Choosing Plants To Attract Birds

When choosing plants to attract birds to your garden, you want to consider the variety of birds you desire to see. Select plants based on the birds needs. Buy plants with long blooming periods, or a variety of plants that bloom at different times of the year (early spring, mid summer, late summer, fall). Purchase flowers with nectar for hummingbirds, look also formula for hummingbird food. Pick up some flowers that produce seeds for seed-eating birds.

Native Plants For Birds

Attracting Hummingbirds

Plants For Humming Birds

Hummingbirds are well known for being drawn to red flowering plants, but they are also drawn to orange and pink flowers. Some favorites of hummingbirds are fuchsia, honeysuckle, morning glory, salvia and the trumpet vine. Plants with deep-throated flowers seem to be hand crafted for the bill of the hummingbird. Below is a short list of plants (not all inclusive) to attract many types of the North American Hummingbird.

Nectar Plant

 Plant Height Bloom Time Plant Zone

Plant Category

 Type of North American Hummingbird
Beebalm  18in - 4ft late spring, early - mid summer 4-9 perennial, full sun Ruby-Throated, Rufous
Canna  3ft - 6ft summer - fall 7-10 perennial, part shade to full sun  Black-Chinned, Blue-Throated
Cape Honeysuckle 10ft - 20ft summer 4-9 vine, part shade to full sun Allens, Rufous
Catus 18in - 6ft summer 9-11 succulents, full sun Broad-Billed, Costa's
Coralbells 18 in spring 4-9 perennial, part shade to full sun Anna's, Costa's
Century Plant 1ft - 6ft mid summer 9-10 succulents, full sun Allens, Black-Chinned, Broad-Billed, Broad-Tailed, Magnificent
Columbine 2ft spring 3-9 perennial, part shade Allens, Black-Chinned, Blue-Throated, Broad-Billed, Calliope, Magnificent, Ruby-Throated, Rufous
Currant 3ft - 6ft summer - fall 8-11 tropical, part shade to full sun Anna's, Rufous
Fushia 18in - 3ft  spring 9-11 shrub, part shade to full sun Allens, Anna's, Rufous
Gladiolus 2ft - 6ft spring 7-11 bulb, full sun Ruby-Throated

Geranium

 1ft summer - frost n/a annual, full sun Magnificent
Larkspur 2ft - 3ft late spring - early summer n/a annual, full sun Broad-Tailed, Costa's, Rufous
Lupine 3ft summer 4-7 perennial, part shade to full sun  Broad-Tailed
Nasturtium 1ft summer - fall 10-11 annual, part shade to full sun Broad-Tailed, Ruby-Throated
Poppy 2ft late spring 3-8 perennial, full sun Broad-Billed, Violet-Crowned
Sage 3ft - 4ft mid-summer - early fall 3-9 perennial, full sun Anna's, Broad-Tailed, Calliope, Costa's, Magnificent
Yucca 3ft - 4ft late summer 4-11 shrub, full sun Black-Chinned, Blue-Throated, Broad-Billed, Costa's

Attracting Songbirds Songbirds are attracted by the following items in your garden; berries, flying insects, insects, nuts and seed. Below is a list by food and the type of songbird that the food source will draw:

 Food Source Songbird
Berries Blackbirds, Bobolink, Cowbirds, Grackles, Juncos, Longspurs, Meadowlarks, Orioles, Sparrows, Starlings, Tanagers, Towhees, Warblers, Waxwings, Wrens
Flying Insects Purple Martins, Swallows 
Insects Blackbirds, Bluebirds, Bobolink, Catbirds, Chickadees, Cowbirds, Flycatchers, Grackles, Juncos, Kingbirds, Kiskadee, Longspurs, Meadowlarks, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Pewee, Phoebe, Robins, Sparrows, Starlings, Tanagers, Thrashers, Titmice, Towhees, Warblers
Nuts Blackbirds, Bobolink, Cowbirds, Grackles, Orioles, Tanagers
Seeds Blackbirds, Bobolink, Buntings, Cardinals, Catbirds, Chickadees, Cowbirds, Crossbills, Finches, Goldfinches, Grackles, Grosbeaks,  House Sparrows, Juncos, Longspurs, Mockingbirds, Orioles, Redpolls, Sparrows, Siskin, Tanagers, Thrashers, Titmice, Towhees, Warblers

Popular Plants For Seed-Eating Birds Seed-eating birds will come for your feeders and stay for the plants you choose as well.  Here are some great choices for seed-eating birds:

Annuals   Perennials
  • Balsam
  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Nasturtium,
  • Sunflower (Annual)
  • Zinnia
  • Blanket Flower
  • Lupine
  • Purple Coneflower
  • Sunflower (perennial)

You'll be working hard to attract birds to your backyard, be sure to take the time to enjoy the results, look garden birds of prey for kids! Photographing birds is great fun for adults and children alike. My four year old thoroughly enjoys this hobby!