What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Bird-friendly gardens combine locally native plants that provide seeds, fruit, nectar, insects, shelter, and nesting structure. Here are 22 candidates—from flowers to trees—organized by what they offer, not ranked as a universal best-of list. Plant ranges and growing needs vary, so confirm each species is native and suitable where you live before buying.
How to choose plants birds can use
Plants help birds both directly and indirectly. Seeds, nuts, berries, and nectar are food; native plants also host insects that many birds rely on, especially when feeding young. Shrubs, grasses, vines, and trees add cover and potential nesting sites. A mix of plant types and food sources can serve different birds across the year. Audubon outlines these roles in its guide to making a yard bird-friendly.
- Check local fit: Confirm native range, sun, moisture, available space, and mature size with a regional native-plant resource. A species useful in one region may not suit another.
- Plan for more than flowers: Include woody plants and grasses for food and cover, as well as flowering plants for seeds, nectar, and insect life.
- Buy carefully: Audubon recommends checking that seed species are native to your region, asking where nursery plants were grown, and avoiding pesticide-treated stock. Region-specific seed packets can be a practical starting point, but do not replace shrubs or trees when those are the habitat you need. See Audubon’s bird-friendly plant FAQ.
The bird groups below are possibilities, not guarantees: both local plant ranges and bird ranges matter.
22 plants to consider
Flowers for seeds, insects, and nectar
- Purple coneflowers (Echinacea spp.): Their seedheads can feed goldfinches in fall. Leave mature heads standing where practical.
- Native sunflowers (Helianthus spp.): Seeds are useful to birds, including during migration. Choose a species native to your region rather than assuming every sunflower is locally appropriate.
- Asters: Their seeds can serve finches and sparrows, while the flowers also support insects. Audubon includes asters among flowers useful for seed-eating birds.
- Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis): Its nectar can attract hummingbirds where the plant grows suitably.
- Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.): They host insects, and their seed fibers and down can be used by goldfinches in nests. Select locally suitable milkweed species.
- Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens): This native vine offers nectar for hummingbirds and fruit for other birds in its range.
- Wild bergamot: Cornell Lab cites its summer nectar as a resource for hummingbirds and other nectar-feeding visitors where it is appropriate.
- California fuchsia: A summer nectar option in suitable western gardens; verify its local range and growing conditions.
- Black-eyed Susan: Its fall seedheads can benefit finches and sparrows. Leave some seedheads in place rather than deadheading every flower.
Fruit-bearing shrubs and small trees
- Elderberries (Sambucus spp.): The berries feed birds, and Audubon notes that the spring flowers attract insects. Choose a species suited to the site and region.
- Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.): Their fruit is available around the breeding season and summer, and their springtime insect life can also support birds.
- Dogwoods (Cornus spp.): Birds including cardinals, titmice, and bluebirds use their fruit. Regional species differ, so check which dogwood belongs in your area.
- Cherries (Prunus spp.): Suitable native cherries offer fruit and can provide food during breeding season and summer, according to Audubon’s seasonal guidance.
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin): Audubon names spicebush among fruiting plants that can help birds moving south. Confirm its suitability for your region and site.
- Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.): Cornell Lab lists hawthorn fruit as a winter food example. Pick a locally native species and allow room for its mature form.
- Winterberry (Ilex verticillata): Its persistent fruit can offer winter food where the shrub and its growing conditions fit.
Trees for insects, nuts, seeds, and shelter
- Oaks (Quercus spp.): Native oaks support caterpillars, produce acorns, and can develop cavities and shelter. They need ample room as they mature.
- Hickories (Carya spp.): These trees provide nuts and support insects; choose a species native to the locality and appropriate to the available space.
- Pines (Pinus spp.): Native pines offer seeds and habitat structure, and can support insects. Match the species to regional conditions.
Vines, wet-site plants, grasses, and thickets
- Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia): Its winter fruit is used by fruit-eating birds within its range. Check whether it is suitable for your site before planting.
- Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis): A candidate for suitable wet sites; its seeds can be used by waterfowl.
- Native wild grasses and blackberry thickets: Wild grasses offer seeds, while blackberry thickets can provide fruit, cover, nesting habitat, and insect-foraging areas. Choose locally appropriate species and manage the planting to fit the space.
These are 22 plant groups or named candidates, not a ranked or universally suitable list. Several entries are broad genera or habitat types because the right species depends on location.
#1 Best Overall
Make food available through the seasons
Seasonal variety matters because one plant rarely provides every kind of food all year. Audubon points to serviceberry and cherry for breeding season and summer; dogwood and spicebush for birds moving south; cedar and holly for winter; and sunflowers, asters, and coneflowers for seeds. Cornell Lab’s examples include spring caterpillars on white oak and serviceberries, summer nectar from wild bergamot and California fuchsia, fall seedheads of black-eyed Susan and sunflower, and winter fruit from hawthorn and winterberry.
| Season or need | Plant examples | What they can offer |
|---|---|---|
| Spring and breeding season | White oak, serviceberry, elderberry | Caterpillars and other insects; elderberry flowers attract insects. |
| Summer | Serviceberry, cherry, wild bergamot, California fuchsia | Fruit, insects, or nectar, depending on the plant and local conditions. |
| Fall migration and seed season | Dogwood, spicebush, sunflower, aster, coneflower, black-eyed Susan | Fruit and seedheads; leave some seedheads standing. |
| Winter | Cedar, holly, hawthorn, winterberry, Virginia creeper | Fruit that may remain available into colder months, depending on species and location. |
Native planting can make a measurable difference, but published figures describe a particular study, not a promised result for an individual yard. Cornell Lab’s account of a 2009 study in southeastern Pennsylvania reports four times as many caterpillars in yards filled mostly with native plants as in yards with non-native vegetation, and reports bird species of regional conservation concern found eight times more often on mostly native-plant properties. Those findings should not be generalized as a guaranteed outcome elsewhere.
Rank #2
Bird use also depends on geography and ranges. For example, Audubon reported in 2017 that rose-breasted grosbeaks eat fruit for 95 percent of their diet during fall migration; that figure describes this bird during that period, not birds generally.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sources and regional checks
For plant-to-bird examples and seasonal planning, see the National Audubon Society’s yard guide, its plant examples, and its native plants and bird food article. Audubon’s FAQ covers regional selection and buying considerations. Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s native-plant gardening guide, updated in 2026, provides additional seasonal examples and describes the southeastern Pennsylvania study.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
As Cornell Lab native plant specialist and Garden for Birds project leader Becca Rodomsky-Bish puts it: “These are all plants that have grown here for millennia, and they have the positive ecological impact to show for it.”
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
