When sitting at her hollyhocks, do you remember how your grandmother could name every single type of bird? Well, those days aren’t gone, they’re waiting to be revived in your backyard! With these 22 native plants, your backyard will turn into a bird sanctuary and you'll finally discover the secret that master gardeners have kept for decades. (Hint: it’s located in the “mistakes” section at the very end.)

Purple Coneflower: The Goldfinch’s All You Can Eat Buffet

As you observe a goldfinch perched on the durable purple flowers, you'll see why they are ideal bird feeders. The flowers' seedheads persist throughout winter offering an all-season buffet. This buffet makes pricey nyjer feeders look like fast food. Even better, they self-seed so energetically you'll provide a treasured garden for your grandchildren to enjoy. You can easily create a patch of your own by sowing coneflower seeds directly in the fall or early spring.

Cardinal Flower's Magnetic Attraction for Hummingbirds

The dazzling red spikes are not just for show – to them, it is a dinner bell hummingbirds can hear from half a zip code away. Plant these by your morning coffee spot and you’ll have better entertainment than any streaming service can provide. Just don’t be surprised if your neighbors start to time their cop visits to ‘coincidentally’ match hummingbird happy hour.

American Elderberry: The Bird Bed & Breakfast Your Grandma Warned You About

Yes, your grandmother may have made jelly from these berries, but now the birds are getting the entire harvest. Each cluster of dark fruits attracts cardinals, catbirds, and other birds for a late summer feathered festival. I recommend planting it where you can see it from the kitchen window, because the berries disappear faster than cookies at a church social. You can begin harvesting berries two years earlier than with other plants by starting with a young elderberry plant.

Where Chickadees Check In and Never Check Out: Black-Eyed Susan

These bright yellow flowers remember me of the local diner where everyone sits at the same counter and gets to know one another. When fall comes, they create seed heads which serve as bird feeders and attract several birds like the chickadee and show off their acrobatic skills. During the winter, leave the stalks as they are, since they will provide more entertainment than anything you could watch on any 200 of your tv channels.

Native Sunflowers: Finches Enjoy Their Seeds Like We Enjoy Coffee

Sunflowers offer finches nested on each of their branches. They have less waste compared to giants and don’t have to avoid the bird-clogged perches of the giants. Look out your own breakfast nook to a self-serve TV show on the finch and sunflower show.

Serviceberry: The Tree That Is Better Than Your Old Bird Feeder

The Juneberry is often referred to as a four season wonder, as it has berries that imperatively attract birds. Such berries may even cause competition amongst birds. In Spring, it has beautiful white flower blooms. Cedar waxwings come to visit even before the rest of us have our morning coffes. In robins will be taking posts to guard their tree come June.

Eastern Red Cedar: The First Winter Bird Hotel

Before wild bird feeders and heated bird baths came along, these evergreens served as winter B&Bs for our feathered friends. The pressed branches provide roosting spots cozier than your grandma’s quilts and the blue berries provide snacks for bluebirds and evening grosbeaks. One mature cedar provides more winter shelter than a dozen birdhouses.

Virginia Creeper: Where Cardinals Have their Family Reunions

Disregard those who say this vine is a nuisance – it’s actually cardinal catering! The purple-black berries show up just in time for migrating birds and turn your autumn garden into a hub for woodpeckers, cardinals, and family. The fall foliage show is probably better than your neighbor’s imported Japanese maples.

Trumpet Honeysuckle: An Invasive Vine Reimagined

This is not the aggressive Japanese honeysuckle that devoured your garden shed in 1975. Our native version is the well-behaved cousin that hummingbirds prefer. These native honeysuckle vines have beautiful flowers that are perfectly suited to the beaks of hummingbirds. Plant this honeysuckle vine near your porch so you can enjoy the evening show of hummingbird dogfights and nocturnal moth visits. A trumpet honeysuckle vine planted near a fence or trellis will reward you with hummingbird visits for years.

Wild Bergamot: Hummingbirds Love to take a break here!

The lavender pom-pom flowers are not just pretty to look at. They attract nature’s little flying creatures – specifically butterflies and hummingbirds. These flowers, called bee balm, produce nectar that attracts lots of pollinators (and more consistently than your local coffee shop) so be sure to plant these where you can see the evening rush. They’ll bring you buzzing customers (the hummingbirds) as they make their last call rounds.

Dogwood: Nature's Fast Food Drive-Thru For Migrating Birds

While there weren’t rest stops along the interstate, migratory birds used to fuel up on dogwood berries. Those red berries might look pretty to us, but they’re essential to birds just like truck stop diners are to long-distance drivers. The spring blooms are also not for show; they attract insects which serve as a protein-rich food source for the returning warblers. If you have a bird-friendly garden, a flowering dogwood seedling is one of the best investments you can make.

