The Charming Flowering Tree That'll Attract Birds & Add Natural Shade To Your Yard

There's nothing as fascinating or entertaining than watching happy birds enjoying your garden as they fly from tree to tree and even take a splash in your birdbath, if you have one. Equally as enchanting is listening to cheerful birdsong through your open window as spring arrives, bringing with it warmer breezes to freshen up your home. Attracting more feathered friends to your yard is as simple as planting the right trees that will provide them with the things they need, such as food, shelter, and nesting sites. There's one charming, flowering small tree that won't overtake your yard, known as the 'Snow Goose' cherry, that will draw in the birds and has the added advantage of providing some much-needed natural shade to your yard in summer.

But the allure of this attractive tree doesn't stop there. The ornamental cherry (Prunus 'Snow Goose') will have you in awe when its branches are covered with pure white blossoms in early spring. This is not only a delight to your visual senses but will also lure in pollinators such as bees and butterflies. As the spent petals fall, blanketing the ground like fresh snow, the green leaves start to cover the bare branches to tease you with the promise of a lovely, shady reading nook in the heat of summer. Finally, as you reluctantly say goodbye to those balmy days, your 'Snow Goose' cherry changes once again with the leaves displaying brilliant hues of gold, orange, and red before dropping to the ground.

While your tree is in bloom, you'll find that you can entice cardinals and hummingbirds to your yard with this flowering tree they can't resist. Even blue jays will be flocking to the masses of blooms to feed on that sweet nectar. At the same time, insects like beetles, bees, butterflies, and wasps will also find those pretty blooms irresistible. These are an excellent food source for insect eating birds such as tanagers, orioles, bluebirds, and grosbeaks. Plus, nesting birds will search for these and other insects to feed to their young.

This means that an ornamental cherry tree will make the perfect addition to your garden if you want to see more birds around your landscape. 'Snow Goose' has an advantage over other varieties in that it's a little more compact, making it ideal for smaller yards, much like another cherry tree variety that fits perfectly in a small garden: Prunus 'Kiku-shidare-zakura.' It reaches a maximum height of 25 feet with a spread of around 20 feet. It will grow in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8, and will appreciate a sunny position in your garden, with well-drained soil. Other than regular watering during extended dry periods, the only maintenance your tree may need is a little pruning in winter to remove damaged or dead branches.