The Small Tree With Spectacular Color That'll Encourage Birds To Nest In Your Yard

The American smoketree (Cotinus obovatus) is a small, striking tree that both you and your favorite songbirds will love having in your backyard. It provides multi-season beauty beginning in late spring or early summer when clusters of unique flowers emerge. Although the individual flowers aren't especially showy, they leave behind airy clusters of flower stems that create a smoke-like effect, giving this tree its common name. As summer turns to fall, the bluish-green leaves transform into vibrant red and orange shades for a breathtaking autumn display.

Not only is it a low-maintenance tree that you will want in your landscaping for its ornamental value, but it's also a great option for attracting more feathered visitors to your yard. While it may seem like birds will happily nest in any tree, many, such as chickadees, are actually more likely to raise their young in natives, like the American smoketree. When searching for a nesting site, birds look for areas that provide all their basic needs, including food for themselves and to feed their hatchlings. Since native trees support native insects, they offer a more abundant and familiar food supply. That said, the insect-rich habitat isn't the only reason birds flock to this tree. Let's take a closer look at why the American smoketree is a top choice for encouraging birds to nest in your yard.

Birds are selective when choosing the right spot to build their nests, but the American smoketree provides several qualities they look for. Aside from the sturdy branches they use for nest-building, its structure provides excellent cover. While we have roofs over our heads and home security systems to keep us safe, birds depend on dense branches to shelter them from the elements and to camouflage themselves and their young from predators. In addition to choosing a safe and secure spot, birds build nesting sites near reliable food sources. Thankfully, finding something to eat isn't difficult in this tree; some birds, like finches, love snacking on the drupes that emerge in summer. When fruit isn't readily available, the American smoketree hosts insects like leaf-mining caterpillars, which offer a valuable protein source.

Although you'll likely see various small birds flying around an American smoketree, finches are particularly fond of calling it home. American goldfinches, for example, prefer to nest in small trees or large shrubs, typically building their nests 15–17 feet high. The American smoketree will be appealing due to its stature since it typically tops out at between 20 and 30 feet. To make your yard even more inviting to songbirds, consider providing them with nest-building materials. If you have pets, add their hair to a suet feeder so birds can stop by and use the soft fur to line their nests. Avoid using human hair, as birds can get tangled in the fine strands and risk getting injured. Another option is to plant native thistle, which doubles as nest-building material and food for finches and other species.

If you decide to plant this stunning tree to attract birds to your garden, you'll be happy to know that caring for a smoketree is a breeze. Although this species is native to the south and midwest in the United States, these trees are now seen growing in the northeast and mid-Atlantic and can be grown in US hardiness zones 3 to 8. These easy-growing plants are tough and can tolerate conditions like compacted soil, drought, wind, and heat. Although they can grow in nearly any soil type, they're happiest when grown in an alkaline, well-drained, infertile, loamy soil. Plant this tree in an area where it'll receive at least part shade, though it'll perform its best when grown in full sun.

Although this shrub works well as an accent tree, it also makes the perfect plant to use in a shrub border. Adding additional American smoketrees or other natives to your yard offers more coverage for birds, making the area even more appealing for nesting. Once established, this low-maintenance tree doesn't require too much to thrive. It prefers moderate watering, so only water it when the top inch of soil starts to dry out. As a lover of poor soil, you'll rarely need to fertilize the tree, if ever, and overfertilizing will do more harm than good. In late winter, you can choose to prune your tree to keep its shape or let it naturally grow as a large, multi-stemmed shrub.