Bring More Birds to Your Backyard with These 13 Native Plants

Looking to create a bird-friendly backyard? The secret isn’t just bird feeders—it’s native plants. Birds are drawn to the flowers, berries, and shelter these plants offer naturally throughout the seasons.

Whether you want to attract finches, hummingbirds, or bluebirds, these native choices make your garden come alive with fluttering wings and cheerful songs.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

This vibrant wildflower produces seeds that goldfinches love, and its sturdy stems provide great perches. It’s also a pollinator favorite and blooms all summer long. Native to much of the eastern and central U.S., it’s both beautiful and bird-friendly.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)

Serviceberries produce sweet berries in early summer that attract robins, waxwings, and thrashers. These small trees or shrubs also provide lovely spring blooms and fiery fall color. They’re a triple win for gardeners and birds alike.

Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa

With its bright, shaggy blooms, bee balm is a magnet for hummingbirds. Native to North America, it also draws pollinators and adds color to borders and beds. Let it go to seed, and finches may visit, too.

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

This fast-growing native shrub offers dense cover and clusters of dark berries birds love. It also supports native insects, which many baby birds rely on for food. Great for hedgerows or woodland edges.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Native grasses like switchgrass provide shelter and nesting material, while their seeds feed sparrows, juncos, and buntings. This low-maintenance plant also helps prevent erosion and thrives in tough conditions.

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

This brilliant red native is a favorite of hummingbirds. It grows well in moist soil and along pond edges or rain gardens. The vivid blooms are impossible to miss—for both you and your feathered visitors.

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Cheerful and low-maintenance, black-eyed Susans are rich in nectar and seeds. Their blooms attract pollinators, while their seed heads bring in finches and chickadees. Leave the stems standing in winter for extra bird food.

Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)

A showstopper in winter, this native shrub produces bright red berries that persist into the cold months. Birds like robins, cedar waxwings, and bluebirds feast on them when other food is scarce.

Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

This tall, late-summer bloomer attracts butterflies during the growing season and birds once it goes to seed. It thrives in moist soil and adds height to native plant gardens.

Oak Trees (Quercus spp.)

Though slow-growing, oak trees support more wildlife than almost any other plant. They provide acorns, shelter, and host hundreds of caterpillar species—essential food for baby birds. Even young oaks make a difference.

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

This native vine bursts with tubular red flowers that hummingbirds adore. Unlike invasive honeysuckle varieties, coral honeysuckle is non-aggressive and bird-safe. It also produces berries in late summer for other birds.

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Delicate and graceful, wild columbine is an early bloomer that attracts hummingbirds in spring. It reseeds easily and grows well in shady or woodland gardens. A perfect choice for naturalized spaces.

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

This native climbing vine offers excellent cover for nesting birds and produces small berries that many species eat in fall. Its brilliant red foliage adds autumn interest to fences, arbors, or tree trunks.

Native plants make it easy to support backyard birds. These 13 bird-friendly picks create a lasting habitat with less effort and more birdsong—win-win for you and your garden.