduous and have bright red berries all winter -- look at the ones at the
Arboretum for ideas. Birds seem to prefer holly berries after they have had
a bit of frost-softening.

Birds supposedly also like Beautybush (the bush with purple berries) but
they never eat mine. The do eat berries of Virginia Creeper readily, also
Sumac although this is not a shade-lover.

Gail Mackiernan
Colesville

on 04/22/2004 9:09 AM, Kerry Stone at  wrote:

> Hi there,
> I'm trying to create a full "wildlife" garden. I bought some Nandinas,
> thinking because they had berries on them in the winter, the birds would have
> some food. However, I don't the Nandinas listed in any of the wildlife garden
> information I've been reading. Does anyone know whether the birds like, or
> dislike, Nandina berries.
>
> I'm mostly shade, so I don't have many options.
>
> Kerry Stone
> Takoma Park (Montgomery County)
> 
>
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