Cardinals Favorites: 16 Trees and Plants That Draw These Beautiful Birds

Here’s our in-depth guide to removing cardinals from your yard! This post will discuss 16 amazing plants and trees known to attract these colorful birds. Learn how to use nature’s beauty to create the ultimate paradise in your garden.

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About Cardinals

A wide variety of environments, including forests, scrublands and even urban areas, are home to major families of birds. Their bright red feathers and unique voice distinguish them. The eastern region of the United States is where they are most prevalent.

Because of their social monogamy, cardinals often form pair bonds that last a year or more. They will mark nesting areas and build nests from grass, twigs, hair, bark and other plant material during the breeding season. Usually, nests are located in bushes or trees and are well hidden by dense vegetation. The height at which cardinals build their nests varies from three to 10 feet.

During the summer, cardinals frequently form flocks of up to thirty individuals birds. These flocks can include other types of birds as well, and the members are continuously changing.

Sunflower

Because sunflowers provide an abundance of nectar, seeds and insects, cardinals are attracted to them. Cardinals are among the many birds attracted to sunflowers for their abundance of pollen and nectar. When the birds are feeding, the petals act as a landing pad for them to rest. Cardinals also enjoy sunflower heads because they are full of healthy seeds! Sunflower leaves are another resource that cardigans can use to build their nests.

Elderberry

The plant known as elderberry (Sambucus) bears dark purple berries in addition to small white flowers. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are attracted to flowers because of their abundant nectar. When the berries ripen in late summer, cardinals feast on them. Elderberry bushes nesting cardinals from predators and provide cover in their nests. Additionally, they serve as food for centipedes, ants, flies, spiders, caterpillars, and snails—all of which cardinals love!

Serviceberry

A small deciduous tree or shrub, serviceberry (amelancheer) bears dark purple fruit in summer and white flowers in spring. Cardinals and other birds get plenty of nutrients from the sour-tasting berries. A favorite food of cardinals is the fruit of the serviceberry, which is rich in vitamins and minerals.

Sourberries also attract other insects such as wasps, bees, butterflies and beetles, all of which serve as food for cardinals! Additionally, serviceberries provide excellent shelter from predators and provide an ideal location for cardinals to build their nests.

Red Mulberry

The red mulberry tree (Morus rubra) bears tart, delicious fruit from early summer to late fall. It is a deciduous tree. When these fruits are ripe, cardinals flock to them because they enjoy their sweet taste. The deep red berries are a great food source for cardinals and thrushes, robins, blue jays, woodpeckers and other birds. In addition, red mulberries provide cardinals with nesting sites and protection from predators.

Holly

Native to the eastern and southeastern regions of the United States, American Holly (Ilex opaca) is an evergreen tree. This tree’s thick growth habit and glossy, dark green leaves attract cardinals and provide them with shelter throughout the winter. From late fall through winter, American holly also produces vibrant red berries that are a favorite food of cardinals.

Cardinals can get plenty of nutrition from the tart-tasting berries as they are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Additionally, additional insects drawn to American hollies include spiders, moths, and butterflies, which provide a food source for cardinals.

Ash

A genus of flowering plants in the olive family, ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) include species native to Asia, Europe, and North America. White ash (Fraxinus americana) is the most common type of ash tree in North America. The tree’s dark green intricate leaves and clusters of small flowers that bear tan-colored fruits known as “keys” or summers attract cardinals to it.

In addition to being a fantastic source of nutrition, these seeds provide cardinals with a significant amount of food during the winter. Ash trees not only provide food but also provide protection from inclement weather and animals. When building a nest, cardinals may feel safe because the ash tree’s thick foliage is perfect for hiding or feeding in its branches.

Birch

Known for their white or silvery bark, birch trees (Betula spp.) are a species of deciduous tree that grows in the Northern Hemisphere. Birch trees attract cardinals because of their catkins, which are clusters of tiny flowers that hang from the top of the branches like decorations. Cardinals consume the small seeds produced by the female catkin as part of their diet. Birch trees not only provide food, but also shelter from predators and bad weather.

