Plants that Attract Seed-eating Birds

You’ll see lots of advice on the Internet about shrubs and trees with colorful berries that attract birds: serviceberries, hollies, crabapples, etc. After all, birds like them and we find them attractive too. But not all bird species are fruit-eaters. In fact, the greatest number are seed-eaters, birds like goldfinches, chickadees, grosbeaks, and nuthatches. Few sites seem to mention the many plants you can grow to attract this group. It’s as if you’re expected to put up bird feeders for seed-eating birds and be content with that.

I don’t use bird feeders, yet I see all sorts of birds (and animals too!) visiting my garden in the winter, most of them seed-eaters, birds that flock to the varied vegetation I provide. You see, I do no fall cleanup and all my perennials, annuals and grasses are left to stand all winter, to the great delight of the seed-eating crowd.

The secret to attracting birds with seed-bearing plants is to provide a lot of variety. Make sure you have a wide range of plants, some maturing in summer or fall, others holding on to their seeds through the winter. This will attract the greatest number of bird species. You’ll need herbaceous plants (perennials, annuals, etc.), but also shrubs and trees. About the only kind of backyard environment that seed-eating birds will have nothing to do with is a neatly-kept lawn, so up the flowers and shrubs, and cut back on lawn for the best range of bird visitors.

And don’t scorn weeds, either! Many plants considered weeds (thistle, goldenrod, fireweed, etc.) or weed trees, like box elder (Acer negundo), are actually great plants for attracting birds. If you have the space, why not turn a corner of your yard into a wildlife habitat by letting otherwise undesirable plants grow freely? The birds will thank you for it! (As will the butterflies, but that’s a different story!)

Some Plants to Try

Here are some plants that seed-eating birds particularly like. They are found in all categories, from annuals to perennials, biennials, vines, shrubs, trees and even conifers. You’ll notice that most of these plants are fairly common garden plants: it’s just that we rarely think of them as bird fodder. Just leave them along during the winter and watch the birds come in great numbers!

1. Abies spp. (fir) zones 1 to 7, depending on the species
2. Acer spp. (maple) zones 3 to 8, depending on the species
3. Achillea spp. (yarrow) zones 2 to 4, depending on the species
4. Alnus spp. (alder) zones 1 to 8, depending on the species

5. 

   Amaranthus spp. (amaranth, love-lies-bleeding) annual

6. Andropogon spp. (bluestem) zone 3
7. Aquilegia spp. (columbine) zone 3
8. Asclepias spp. (milkweed) zones 3 to 10, depending on the species
9. Aster spp. (aster) zones 2 to 6, depending on the species
10. Betulus spp. (birch) zones 1 to 5, depending on the species
11. Calendula spp. (pot marigold) annual
12. Campanula spp. (bellflower) zones 1 to 6, depending on the species
13. Carpinus spp. (hackberry) zones 4 to 7, depending on the species
14. Centaurea spp. (cornflower) annual or zone 3, depending on the species
15. Cerastium spp. (snow-in-summer) zones 2 to 4, depending on the species
16. Cirsium spp. (thistle) zones 2-6, depending on the species

17. 

    Clematis spp. (clematis) zones 2-8, depending on the species

18. Coreopsis spp. (coreopsis) annual or zones 3-7, depending on the species
19. Cosmos spp. (cosmos) annual
20. Delphinium spp. (delphinium, larkspur) zone 3
21. Deschampsia caespitosa (tufted hair grass) zone 3
22. Echinacea spp. (echinacea, purple coneflower) zone 3
23. Echinops spp. (globe thistle) zone 3
24. Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed) zone 2
25. Erysiumum spp. (wallflower) zone 6
26. Eschscholzia spp. (California poppy) annual
27. Eupatorium spp. (Joe Pye weed) zone 3

28. 

    Fraxinus spp. (ash) zones 3 to 7, depending on the species

29. Gaillardia spp. (gaillardia, blanket flower) annual or zone 3
30. Hamamelis spp. (witchhazel) zones 4 to 8, depending on the species
31. Helianthus annuus (sunflower) annual
32. Helianthus spp. (perennial sunflower) zones 3-6, depending on the species
33. Hesperis matronalis (dame’s rocket) Zone 3
34. Limonium sinuatum (statice) annual
35. Linum spp. (flax) annual or zone 3

36. 

    Miscanthus spp. (maiden grass) zones 4 to 6, depending on the species

37. Nigella damascena (love-in-a-mist) annual
38. Oeonothera spp. (evening primrose) zones 3-6, depending on the species
39. Onopordum spp. (Scotch thistle) zone 4
40. Panicum virgatum (switch grass) zone 3
41. Papaver spp. (poppy) annual or zone 3
42. Pennisetum spp. (fountain grass, millet) annual or zone 5
43. Phlox spp. (phlox) annual or zone 3, depending on the species

44. 

    Picea spp. (spruce) zones 1 to 7, depending on the species

45. Pinus spp. (pine) zones 3 to 9, depending on species
46. Portulaca grandiflora (portulaca) annual
47. Rudbeckia spp. (coneflower) zone 3
48. Rumex spp. (sorrel) zones 3 to 5, depending on the species
49. Salvia spp. (sage) annual or zones 3 to 10, depending on the species
50. Scabiosa spp. (scabiosa, pincushion flower) annual or zone 3, depending on the species

51. 

    Sedum spp. (sedum) zones 3 to 10, depending on the species

52. Solidago spp. (goldenrod) zone 2
53. Sorghastrum nutans (false sorghum) zone 3
54. Tagetes spp. (marigold) annual
55. Thuja spp. (arborvitae) zones 3 to 6, depending on the species
56. Tsuga spp. (hemlock) zones 4 to 6, depending on the species
57. Verbascum (mullein) zones 3 to 7, depending on the species
58. Vernonia spp. (ironweed) zone 4
59. Zinnia spp. (zinnia) annual