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| Fleshy fruits of Muraltia spinosa |
What do we benefit from introducing plants that produce bright fruit in the garden? Different varieties of colours of the fruits appeal to various attractions in the garden. The fruit-bearing garden tends to be visited by birds, animals and insects. Red and black fruits are popular with birds, but they also recognize different colours. Brighter colours indicate maturity and that the fruit is now delicious. There are few brightly coloured fruits that offer no food, but they trick fruit eaters for dispersal purposes by imitating edible fruits. Birds can see the bright red berries easier in the sky. Scientific evidence shows that fruits eaten by monkeys are generally green.
Food availability is a primary concern for birds, especially during hatching season. Birds, therefore, live near food sources. Similarly, to humans, we tend to move closer to cities because we can find jobs and provide for our families there. Providing birds with suitable habitats, nesting and resting areas, and natural food should therefore be the goal of designing the garden. The introduction of plants, flowers and nectar will likely attract insects also attract birds as they will feed on insects, nectar and fruits. Vibrant red-orange seeds are popular among birds.
Strelitzia reginae has orange and black seeds that are consumed by a variety of birds. Brown-headed parrot eats the unripe seeds of Erythrina sp. (coral tree). Birds frequently visit Oncha serrulata attracted by the fleshy fruits. There are a number of fruit-eating birds and baboons that frequent the bright red fruits of plants like Carissa macrocarpa.
Therefore benefits of having plants with fleshy, colourful fruits will give the satisfaction of watching and listening to the birds as they visit the garden. Birds also act as pest controllers as they eat a variety of insects. In addition, birds spread pollen as the move from shrub to shrubs.
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