Why Choose Wild Life Attracting Landscaping Trees

When we think about tree goals, or what we hope to get out of what we plant, we may think of ornamentals and curb appeal, shade trees, or even trees for screening and privacy. Landscaping trees meet a lot of goals, but one question we don’t ask enough is, are we planting trees that attract wildlife?

For homeowners, city foresters, and HOA managers alike, choosing wildlife-attracting trees means designing landscapes that are both beautiful and functional. Trees that support wildlife aren’t just “nice extras”; they’re key players in soil health, pollination, and pest control. In urban and suburban environments, they help restore the natural connections that urban development often disrupts.

Quick Links

• Why Wildlife-Attracting Landscaping Trees Matter
• How Canopy Diversity Supports Wildlife and Landscape Goals
• Which Landscaping Trees Attract What Wildlife
• How Wildlife-Attracting Landscaping Trees Fit Into Strategic Tree Plans

Why Wildlife-Attracting Landscaping Trees Matter

When we plant landscaping trees designed to attract wildlife, we may beautify a yard or street, but we also build living systems that support pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects. In turn, strengthen the entire ecosystem; these trees deliver multiple ripple benefits, including shade, habitat, and resilience.

Key Benefits of Wildlife-Attracting Trees

• Pollinator support & food webs — Trees with flowers, fruits, or seeds provide critical resources for bees, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. Studies suggest that the diversity of bee species and their successful proliferation are positively linked to the diversity of insect-pollinated broadleaf trees.
  
  
• Improved biodiversity & ecosystem resilience — A more diverse canopy draws more species, which helps buffer against pests, diseases, or other environmental stressors.
  
  
• Ecosystem services for cities & neighborhoods — Trees that attract wildlife also serve other purposes. They contribute shade, cooling, air purification, stormwater interception, and soil health. In urban settings, they can help mitigate heat islands and improve the quality of life. We’re not just improving the world for wildlife, but we’re also making community improvements.
• Community & aesthetic value — Consider your morning walk without the sounds of birds. Sitting outside on a summer evening and hearing silence, not tree frogs. Landscapes come alive with the sounds of birds and animals, blossoming flowers, and the changing seasons. For us, they carry emotional, educational, and real estate value to neighborhoods.
  
  
• Long-term cost efficiency — When trees support beneficial insects (natural pest control) and withstand stress better, they often require less chemical intervention and fewer replacements over time.

In short, picking the right landscaping trees isn’t just about color or shade. You have the opportunity to create a living, sustainable landscape that works harder for wildlife, people, and cities.

How Canopy Diversity Supports Wildlife and Landscape Goals

As we’ve discussed in the past, canopy diversity is essential. When landscapes rely on just a few tree species, they become more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and even shifting climates. Canopy diversity changes that. 

By mixing native trees, cultivars, and even ornamental landscaping trees, we create stronger, more balanced ecosystems that support both wildlife and urban resilience.

• Different trees bloom and fruit at other times, providing year-round food and habitat.
  
  
• A mix of species helps ensure resistance to pests and disease outbreaks. In fact, trees in more species-diverse neighborhoods suffer less damage from pests because predators and parasitoids are more abundant when multiple host and non-host species are present.
  
  
• Varied canopy layers improve shade, soil stability, and stormwater management. More specifically, root systems loosen and aerate soil, increasing infiltration and reducing erosion, while full canopies can block and slow water before it even reaches the soil. When understory and overstory layers interact, they help regulate water flow, stabilize slopes, and absorb peak flows.

And, finally, diversity means healthier, longer-lived trees and fewer costly replacements. Diverse tree canopies don’t just look better, they function better, creating spaces where people and wildlife can thrive together.

Which Landscaping Trees Attract What Wildlife

Choosing the right landscaping trees lets you support wildlife in targeted ways, from feeding birds and inviting other pollinators to offering up a habitat for mammals. Let’s take a look at what trees, specifically, provide those opportunities.

Landscaping Trees for Birds

• Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp. / cultivars like ‘Autumn Brilliance’): Produces tasty berries that birds love.
  
  
• Sargent Tina Flowering Crabapple Sproutfree™ (Malus sargentii 'Tina' sproutfree™): Fruit is a classic bird attractant; spring blossoms also support insects that birds feed on.
  
  
• Oak species (e.g. native oaks or durable hybrids): Oaks support hundreds of native bird species through acorn production and insect host relationships. Potential oak species include:
  
  
  • Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii): Native to the Rockies; drought-tolerant and excellent for scrub-jay and woodpecker habitat.
    
    
  • Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa): Hardy and adaptable, produces large acorns favored by many bird species.
    
    
  • Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii): Thrives in alkaline soils and attracts both birds and small mammals.
    
  • Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana): A Pacific Northwest native supporting diverse wildlife and strong canopy structure.
    
    
  • Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor): Adaptable to wetter or compacted soils often found in developed landscapes; valuable for birds and pollinators alike.

Looking for the birdsong? Hoping to attract with a feeder? Boost both of those with these landscaping trees that offer nesting materials, shelter, and food across seasons, inviting birds to your landscape.

