Winter can be a challenging time for our feathered friends as natural food sources become scarce. Birds are already struggling as it is: wild bird populations in the continental United States and Canada have declined by almost 30% since 1970.
Gardeners, take heart. By adding certain perennials to your garden, you can provide a reliable food supply for birds throughout the colder months. Focus on perennials native to your region; they are adapted to your climate. These hardy plants not only add beauty to your winter landscape but also offer seeds, berries, and shelter that attract and sustain native birds.
Then, think about your fall gardening habits. Be conservative with your pruners. Let flowering perennials go to seed and leave some dead stems standing. By incorporating these plants and practices into your garden, you can create a haven for birds. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best perennials that will keep your garden bursting with bird activity all winter long.
Anise Hyssop Seeds
Also known as agastache, lavender hyssop, and licorice mint, this heirloom is loved by hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. The leaves and flowers make a refreshing, fruity tea, and can be added to salads. The lavender-blue flower spikes are lovely in fresh floral arrangements or dried bouquets.
Anise Hyssop
The fantastically fragrant anise hyssop is truly a garden multi-tasker! Its spicy, licorice-scented leaves are delicious in teas and cocktails, and its lavender blooms are excellent cut flowers. Moreover, it feeds butterflies, bees, and birds all year long. Finches, juncos, and sparrows love the tiny seeds that emerge as the flowers dry in mid-fall.
Native to prairies, fields, and dry upland forested areas across North America, this plant is actually neither the herb we call anise nor a type of hyssop. Anise hyssop is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae) and is hardy in zones 5 to 9.
Plant anise hyssop in full sun to partial shade. This plant isn’t picky about soil quality as long as it’s well-drained. Anise hyssop has few pests or diseases but is prone to powdery mildew in humid or overcrowded sites. Plants will spread by rhizomes and will easily self-seed in ideal growing conditions. Add this pretty perennial to your herb garden, pollinator garden, or perennial border.
Black-Eyed Susan
With their boldly contrasting yellow and black flowers, black-eyed Susans are easily recognizable in the late summer garden. This native perennial provides food and shelter for several song and game bird species and serves as a host plant for at least 15 species of caterpillars.
Black-eyed Susans are easy to grow from seed, provided they undergo a period of cold stratification. Rudbeckia hirta reseeds freely. However, since it is a relatively short-lived perennial, it is very rarely aggressive in the garden. Plant black-eyed Susans in full sun, in well-drained soil. This is an excellent plant for meadowscaping, restoration sites, and pollinator gardens.
Blue Globe Thistle
In a garden full of yellows, pinks, and purples, the glowing, steely blue of blue globe thistle really stands out. Stiff stems sprout slightly hairy green leaves that are usually pale on the undersides. Spiky, spherical flowers form in mid-summer, emerging green first but eventually deepening to a vivid blue.
Native to arid regions of southern Europe, blue globe thistle has a deep taproot and is very tolerant of dry conditions. Plant this perennial in full sun and in well-drained soil. It will not tolerate standing water.
I have a patch of blue globe thistle growing in my garden, and it provides a tall, eye-catching backdrop to shorter yarrows and coneflower. It’s typically covered in bees during the summer and requires very little maintenance. The leaves of blue globe thistle can look a little ratty towards the end of summer. Feel free to trim off the shabbiest lower leaves but resist the urge to deadhead every flower – the large seeds that fall from these globular flower heads are incredibly popular with seed-loving songbirds.
Blazing Star
Also known as gayfeather, this unique clumping perennial displays upright stalks of tufted purple feathers that open from the top down. This flowering habit makes them popular as a cut flower but be sure to leave some in the garden for the bees and birds!
The purple flowers that bloom in the summer are a magnet for bees, flies, and butterflies, particularly Monarchs. Songbirds, including goldfinches and chickadees, are attracted to the small seeds that form in fall. They even use the fuzzy flower tufts to line nests. Strappy, grass-like foliage extends off the stalks and turns an attractive bronze in the fall.
