ADDITION - Native Plant List for Improving the Environment for Birds525NATIVE PLANTS FOR EARLY-MIGRATING BIRDS
Suggestions:
- Aim for diversity of plants to protect against drastic changes caused by plant disease and
insect pests. It also attracts a higher diversity of wildlife for the public to see and enjoy.
- Provide the four basic needs of wildlife through all four seasons of the year if year-long
wildlife activity on the property is desired. One example is:
o Eastern Red Cedar – Winter cover and Summer nesting sites; plus fruit from
Summer through Spring (July through March)
o American Elderberry – Summer fruits
o Red-Osier Dogwood and Showy Mountain Ash – Fall fruits
o Red Splendor Crabapple and American Highbush Cranberry – Fruits in Winter and
Spring
TREES WITH WINTER-PERSISTENT FRUIT
- Red Splendor Crab apple (Malus “red splendor”) – Needs full sun. Grows 18’ high x 18’
wide. Promotes tree-dwelling insect habitation. The Spring blossoms attract small insects that
warblers like. There are 31 wildlife species that use the tree for food or shelter including:
American robins, cardinals, finches, gray catbirds, grosbeaks, hummingbirds, jays, orioles,
tanagers, thrushes, vireos, warblers, and waxwings.
- Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) – Does well in full sun. Fruit is on the tree from
July through March. Pyramidal or columnar tree from 20’ high x 10’-20’ wide. Attracts:
Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Finches, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles,
Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and
Wrens. Promotes tree-dwelling insect habitation. This tree also provides year-round shelter
from rain, snow, ice, and wind; and good protection against predators. It is a nectar and host
plant for butterflies, has showy flowers, provides nesting, and is a roosting plant.
- Showy Mountain Ash (Sorbus Decora) – Needs full sun and a moist, well-drained site.
Grows 30’-65’. Fruit is on the tree from August through Spring. It is a winter food source for
grosbeaks, cedar waxwing, Eastern bluebird, gray catbird, orioles, brown thrashers, and
American robin. It provides nectar for butterflies and is a host plant for butterflies; has showy
flowers and Fall color; is a nesting-, shelter-, and roosting plant. This tree is not related to an
ash (the Showy Mountain Ash is a member of the rose family).
SHRUBS WITH WINTER-PERSISTENT FRUIT
- American Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) – Needs full sun or part shade.
Grows 12’ high x 12’ wide. There is fruit on the plant from September through February, so
it is a Winter food source. It provides nectar for butterflies, has showy flowers, has Fall color,
and is a shelter plant. 34 wildlife species use this plant.
EARLY-FLOWERING TREES FOR NECTAR (APRIL OR EARLY-MAY) AND FRUIT
- Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier Laevis) – Needs sun to part-shade. The fruit is on
the plant from June-July. Grows 30’ high x 18’-24’ wide. Promotes tree-dwelling insect
habitation. Attracts 58 wildlife species including: Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Eastern
Bluebirds, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers,
Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens. It is a nectar and
host plant for butterflies. It has showy flowers and Fall color.
- American Wild Plum (Prunus Americana) – Needs full sun. Fruit is on the tree from
August-September. Attracts 16 wildlife species including: Cardinals, Chickadees, Grosbeaks,
Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings,
Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens. It is a nectar and host plant for butterflies, has
showy flowers, and Fall color.
- Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) – Needs full sun to partial shade. Grows to about 60’ high
x 15’ wide. Fruit is on the tree from August-September. Attracts 81 wildlife species
including: Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Eastern Bluebirds, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds,
Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers,
Woodpeckers, and Wrens. Note: This tree also hosts tent caterpillar nests, and tent
caterpillars are an important food source for many birds. The “silk” of the nests also provides
nesting material to gnatcatches and likely other birds.
EARLY-FLOWERING TREES FOR NECTAR (APRIL OR EARLY-MAY)
- Red Maple (Acer rubrum) – Needs full sun to partial shade. Grows to about 45’ high x 40’-
60’ wide. It promotes tree-dwelling insect habitation. Attracts: Cardinals, Chickadees,
Crows, Finches, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers,
Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens. It provides nectar
for butterflies. Has beautiful Fall color.
EARLY-FLOWERING SHRUBS FOR NECTAR (APRIL OR EARLY-MAY) +
SUMMER AND FALL FRUIT FOR BIRDS
- Dogwood – This plant will grow into thickets, offering excellent cover and ground foraging,
besides the berries. Brown thrashers, catbirds, bluebirds, and thrushes all like its fruits. Bell’s
vireo and summer tanager nest in dogwoods.
- Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) – Needs full sun or partial shade. Fruit from August-
September, making it a good Fall food source. Grows to 9’ high x 9’ wide. Attracts 42
wildlife species including: American Robins, Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Eastern
Bluebirds, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers,
Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, Wrens, and Yellow-
Rumped Warblers. Provides nectar for butterflies, has showy flowers, has Fall color, and
is a nesting- and shelter plant.
