Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A winter seed source birds return to, good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Illinois · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Birds in Illinois
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. For Illinois, the right natives are shaped by Central Tallgrass Prairie and a humid continental climate. Every species below, from Purple Coneflower and Showy Goldenrod to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Illinois and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7. 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
31 native species for Illinois
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Feeds birds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, bright gold flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 5–8 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
A winter seed source songbirds return to, reaching 5–8 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, white, white berries flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — cold-hardy to zone 4.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — 8–16 in wide.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 6–12 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, flat gold heads flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, pink-white bells flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
A winter seed source songbirds return to, reaching 5–9 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 1.5–2.5 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Feeds birds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
7 more also qualify: Pennsylvania Sedge, Cinnamon Fern, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Illinois
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.