With a few simple steps you can attract birds to your garden. What can be more enjoyable than waking up to birdsong? However as gardens become smaller, less trees are planted and the number of birds visiting is reduced. This guide is suitable for all garden sizes and a number of plants are recommended to entice the birds back into your garden. Birds are attracted by plants that provide food sources such as berries and seeds also those that provide nectar. Many birds are also attracted by the insects that a well planted environment encourages.
Native plants for smaller gardens
Common Name |
Botanical Name |
Fruiting/Flowering Time |
Approx. height |
Coprosmas |
Coprosma species |
Autumn |
Wide range |
Corokias |
Corokia species |
Autumn |
Wide range |
Pittosporum |
Pittosporum species |
Winter |
Wide range |
Kakabeak |
Clianthus Kaka King |
Late Winter |
2m X 2m |
Pohutakawa |
Metrosideros excelsa |
Summer |
Wide range |
Flaxes |
Phormium species |
Summer |
up to 1.5m X 1.5m |
Kowhai Sophora |
Dragons Gold |
Late winter |
1m X 1m |
Kowhai |
Sophora species |
Spring |
Wide range |
Five Finger |
Pseudopanax species |
Spring |
Wide range |
Native plants for larger gardens
Common Name |
Botanical Name |
Fruiting/Flowering Time |
Approx. Height |
Wineberry |
Aristotelia serrata |
Summer |
5m X 3m |
Putaputaweta |
Carpodetus serratus |
Autumn |
5m X 3m |
Kawakawa |
Macropiper excelsum |
Late summer |
4m X 2.5m |
Konini |
Fuchsia excorticata |
Spring |
10m X 4m |
Southern rata |
Metrosideros umbellata |
Summer |
3m X 2m |
Tarata |
Pittosporum eugenoides |
Spring |
5m X 3m |
Puriri |
Vitex lucens |
All year |
6m X 5m |
Totara |
Podocarpus totara |
Autumn |
6m X 4m |
General plants to attract birds
Botanical Name |
Fruiting/Flowering Time |
Approx. Height |
Banksia Varieties |
Available for year round |
Wide range |
Callistemon Spring |
Autumn |
Wide range |
Grevillea Varieties |
Available for year round |
Wide range |
Prunus campanulata |
Early spring |
4m X 3m |
Viburnum Varieties |
Available for year round |
Wide range |
Climbers to attract birds
Botanical Name |
Fruiting/Flowering |
Time |
Metrosideros |
Carminea |
Spring |
Tecomanthe |
speciosa |
Winter |
Pyracantha* |
|
Autumn/winter |
*Pyracantha can be trained against walls or grown as shrubs. By planting a selection of these plants you will be able to attract an array of native birds to your garden such as: Tuis, Silver Eyes, native Pigeons, Bell birds and Fantails.
This ‘How To’ Guide has been produced to provide basic information and our experienced staff are available to answer any questions that you may have. Because this guide is of a general nature, neither Palmers nor its staff are responsible for the application of the information, as the contents may need to be modified for individual projects and site applications.