The Fragrant Native Shrub That Attracts Birds To Your Yard & Acts As A Privacy Fence

If you're interested in growing shrubs to create a privacy screen, you'll have plenty of attractive options. But you might want to consider Northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) if you're hoping to grow plants that draw in birds, as well as act as a fence or screen. This is one of those shrubs that will attract birds for fun, feathered sightings, while at the same time creating a wall of foliage and offering you the delights of a lovely, spicy fragrance.

Maybe you're already a fan of the distinctive fragrance of the bayberry bush — a spicy scent exuded by both the leaves and the berries of the plant. This attractive, branching semi-evergreen bush also goes by the name of candleberry, due to the waxy covering on the berries that can be used to make candles. Whatever you call it, count it among the shrubs that will attract more songbirds to your yard or garden. Northern bayberry is native to the eastern states and provinces of North America, with North Carolina marking its southern range. You can consider growing it if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 7.

Northern bayberry can reach up to 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide.  It can grow in full or part sun and in many different well-draining soil types. Plus, it's perfectly suited to sandy or salty conditions. You can plant these fragrant native shrubs just 3 feet apart to grow them as a privacy fence. You might also consider growing this bird-attracting species on a slope to help prevent erosion. To provide food for wildlife, be sure to include at least one male specimen for pollination, so that the female plants will produce berries after they flower. This is because male and female flowers are borne on individual plants.

If you add northern bayberries to your yard, your feathered friends will flock to these bushes in winter when the shrubs' numerous, small berries ripen. After two or three years of planting, expect to get visitors like chickadees, bluebirds, and yellow-rumped warblers. Northern bayberries are also among the shrubs and trees to plant in your backyard for a bird-friendly winter habitat. That's because the fragrant bushes have a dense growth structure that provides both cover and a place to nest. Once it's established, it'll be great to know that your privacy fence is sustaining so much life.