Common Juniper

The tree known as evergreen shrub or common juniper (Juniperus communis) is native to North America, Europe and Asia. It can reach a height of ten feet. This plant especially draws cardinals because of its small blue-black fruits, also known as “berries”. In addition to providing protection from inclement weather and potential predators, these berries provide cardinals with tasty food year-round. For nesting birds, the thick foliage of common juniper provides excellent shelter.

Crabapple

Malus species or crabapple trees are deciduous trees that bear small, delicious fruits. Because these fruits are heavy in sugar, they are picked by cardinals and other birds. Crabapple trees provide breeding birds with shelter from inclement weather and predators in addition to food. Other species that take refuge in the thick foliage of these trees include squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, bats, and raccoons. Their bark, which is silver or white in color, is another attractive feature.

Eastern Red Cedar

A type of juniper native to North America is the eastern red cedar or Juniperus virginiana. Some of its other names are Red Juniper and Eastern Juniper. It grows in parts of Central America, Canada, and the eastern United States. This plant is especially attractive to cardinals because of its small, blue-black fruits, sometimes called “berries.” Cardinals can make good food from these berries. The plant is also a food source for pheasants, mule deer, and white-tailed deer.

Eastern White Pine

A species of conifer native to eastern North America is the eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). In both Canada and the United States, it is one of the most widely distributed trees. This tree’s long, silky needles provide comfortable nesting sites for cardinals and other birds. Additionally, the cone-shaped fruits of this plant are picked by cardinals because they contain seeds that other animals like songbirds, cottontail rabbits, and snowshoe hares also like.

Flowering Dogwood

Native to eastern North America, flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is an attractive tree. It has a rounded crown with bright red fruits in summer and four-petalled white, pink or red flowers in spring. This species is favored by cardinals due to the abundance of food sources. Squirrels and deer love the flower buds, while cardinals, bluejays and other birds eat the small fruits.

Hawthorn

A large collection of small trees and deciduous shrubs native to North America is known as hawthorn (Crataegus sp.). It grows erect, with spiny branches covered in pink or white flowers in late spring. Many types of birds, including cardinals, eat small apple-like fruits. For these birds, they also provide cover and nesting sites. Hawthorn also has the added benefit of attracting beneficial insects such as hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.

Hickory

Eastern North America is home to the deciduous hickory tree (Carya spp.). Its open, asymmetrical canopy of branches and leaves provides abundant food for animals. The tall, slender and toothed leaves are pinnately complex. Hickory trees produce small, tasty catkins in the spring that turn into nuts in the fall. Because of their high fat and protein content, these nuts are an excellent food source for birds, including cardinals. Foxes, mice, raccoons, deer, quail and pigs also eat hickory nuts.

Northern Hackberry

Native to North America, the northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is a deciduous tree. It has a height of 60-feet, a rounded crown, large, oval-shaped leaves and attractively spotted bark. It bears small flowers in the spring, which turn into delicious purple or yellow fruits in the fall. Cardinals are among the many species of birds that eat these fruits. Dense trees provide both cover from predators and better protection for the nest. Many birds, including cedar waxwings, robins, and mockingbirds, also eat the fruit. In addition, a variety of butterflies can be seen on hackberry trees, including American snots, crested monarchs, and mourning cloaks.

Tulip Poplar

Eastern North America is home to the deciduous tulip poplar tree, Liriodendron tulipifera. A rounded crown of bare, light green leaves that turn yellow in fall can reach ninety feet in height. Its name comes from the large, unique flowers produced in spring that resemble tulips and come in yellow or orange. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies can find abundant pollen and nectar on these flowers. The delicious nectar produced by these flowers attracts cardinals, who feed on the high-fat seeds throughout the winter. Additionally, white-tailed deer feed on tulip poplar leaves throughout the year. Squirrels, cottontails, purple finches and northern bobwhites all love the seeds.