Plants in Your Garden that Produce Seed for Birds


Black-Eyed Susan seed heads are gorgeous and bird-friendly.

As you clean up your garden this fall, don’t forget the birds! Leave some seed heads to dry on your perennial flowers, to provide winter food for finches, cardinals, and other year-round birds. Not only will you be providing much-needed nourishment and shelter for birds, but your winter garden will be graced with the striking shapes of dried stems adorned with colorful plumage.

You can also harvest the seeds for later spreading or using in feeders. If you’re adventurous, try scattering and watering a handful of birdseed mix, and see what sprouts!

The most popular flowering plants for feeding birds are:

  • Most native plants
  • Black-Eyed Susans and other plants with daisy-like blooms
  • Coneflowers
  • Ornamental grasses (all varieties)
  • Safflowers
  • Sunflowers
  • Zinnias

Birds are also attracted to:


Pink Muhly Grass is good for birds.

  • Asters
  • Bergamot
  • Calendula
  • Columbine
  • Coreopsis
  • Corn
  • Cosmos
  • Dill
  • Evening Primrose
  • Goldenrod
  • Lavender
  • Millet
  • Poppies
  • Rose of Sharon (Althea)
  • Salvia
  • St. John’s Wort
  • Teasel
  • Thistles

Further Information

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Backed by his 40-year remodeling career, Danny served as the home improvement expert for CBS’s The Early Show and The Weather Channel for more than a decade. His extensive hands-on experience and understanding of the industry make him the go-to source for all things having to do with the home – from advice on simple repairs, to complete remodels, to helping homeowners prepare their homes for extreme weather and seasons.

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