Blazing star requires minimal maintenance. Plant in a sunny location with well-drained soil. This perennial thrives in slightly acidic to neutral soil but can tolerate a range of soil types as long as they are not overly rich or clay-heavy. Blazing star can be grown from seed or by dividing plants via their corms. Water plants regularly to get them established, then back off on the watering. This is a drought-hardy prairie plant and corms may rot if kept constantly wet.
Cup Plant
Cup plants are not for the faint at heart. This is an incredibly tall perennial with bold, daisy-like yellow flowers and a propensity for forming large, clump-forming colonies. The broad, coarsely-toothed leaves and thick stems form a small cup, giving this plant its common name.
This giant plant supports loads of wildlife. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators are drawn to its nectar. Birds, particularly goldfinches and black-capped chickadees, feast on its large seeds and drink from the small pools of water that collect at the nodes. Small mammals and insects take shelter under the wide leaves.
Plant this perennial in full sun, in moist soil. Due to its large size, cup plant would be best suited to the very back of borders, meadow or prairie plantings, or as a focal plant in mixed perennial beds. Although it is native to a large portion of North America, it is considered invasive in some northeastern states. Check with your state’s environmental or agricultural department before planting.
Goldenrod
There are over 100 species of goldenrod spread across North America, with each adapted to different climates, soil types, and humidity levels. There is bound to be at least one (and likely more!) suited for your garden. Most species grow happily in full sun, although there are a few that will tolerate partial shade. They require little maintenance in the garden and are excellent candidates for meadows, prairie plantings, and pollinator gardens. Goldenrod spreads vigorously by rhizomes and self-seeding.
Goldenrods are largely unremarkable herbaceous perennials until late summer, when they explode in rich yellow blooms and attract tons of bees and butterflies. In the winter, dried goldenrod flowers provide birds with shelter as well as seeds. Downy woodpeckers and black-capped chickadees have even been known to eat goldenrod galls, those round woody growths that actually contain overwintering insect larvae.
Narrowleaf Sunflower
Narrowleaf sunflower, also called swamp sunflower, is a tall, upright perennial. It has rigid, needle-like leaves and bright yellow, daisy-like flowers atop strong stems. Native to a large swath of central and eastern North America, narrowleaf sunflower grows best in full sun and moist, slightly acidic soils. A tall plant that easily reaches six feet in height, it would be ideal in the back of a mixed perennial bed or as part of a rain garden.
As one of the latest blooming sunflowers, with a flowering period from late summer to early fall, narrowleaf sunflower provides nectar for pollinators at a time of year when food becomes scarce, and many species are beginning to migrate. Songbirds, ruffed grouse, mourning doves, quail, and small mammals feed on the seeds throughout winter.
New England Aster
New England aster is a staple of the fall garden. Branching stems with narrow leaves burst with purple blooms in mid to late fall. This plant is found in moist prairies, meadows, thickets, and sunny streambanks across eastern North America.
New England aster happily grows in most conditions, and I’ve regularly seen it flowering in gravelly roadsides and clay-heavy meadows. For the most vigorous growth, plant it in moist, organic-rich soil. New England aster can get a bit leggy; pinch this plant back a few times in early summer if you prefer a bushier, dense look.
This purple beauty is the host plant for several caterpillars. It also feeds bees and butterflies when in bloom, and supports loads of birds once it has gone to seed. Pair it with other tall, fall-blooming native perennials, like New York ironweed and narrowleaf sunflower.
Prairie Coneflower
This cheery perennial, also known as upright prairie coneflower, long-headed coneflower, and Mexican Hat, is a favorite of bees, butterflies, and birds. Bright yellow, mahogany-red, or bicolor ray flowers unfurl around an upright, center cone in mid-summer. In the fall, the easily accessible cone is loaded with seeds, which are a favorite of pine Siskins, white-crowned sparrows, and goldfinches. Seeds that aren’t gobbled up by birds will self-sow readily.