- Round-leaved (Cornus rugosa) – Needs partial shade. Grows 9’ high. Attracts Eastern
Bluebirds and Yellow-Rumped Warblers.
- Dogwood, continued
- Red-osier/Red-twigged (Cornus sericea) – Needs full sun to partial shade. Grows 8’
high x 10’ wide. Good Fall food source, with fruit in September. Attracts 47 wildlife
species including: Eastern Bluebirds, Thrushes, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, and
Waxwings. Prune every 2-3 years because the reddest color is on the younger twigs.
Provides nectar for butterflies, has showy flowers, has Fall color, and is a nesting- and
shelter plant.
- Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum) – Needs wet areas to thrive and full sun. Grows to
8’-10’. Fruit in September. Attracts Eastern Bluebirds, Finches, Orioles, Wrens, and
Yellow-Rumped Warblers.
- Elder/Elderberry – At least 120 species of birds feed on elderberries including American
robins, catbirds, Eastern bluebird, doves, finches, flickers, grosbeaks, jays, mockingbirds,
nuthatches, thrashers, towhees, warblers, waxwings, white-crowned sparrows.
o American Elder (Sambucus canadensis) – Needs full sun. Grows 12’ high x 9’
wide. Summer and early-Fall fruit source, with fruit on the shrub during August-
September. Promotes tree-dwelling insect habitation. 79 wildlife species use the
plant. Provides nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds, is a host plant for
butterflies, has showy flowers, has Fall color, and is a nesting- and shelter plant.
o Red-berried elder (Sambucus racemosa). Grows 12’ high x 12’ wide. Attracts
79 wildlife species including: Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Grosbeaks,
Hummingbirds, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers,
Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens.
- Glossy Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) – Needs full to partial sun. Grows 10’
high x 6’ wide. Provides cover. Winter food source that attracts: Crows, Jays, Mockingbirds,
Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, and
Woodpeckers.
- Hawthorns (Crataegus sp.) – Needs full sun. Can grow to 20’-30’ high x 14’-30’ wide.
Promote tree-dwelling insect habitation. The thorny branches provide nesting sites for
smaller birds (e.g., hummingbirds, cardinals, buntings, and wood thrushes). Provides nectar
and is a host plant for butterflies, has showy flowers, has Fall color, and is a nesting- and
shelter plant. Attracts 29 species of birds that eat the fruit including: American robin, blue
jay, cedar waxwing, evening grosbeak, flicker, northern mockingbird, purple finch, and rose-
breasted grosbeak.
- Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) – Needs full sun to partial shade. Grows to 9’ high x 9’ wide.
Fall food source, with fruit on the shrub during August-September. Fruit can persist well into
winter. Attracts 48 wildlife species including: American Robins, Cardinals,, Chickadees,
Crows, Eastern Bluebirds, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows,
Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens. Provides
nectar and is a host plant for butterflies, has showy flowers, and is a nesting-, roosting-, and
shelter plant.
NATIVE GRASSES AND WILDFLOWERS TO ATTRACT INSECTS
Native grasses and wildflowers are important for food, nesting, bedding, roosting, and/or escape
or cover for many wildlife species (birds and mammals). Planting some of these native grasses
and wildflowers is recommended if desirable ones are not present.
Having native grasses and wildflowers is especially important to attract insects for Eastern
Bluebirds.
Perennial Grasses
- Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) – Used mainly for cover, resilient to drought, 8’,
needs full sun.
- Indiangrass (Sorgastrum nutans) – Used mainly for cover, resilient to drought, 6’, needs
full sun and well-drained soil.
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) – Used mainly for cover, resilient to drought,
3’, needs full sun.
- Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) – Used mainly for cover, resilient to drought,
2’, needs full sun and well-drained soil.
- Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum) – Used mainly for cover, 5’, needs full sun.
Native Wildflowers - Perennials
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) – 2’-3’. Liked by finches, chickadees, northern
cardinal, sparrows, nuthatches, towhees, and titmice. Nectar and habitat for butterflies.
- Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) – Liked by: Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows,
Finches, Grosbeaks, Hummingbirds, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows,
Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens.
- Cat-Tail Gayfeather (Liatris pycnostachya) – Liked by: Hummingbirds, Mockingbirds,
Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Vireos, Waxwings, and Wood Warblers.
- Coreopsis, Tickseed/Tall (Coreopsis tripteris) – Needs full sun. Grows 2’-8’ tall x 2’-8’
wide, and grows in clumps. Attracts a variety of animals. Birds like to hide in this plant and
eat the seeds. It also attracts bees and butterflies when in bloom.
- Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense) – Needs full sun to partial shade. Grows 2’-4’
and has pinkish-purple flowers in July through September. A wide variety of birds eat the
seeds. Use this plant in a naturalized area in the landscape due to its semi-aggressive nature.
This native plant has a deep taproot that is drought tolerant once established.
Native Wildflowers - Annuals
- Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) – Seeds are liked by: Cardinals, Chickadees,
Crows, Finches, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers,
Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens