Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; white pincushions flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Missouri · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Birds in Missouri
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 Missouri and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Missouri's humid continental to subtropical climate across Ozarks, glades & prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Buttonbush and Cup Plant. 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
34 native species for Missouri
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, 2–4 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
A winter seed source birds return to, cotton-candy pink flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
A winter seed source songbirds return to, golden yellow flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 5–8 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 1.5–3 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — hardy in zones 3–8.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, hardy in zones 6–10.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, hardy in zones 5–9.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A winter seed source birds return to, reaching 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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
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
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; reaching 4–8 in.
- 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, spreading 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, hardy in zones 3–8.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Feeds birds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; for clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
10 more also qualify: Virginia Creeper, Blue Grama, American Elderberry, Cinnamon Fern, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Pennsylvania Sedge, Indian Grass, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Missouri
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.