Prairie coneflower is native to the plains and prairies of central and southern North America. As such, they have deep taproots and are well-suited to xeriscapes and other arid growing conditions. Grow in full sun and pair with other drought-tolerant prairie plants like tickseed and blazing star.
Purple Coneflower
The strikingly uncomplicated purple coneflower is a welcome addition to any and every garden. Bursting with rosy pink blooms for several months before going to seed, this North American native perennial is both drought- and heat-tolerant. It is a popular cut flower, both fresh or dried. Aside from being one of my favorite plants of all time, it is also a valuable source of food for birds. When left standing in late fall, the dead, spiky flower heads will feed goldfinches and other birds all winter long.
Plant purple coneflower in full sun or partial shade. Purple coneflower looks gorgeous just about anywhere, but especially in mixed borders, naturalized areas, or meadowscapes. It is happiest in well-drained, loamy soil, but will also tolerate sand and gravelly garden spaces, too. I currently have patches of purple coneflower in the back of my rock garden as well as in my wet, clay-heavy meadow; both plantings require zero maintenance and look beautiful.
Red Baneberry
Red baneberry is a unique plant found primarily in shady, northern hardwood forests throughout North America. Small clusters of white, feathery flowers emerge in early summer and transform into waxy, solid, green berries by late summer. The berries ripen to red and will hang on the plant until frost.
The entire plant is poisonous to humans. However, birds are unaffected by the toxins and will readily feast on the berries. Ruffed grouse, yellow-bellied sapsucker, wood thrush, brown thrasher, gray catbird, and American robin have all been observed eating red baneberry fruits.
Red baneberry prefers well-drained soil full of organic matter. They like moist growing conditions but won’t tolerate standing water. This plant can be propagated by division in early spring or from seed sown outdoors in the fall. Be patient, though; it can take two or more years to germinate under natural conditions.
Their bold berries and airy leaves and flowers make this plant an attractive addition to the shade garden. Plant in dappled or full shade with ferns, foamflower, wild geranium, and other delicate woodland plants.
Sweet Joe-Pye Weed
Sweet Joe-Pye weed, also known as Purple Joe-Pye weed, is a clump-forming, North American native perennial. Dainty mops of pale pink flowers begin opening on top of this plant in late summer and persist through late fall. The sweet vanilla scent of these blooms attracts tons of butterflies and bees to the garden. Small, shiny, black seeds form several weeks after the flowers have faded, providing important winter food for birds.
Plant sweet Joe-Pye weed in full sun or partial shade. Found naturally in moist meadows, roadsides, woodland edges, and streambanks, this plant prefers consistently moist soil. It would be well-suited to a rain garden, along with swamp milkweed and bee balm.
Gardeners in the far southern edge of this plant’s native range may need to provide this plant with additional water during the hottest weeks of summer. Not enough room for this large native plant? Try one of the smaller cultivars, like ‘Baby Joe’ or ‘Little Joe.’
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Trumpet honeysuckle is a gorgeous native vine found in moist woodlands throughout southeastern North America. A twining, woody vine, it features smooth, oval leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers that are red on the outside, with orange or yellow interiors. In the warmest reaches of its range, trumpet honeysuckle may be evergreen.
This vine, also called coral honeysuckle, does double-duty for birds: Its tubular red flowers supply hummingbirds with nectar all spring and early summer. Then, in the fall, trumpet honeysuckle produces small red berries, which have been known to feed cedar waxwing, American robins, hermit thrushes, and purple finches.
A bold addition to the garden, trumpet honeysuckle looks best when trained on a trellis, arch, fence, or other support. When healthy, this plant can easily reach 10-20 feet in length. Plant in rich soil and full sun; plants in partial shade will grow just fine but likely won’t produce as many flowers. Trumpet honeysuckle flowers on new wood, so if you need to prune to control the size and shape, wait until after this plant has flowered.