American Beautyberry: Birds Love the Purple Berries (You Probably Shouldn’t)

The mockbirds are playful and know that these purple berries, even if they look like they came from a sci-fi movie, are more of a treat than anything we can come up with, and as they stick around on the branches all winter, they come to be a winter snack when all other food sources are covered in snow. It’s like having a tiny convenience store for birds in your backyard.

Joe Pye Weed: The Butterfly Bush That Birds Actually Like

Don’t let the name deceive you. This 'weed' is more like a nature social club for birds and butterflies. It's tall purple flower heads attract insects all summer, like a bug disco. The all-you-can-eat buffet creates an attraction for songbirds. In the fall the seedheads turn into finch feeders that surpass anything you could buy at the store.

Common Milkweed: A Stop for Monarchs and a Departure Point for Birds

This isn’t just real estate for monarch butterflies, it’s also prime bird-watching territory! Those silky pods that made perfect pretend beards now entice goldfinches who use the silk for nest building. The sturdy stems and thick branches serve as natural bird perches. Far better than any plastic swing from the garden center.

Northern Bayberry: The Last Resort Diner of the Winter Waxwing

These waxy berries were used as home fragrances by colonists long before scented candles became popular. In the winter, cedar waxwings use them as food. Other fruits are gone, but the berries stay, like that one diner that stays open during snowstorms. The berries only grow on female plants, so be sure to get a pair. Just like your grandma’s old blueberry patch, you’ll need a male plant for a female to have berries.

Winterberry Holly: Nature’s Christmas Present For Birds

Those red berries aren’t just for your holiday pictures! They are food for bluebirds and robins during the winter months. Native winterberry holly (as opposed to English holly) loses its leaves in the winter, revealing Christmas light-esque berries. Plant a few females and one male, and you will see birds from your cozy kitchen window. Winterberry holly gives garden birds a food source in the winter that they will appreciate for years to come!

Native Asters: Amazing Seed Production At The End Of The Season

It may be time to think about closing the garden, but the purple-blue daisies are still blooming. They attract goldfinches and chickadees to the seed heads which become a feast for the birds. Watch them perform unbelievable aerial stunts as they grab food from the seed heads! These plants are worth leaving up for the winter instead of a store-bought bird feeder.

Pokeweed: Why Your Birds Don't Want You to Remove It

Yes it's a weed, but have you heard the catbirds and thrushes? To them it’s a five-star restaurant! Those purple-black berries will stain your grandkids’ clothes (like they did yours), but for the fall migrants they are pure gold! Let it grow in the back corner where nothing else wants to – your birds will thank you with endless entertainment and for the show!

Spicebush: The Understory All-Star of Bird-Friendly Gardens

Pioneer women used these shrubs during their spring cleaning, before there were air fresheners. Now, this shade-loving shrub acts as a nursery, cafeteria, and retreat for birds who live the slower life. While the bright red berries might seem like Christmas ornaments, they are considered the choicest food in the forest understory by wood thrushes and veeries.

American Holly: Year-Round Christmas Bird Attraction

Cedar waxwings and robins have been waiting a long time for the real deal holiday decoration to arrive in your yard. These decorations are better than the holiday plastic ones. These birds have been waiting for the red berries that winter birds eat when everything is covered in snow. The dense and evergreen foliage also provides shelter to the birds all year long. You can watch these decorations from your favorite reading chair because you will see nature's holiday card come to life.

Developing a Bird Paradise: Tips for Thoughtful Planting

Focusing your attention on how you arrange your plants will turn your garden into a bird magnet. Give your yard a bird neighborhood feel by thinking of different areas as serving different functions. Different layers are created when you plant, as the "canopy," tall trees such as dogwood and serviceberries, with “understory” mid-height shrubs like spicebush and elderberry, and coneflower and aster flowers as the “ground floor.” This will replicate the multi-layered expansive areas of their natural habitat for birds to explore and enjoy.

Instead of putting individual plants, try grouping them in odd numbers (i.e. 3, 5, or 7) of the same species. Just how people feel safer with multiple escape routes and feeding options, so do birds. For example, three elderberry bushes in a cluster will attract more birds than three single elderberry bushes scattered across the yard. Also, this will provide the birds with the cover they need for nesting and protection from predators.

What to Plant and When to Attract the Most Birds

When you plant in spring, the native plants get the whole growing season to establish themselves before the winter, but when you plant in fall, there is a hidden benefit, it imitates what nature does. Seed clusters that fall in the autumn months, winter in the soil before germinating during the spring. Native plants that are planted in the fall have a tendency to create more robust root systems, and tend to require less watering in the summer.

