Alan Titchmarsh has revealed one of his favourite flowers that birds will "love". The gardening expert maintains that gardens have "always been important havens" for British wildlife. The former Gardeners' World host considers it "really important" to "encourage" birds and animals to visit your garden, whether to feed or nest when the season arrives.
This led Alan to highlight one particular flower he regards as excellent for birds nearly all year long. On his Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh YouTube channel, the television personality championed the cotoneaster horizontalis, also known as the wall cotoneaster, as one of the best flowers for wildlife. He explains the plant is often called a "fishbone cotoneaster" because it looks like the "perfect kipper".
In a video, he said: "This little variegated variety is really sweet. The thing about it is it forms a bit of a thicket. It will sort of amble its way up a wall as if it's got its back to it and it's trying to get up there. But the other thing about it is that in autumn, it carries lots and lots of bright red small bite-sized berries. Birds love it."
Why Birds Adore Cotoneaster Horizontalis
Alan Titchmarsh emphasised the plant's value for birds during winter. He said: "It's a really good winter food plant for birds. And being really quite thick, it can also be a good nesting place. It loses its leaves in winter. And then you really do see that the branches are studded with tiny little rubies, the red berries that you love and so will the birds."
Characteristics of the Shrub
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) describes the cotoneaster horizontalis as a "low-growing, spreading, deciduous" shrub. It can grow up to around 90cm tall and often spans around 1.5m in width. It features a distinctive, flat, herringbone pattern with small dark green leaves that frequently turn vibrant shades of orange and red during the winter months. The plant is well regarded for its pink and white flowers that bloom in spring, followed by the striking red berries that Alan notes birds will love to feast upon.
Growing Conditions and Care
The shrub thrives best in a well-drained environment but can be planted regardless of whether your soil is chalk, clay, loam or sand. The society recommends that the cotoneaster horizontalis be positioned in full sun, though it can flourish in a garden facing any direction. It notes that the berries produced by the plant are purely ornamental and should not be consumed by either people or pets. The RHS also cautions that the plant can be vulnerable to pests including scale insects, Cotoneaster webber caterpillars, aphids and woolly aphids.
Another Bird-Friendly Plant from Alan Titchmarsh
Alongside the cotoneaster horizontalis, Alan recommends the malus sargentii, or crab apple "Tina", as an excellent choice for those who enjoy attracting birds to their garden. This compact tree reaches approximately 125 to 150cm after a decade. Alan describes the tree as producing a gorgeous white and pink blossom, adding: "The other bonus of course is following on from this spring blossom comes the autumn fruit. You can use them for crab apple jelly or you can leave them for the birds and they'll adore them."
