Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, white bracts flowers.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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Washington, D.C. · Zone 7
Native Plants for Birds in Washington, D.C.
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. Every species here is genuinely native to Washington, D.C. and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Washington, D.C.'s humid, four-season climate across Northern Piedmont & Potomac fall line, not a generic list. Local standouts include Flowering Dogwood and Buttonbush. 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.
The plants
29 native species for Washington, D.C.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 4–7 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — good through zone 8.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A winter seed source birds return to, for clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A winter seed source songbirds return to, white, red berries flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; golden yellow flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A winter seed source birds return to, bright gold flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A winter seed source birds return to, golden plumes flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
A winter seed source songbirds return to, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
A winter seed source birds return to, 5–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
A winter seed source birds return to, 4–8 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
A winter seed source songbirds return to, reaching 6–12 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
A winter seed source birds return to, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
5 more also qualify: Switchgrass, Prairie Dropseed, Indian Grass, Cinnamon Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Washington, D.C.
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.