Landscaping Trees for Other Pollinators

• Flowering Dogwood / Dogwood cultivars: Spring blossoms offer nectar and pollen for native bees and butterflies. These trees include:
  
  
  • Eddie’s White Wonder Dogwood (Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’): Large white flowers provide nectar and pollen when bees and other pollinators are just starting their season.
    
    
  • Chinese Dogwood (Cornus kousa var. chinensis): Produces star-shaped white/pinkish flowers in late spring, followed by red fruits. These feed pollinators when fewer resources are available, and birds enjoy the fruit later in the season.
    
    
  • Satomi Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’): Pink to purple flowers (depending on climate), which are very attractive to bees and butterflies.

• Flowering cherries and plums (Prunus spp.): Early-season blooms feed pollinators coming out of winter. These trees include:
  
  
  • Akebono Flowering Cherry (Prunus × yedoensis ‘Akebono’): Soft pink spring blooms provide early nectar for bees and other pollinators.
    
  • Kwanzan Cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’): Deep pink double blooms that attract bees and hoverflies early in the season.
    
    
  • Kankakee Newport Flowering Plum (Prunus cerasifera 'Newport'): This tree produces pale pink flowers in early spring, providing an early nectar source for pollinators.
    
    
  • Krauter Vesuvius Flowering Plum (Prunus cerasifera 'Krauter Vesuvius'): Features light pink flowers that bloom in early spring, attracting bees and other pollinators.

• Maples: Though not great nectar sources, maples’ early spring flowers support bees when little else is blooming. Maple species include:
  
  
  • Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum): Native to the Intermountain West, its early flowers support pollinators and provide fall color.
    
  • Hot Wings® Tatarian Maple (Acer tataricum ‘Hot Wings’): Early-spring flowers attract bees; distinctive red samaras add summer interest.
    
    
  • Autumn Blaze® Maple (Acer × freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze: Hybrid vigor and early blooms are beneficial to early-season pollinators, while offering excellent urban adaptability.
    
    
  • Flame Amur Maple (Acer ginnala): Compact form with fragrant flowers that are sure to draw bees and butterflies.

• Sterling Silver Linden (Tilia tomentosa 'Sterling'): Among the last trees to bloom in mid summer, the linden's small flowers are very fragrant and the bees love it. 

Planting multiple species with overlapping bloom times helps extend the pollinator support window in your yard or community.

Landscaping Trees for Mammals and Other Wildlife

• Nut- and fruit-bearing trees — Walnuts, chestnuts, pecans, or fruiting maples provide mast (nut/fruit) that feed squirrels, raccoons, deer, and small mammals. These may include:
  
  
  • Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii): Produces acorns in fall that feed squirrels, raccoons, and deer. Its nuts support numerous insects, which also attract wildlife.
    
    
  • Hardy Pecan (Carya illinoinensis): Produces sweet, protein-rich nuts in fall that attract squirrels, raccoons, and other wildlife. It's nuts also support insects and fungi, contributing to a healthy ecosystem.
    
  • Green Mountain® Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum ‘Green Mountain’): Produces winged seeds (samaras) that attract squirrels and chipmunks; its sap supports insects, which are prey for small mammals.

• Trees with rough bark and cavities — Older maples, ashes, or oaks (if available) develop fissures and cavities useful for bats, squirrels, and other small mammals. This includes:
  
  
  • Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra): Develops fissured bark and cavities in maturity that provide shelter for bats, squirrels, and other small mammals.
    
    
  • Patmore Seedless Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica): Mature specimens offer rough bark, and hollowed areas are used as den sites for wildlife.
    
  • Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata): Produces nutrient-rich nuts that feed squirrels, raccoons, and other small mammals. Its sturdy wood and leaf litter also support insects and soil health, benefiting the surrounding ecosystem.

• Native trees adapted to the region — In Colorado and Utah, native species are more likely to support local mammal species, as they have co-evolved in those ecosystems. Some examples (there are a lot of these!):
  
  
  • Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii): A Colorado native producing acorns and dense foliage that supports deer, squirrels, and regional wildlife.
    
    
  • Moonglow Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow'): Its berries provide food for birds and mammals, while its dense structure offers year-round cover.
    
    
  • Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa): Its seeds are a food source for various wildlife, and its bark supports numerous insects. The tree's stature also provides nesting sites for birds and shelter for mammals.

How Wildlife-Attracting Landscaping Trees Fit Into Strategic Tree Plans

Incorporating trees that support wildlife is strategic planning for long-term success. Selecting trees that provide food, cover, and habitat also helps create balanced and resilient outdoor spaces.

A diverse selection of trees that attract wildlife can enhance biodiversity, naturally reduce pest pressures, and support pollinators, all while contributing to shade, privacy, and aesthetic appeal. When strategically placed, these trees strengthen urban canopy diversity, and ensure green spaces remain vibrant and ecologically healthy year after year.

Ready to make your landscaping both beautiful and wildlife-friendly? Contact SuperTrees. For over 50 years, we’ve been providing healthy, resilient trees that meet landscaping goals while attracting birds, small mammals, and pollinators.