Native Plants for Birds in Arizona

Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. For Arizona, the right natives are shaped by Sonoran & Chihuahuan deserts, Mogollon Rim and a arid, hot low desert to cool high country climate. Every species below, from Apache Plume and Blue Grama to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Arizona and the wider flora of the desert Southwest and hardy through zones 5–10. Feeders are a snack; native plants are the real grocery store. Berries and seed heads carry birds through fall and winter, while the caterpillars these natives host are what nearly all songbirds feed their young in spring. Leave the seed heads standing, hold off on fall cleanup, and let a layer of leaves and shrubs give birds the cover they need.

8 native species for Arizona

Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–10 · see this collection in other states.