Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — for clay and loam ground.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Georgia · Zones 6–9
Native Plants for Birds in Georgia
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 Georgia and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–9 — proven performers for Georgia's humid subtropical climate across Piedmont, Blue Ridge & Coastal Plain, not a generic list. Local standouts include Arrowwood Viburnum and Lanceleaf Coreopsis. 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
27 native species for Georgia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–9 · see this collection in other states.
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; bright gold flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — coral-red flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; reaching 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
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
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; 1.5–2 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; 15–25 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, yellow flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
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
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
A winter seed source birds return to, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
A winter seed source birds return to, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 6–12 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — 2–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; violet-blue flowers.
- 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
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 4–8 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
3 more also qualify: Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Cinnamon Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Georgia
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.