What could I put in a #PNW hedge to replace Himalayan blackberries from the point of view of little birds? I’ll plant sunflowers and scarlet runners for a while, and am aiming for huckleberry and native honeysuckle in the longer term. Left the dead canes in the hedge high up for a few more years of physical protection.
“Berry birds like that isn’t invasive” might be impossible, hm.
ETA constraints: safe for humans to walk past, long term maintenance is one winter prune and mow around
@clew
Maybe you could include osoberries (Oemleria cerasiformis) and elderberries in the mix? I find osoberries planted all over from a single plant we have, with the early season fruits being popular with wax wings, robins, etc. Elderberries ripen much later but are well-loved by local birds here, haha.
One problem that I've had with thick shrubby areas is having Himalayan blackberries start growing within them (likely planted from bird droppings). And then I essentially lose the area to blackberries or have to fully clear it since the cane bases are hard to reach in the shrubs and they can't be mowed annually for basic control.
Good berry additions, thank you
A difficult winter day taking out blackberry roots with the pullerbear is just a given around here
clew
AO Smith