To attract birds immediately, you can plant annuals and perennials that establish quickly while your trees and shrubs mature. Sunflowers and black-eyed Susans will attract birds in a matter of months. Your future serviceberry and dogwood trees will provide a lasting resource as part of your bird habitat.

Regional Considerations: Which Plants Attract Your Local Birds

Not every native plant works in every part of each state and region. Take purple coneflowers for example. They can grow in most of North America while the cardinal flower prefers the moisture of eastern woodlands. Before selecting what plants you want to use, do some research on what bird species are common in your area. Remember to consider the geography, as a plant list for Minnesota will not work for Arizona, regardless of the use of “native” plants in both states.

Most native plant societies and cooperative extensions offer zip code-specific recommendations that factor in the local soil, rainfall, and bird populations. With the right plants, you’ll save money and make sure your garden attracts the birds in your area.

Maintenance Secrets: The “Messy” Garden That Birds Love

Master gardeners know something special that they will not let out easily – birds like ‘messy’ gardens! For example, if you have coneflowers and asters, let their seed heads stand rather than cutting them down in fall. The seed heads and dried stems will provide seeds for winter birds and nesting material for the birds that will visit you in the spring. What looks like a messy garden to you is a luxurious bird resort!

Instead of bagging leaves, you can rake leaves under your shrubs and create a natural littered area where ground-feeding birds, like thrushes and sparrows, forage for insects. Additionally, a light layer of leaves helps soil moisture retention around your native plants and reduces your watering needs, while also providing birds with an ecosystem that they are used to.

Bird Garden Common Mistakes

An example of a common error new bird gardeners tend to make is over pruning their gardens. Clutter from natural decomposition (e.g., dead flowers, leaves, and other seasonal debris) provides food and cover for the birds. Instead, consider the rest of the garden. Brush piles, for example, may support more birds than your costly bird feeder.

Another garden killer is planting strictly for human aesthetics rather than bird function. While a row of identical shrubs may look nice to people, birds would prefer an area with varying heights and mixes of species and clusters. Formal landscapes do not attract birds, but the ‘cottage garden’ style—where plants grow in groups informally with a little bit of controlled chaos—tends to attract far more birds.

Lastly, lots of gardeners quit too early. In their first year, native plants may appear unimpressive, since they prioritize root development over flashy growth. That elderberry bush that appears to be struggling could take off with growth in year two, and become a magnet for birds by year three. The steady, long-term return from native plants is decades of minimal effort bird entertainment.

Native Plant Bird Garden FAQ

Q: How long will it take before I see birds using my native plants?

A. Sunflowers and other fast growing annuals can attract birds as soon as 2-3 months after planting. Birds typically start showing activity with perennials in their second year. In the case of trees and shrubs, they can take 3-5 years to provide their peak appeal to birds. However, even young plants provide some benefits – newly planted areas tend to attract ground feeding birds as they look for soil insects.

Q: If I plant native plants, will I have to stop using bird feeders?

A: Certainly! Bird feeders and native plants complement each other in fantastic ways. While native plants provide their own food and shelter for foraging and nesting, bird feeders provide reliable food sources during the cold and harsh weather months. Many bird species use feeders to supplement their diet, but get the majority of their nutrition from native plants and the insects that native plants attract.

What does my homeowners association say about “messy” gardens?

A: Consider native plants that are more “traditional” in style, like purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and serviceberry trees, that can work nicely in formal landscaping. Where HOA rules are more relaxed, try creating bird-friendly areas in your backyard, and think about promoting native plants to support local wildlife and improve property values.

Q: Do native plants cost more than other garden plants?

A: Because of the specialty nurseries that grow them, native plants might cost a little more, but in the long run, they save money because they need less watering, fertilizing, pest controls, etc. Additionally, many native plants self-seed, meaning you’ll get free plants for years! Native plant societies often sell plants, and their prices are significantly lower than retail nurseries.

Q: Will native plants draw in undesirable wildlife like snakes or mice?

Native plants encourage healthy ecosystems and ecosystems that assist with pest management. Your native plants will attract birds, who will eat a lot of insects as well as some small mammals. Natural predators such as hawks, owls and snakes will typically offset any increases in small wildlife. A garden of native plants will generally experience fewer pest problems than a conventional garden.

Q: Are native plants able to be grown in containers or other small space formats?

A: For sure! Lots of native plants do well in containers. Try using smaller/compact versions of coneflowers, aster, or even small serviceberry cultivars. Using native plants on your balcony or patio will attract small birds like hummingbirds and goldfinches. Even one large container with a mix of native plants will have more value to birds than most traditional floral arrangements.