Creating a living fence with native shrubs in your Seattle garden serves multiple purposes – privacy, beauty, and wildlife support. Native plants naturally attract local birds by providing food, shelter, and nesting sites.
When these shrubs are arranged as a fence or hedge, they create an eco-friendly boundary that transforms your garden into a vibrant bird sanctuary while maintaining your outdoor space’s boundaries.
1. Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum)
Hummingbirds flock to these stunning shrubs when their pink-to-red flowers bloom in early spring. The hanging clusters of blossoms appear before many other food sources are available, making them crucial for early-season pollinators.
Growing 6-10 feet tall, these deciduous shrubs form excellent privacy screens while producing small berries that feed robins, towhees, and waxwings in summer. Their drought tolerance once established makes them perfect for Seattle’s increasingly dry summers.
2. Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
Bright yellow flowers in early spring give way to dusty blue berries by late summer on this evergreen showstopper. Birds absolutely adore the nutritious fruits that resemble tiny grapes, hence the name. Standing 3-6 feet tall with prickly, holly-like foliage, Oregon Grape creates an effective barrier while providing year-round structure…