Top 10 Plants to Attract Songbirds
Invite beautiful birds into your yard or garden.
Ideally, the best plants and flowers for attracting songbirds furnish edible seeds or fruit and possibly nestbuilding materials. It’s best to opt for hardy perennials native to your region, which should thrive in most gardens. To get a better idea of what you should plant in your yard to attract wildlife, read National Geographic Birds, Bees & Butterflies.
Sunflower (Helianthus spp.)
The king of seed flowers. Plant this easy-to-grow annual in full sun near windows where you can watch songbirds fuel up for migration.
Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)
This hardy perennial boasts long-lasting blooms on tall stalks. The bristly seeds are a favorite of birds and butterflies.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
The seeds, nectar, pollen, sap, and foliage of cornflowers (also known as bachelor’s buttons) nourish birds, bees, and butterflies.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Long blooming and easy to grow, these perennials blend well with other seed-bearers such as coneflowers and asters.
Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Garden favorites, cheerful daisies form nutritious seeds that are vital winter fare for finches, sparrows, cardinals, and towhees.
Aster (Symphotrichum spp.)
These fall bloomers—in purple, pink, blue, or white—are perfect for those who desire a garden of staggered seed-bearing plants.
Marigold (Tagetes SPP.)
Many birds eat the dried seeds of these pungent annuals, but some, including grackles and crows, tear apart the orange blooms.
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
The fruit of this vine is an important food source for winter birds, such as mockingbirds, nuthatches, woodpeckers, and blue jays.
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
This versatile shrub sustains many bird species, including brown thrashers and red-eyed vireos, with its dark blue fruit.
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
This shrub furnishes autumn and winter fruit to robins, thrushes, catbirds, cardinals, chickadees, and starlings.
Photographs by Shutterstock.
Go Further
Animals
- How scientists are piecing together a sperm whale ‘alphabet’How scientists are piecing together a sperm whale ‘alphabet’
- Orangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first timeOrangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first time
- What La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planetsWhat La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planets
- This fungus turns cicadas into zombies who procreate—then dieThis fungus turns cicadas into zombies who procreate—then die
Environment
- This floating flower is beautiful—but it's wreaking havoc on NigeriaThis floating flower is beautiful—but it's wreaking havoc on Nigeria
- What the Aral Sea might teach us about life after disasterWhat the Aral Sea might teach us about life after disaster
- What La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planetsWhat La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planets
- How fungi form ‘fairy rings’ and inspire superstitionsHow fungi form ‘fairy rings’ and inspire superstitions
- Your favorite foods may not taste the same in the future. Here's why.Your favorite foods may not taste the same in the future. Here's why.
- Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?
History & Culture
- These were the real rules of courtship in the ‘Bridgerton’ eraThese were the real rules of courtship in the ‘Bridgerton’ era
- A short history of the Met Gala and its iconic looksA short history of the Met Gala and its iconic looks
- Meet the ruthless king who unified the Kingdom of Hawai'iMeet the ruthless king who unified the Kingdom of Hawai'i
- Hawaii's Lei Day is about so much more than flowersHawaii's Lei Day is about so much more than flowers
Science
- Why ovaries are so crucial to women’s health and longevityWhy ovaries are so crucial to women’s health and longevity
- Orangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first timeOrangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first time
Travel
- Why this unlikely UK destination should be on your radarWhy this unlikely UK destination should be on your radar
