Move over, feeders!
Native plants are the true superstars for attracting birds with berries, seeds, and shelter.
Native plants offer birds natural food, shelter, and nesting sites year-round.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
Plus, their diverse food supply supports a wider variety of birds than feeders do.
Here are 25 native trees, shrubs, vines, and flowers that birds adore.
Plant a few (or all!)
Credit:Denny Schrock
andtransform your yard into a bird paradise.
Oaks
Denny Schrock
Sturdy and majestic, oaks (Quercusspp.)
are among the best trees for birds.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Oak trees support nearly 900 species of caterpillars, providing an important food source for young birds.
are large, hardy conifers that range across North America.
These versatile trees can stand alone as specimen trees or be grouped for windbreaks and screening.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Their dense foliage provides excellent shelter and nest sites for birds.
In spring, migratory warblers feast on insects hidden among the trees needles.
are unmistakable with their white, papery bark, slender branches, and small, serrated leaves.
Credit:Tom McWilliam
Their small seed clusters also attract birds like the goldfinch, redpolls, chickadees, and pine siskins.
are fast-growing trees and shrubs with slender branches and elongated leaves.
They host hundreds of caterpillar species, which birds feed to their young.
Credit: Jay Wilde
Their early-blooming flowers also attract insects, providing critical food for early-arriving migratory birds.
Their dense foliage and flexible branches create perfect nesting sites for goldfinches, yellow warblers, and willow flycatchers.
The flowers attract insects in early spring, offering an essential protein source for birds during the nesting season.
Credit:Edward Gohlich
are medium-sized trees that produce large, sweet berries that birds and humans enjoy in the summer.
When fruiting, these treesattract cardinals, robins, waxwings, and many other songbirds.
However, fallen mulberries are messy, so avoid planting near sidewalks, driveways, or parking areas.
Credit: Rob Cardillo
enhances your yards beauty while feeding the birds.
Dogwoods are known for their gorgeous spring flowers and fiery fall leaf color.
These trees are excellent hosts for caterpillars, an important food for birds feeding their developing young.
Credit:Karla Conrad
These same attributes also make it an idealshrub for hedges and screening.
Size:6-10 feet tall
Zones:2-8
Elderberry
Tough and low-maintenance elderberry (Sambucusspp.)
is an excellent addition to yards.
Credit: David Speer
Be prepared for some competition; elderberries are a favorite of warblers, orioles, tanagers, and catbirds.
offer ideal cover and nesting spots for birds.
Their nutrient-rich berries are favorites for fruit-eating birds, including robins, thrushes, waxwings, and orioles.
Credit: Denny Schrock
However, these brambles can spread aggressively through underground runners.
is an excellent low-growing shrub for a wide range of yards.
Currant berries are tasty treats for humans, too.
Credit:Jacob Fox
As a bonus, currant shrubs lack the thorns found on many other berry bushes.
shrubs are delightful and thrive in various habitats, making them perfect for yards.
Despite their alarming name, these edible berries have gained popularity as superfoods due to their high antioxidant content.
Credit:Kindra Clineff
Their berries are great for smoothies, jams, and sauces.
Songbirds adore them, too.
Sorry, folks out west!
Credit: Denny Schrock
The scarlet tubular flowers of this shrubbyvine are magnets for hummingbirds, and songbirds also eat their fruit.
Birds love its small, dark blue berries, especially in the fall and winter when food is scarce.
The dense foliage also offers cover and nesting sites for birds.
Credit:Rob Cardillo
It can be used as a climbing vine or a groundcover to fill negative spaces in your yard.
As a bonus, its leaves turn bright red in the fall.
However, this vigorous vine can overwhelm other plants and structures if not properly managed.
Credit:Denny Schrock
is a valuable addition to yards.
It can be trained to grow on fences, trellises, andpergolas, offering screening and shade.
Different species of coneflowersare found throughout North America, so check which species are native to your area.
Credit: Bob Stefko
The bright red, tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, whose long beaks and tongues perfectly suit the flower shape.
is a standout in the garden with its huge pinkish-purple flower heads.
The seed heads provide fall and winter food for goldfinches, chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, and tufted titmice.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Size:3-7 feet tall
Goldenrod
Goldenrods(Solidagospp.)
plumes of bright yellow flowers add a needed splash of color to gardens in late summer and fall.
In the summer, the flowers attract a variety of insects, which in turn feed insect-eating birds.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
In winter, goldfinches, sparrows, and juncos feast on their seeds.
Goldenrod is frequently blamed for allergies since it blooms at the same time as ragweed, the true culprit.
However, you dont need to worrygoldenrod wont trigger your allergies.
Credit: Scott Little
Columbine
These whimsical flowers are unmistakable and always spark conversations in the garden.
Luckily, several species ofcolumbine(Aquilegiaspp.)
are native to North America.
Credit: Blaine Moats
This is a must-have flower for anyone wanting to attract hummingbirds to their yard.
are not only beautiful, but theyre also an excellent food source for birds.
Mourning doves, chickadees, finches, and sparrows love their nutritious seeds.
Credit: Bob Stefko
Sunflowers attract over 70 caterpillar species, which birds feed to their nestlings.
will brighten up your garden from late summer to fall.
Goldfinches, house finches, juncos, and chickadees particularly love aster seeds.
Credit: Denny Schrock
So, youre sure to find one or more that works for your space.
A native relative of garden impatiens, jewelweed is a self-seeding annual that forms dense clusters.
Its vibrant orange, orchid-like flowers bloom from summer through fall and are irresistible to hummingbirds.
Credit:Denny Schrock
is an iconic wildflower that works well in the home garden.
Its yellow and black, daisy-like flowers are beautiful to behold, and goldfinches adore the seeds.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
