‘Robins and sparrows love it’
13:28, 13 Feb 2026Updated 13:28, 13 Feb 2026
Birds also need shelter at this time of year, not just food(Image: Gary Chalker via Getty Images)
Renowned English gardener, TV personality and writer Alan Titchmarsh has revealed which plants homeowners should be adding to their outdoor spaces if they’re keen to welcome more feathered visitors. The former Gardeners’ World presenter explained in a clip on his YouTube channel, Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh, that the key to enticing birds into your garden is to “plant things that they will find useful, particularly in terms of food”.
During this season, among the most beneficial additions gardeners can make are berry-producing plants, which offer birds ample nourishment. One variety Alan championed that proves especially attractive to robins and sparrows is the “beautyberry”, otherwise known as callicarpa.
He said: “It looks artificial. It’s purple, which is not a natural colour for berries in the garden. Robins and sparrows love it.
“It makes a tallish shrub. Stick it at the back of a border where it will be background for most of the year, but then come autumn, look what it does, it really draws your eye.”
The Love Your Garden presenter said this plant has purple berries that robins and sparrows adore.(Image: Ludmila Kapustkina via Getty Images)
The horticultural expert also championed pyracanthas, more commonly referred to as firethorns, which display striking red, yellow or orange berries right through autumn and winter, reports the Express.
He noted that these specimens work brilliantly as hedging and can be readily trained to scale the exterior walls of houses or outbuildings.
Alan further suggested cotoneasters (frequently called catoni asters) as perfect for smaller bird species. Their “bite-sized” berries offer an essential nutritional resource.
Roses that bear rose hips are also a fantastic option for drawing birds into your garden. As these vibrant red fruits mature and soften, they become a magnet for our feathered friends – blackbirds in particular can’t resist them.
One plant Alan recommended that’s particularly popular among robins and sparrows is the “beautyberry”(Image: JHVEPhoto via Getty Images)
Birds require more than just food during this season; they also need shelter. Gardeners can cater to this need by planting prickly shrubs such as barberries or holly, which additionally yield berries.
The spiky leaves ward off predators and offer a safe haven for birds during the winter months, while the berries provide much-needed nourishment.
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