American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 4–7 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
New York · Zones 3–7
Native Plants for Birds in New York
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. New York sits in a landscape of Adirondacks, Finger Lakes & Hudson Valley, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid continental character. The list below — led by American Beautyberry and Showy Goldenrod — is filtered to species genuinely native to New York and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–7. 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
33 native species for New York
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–7 · see this collection in other states.
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
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 12–18 in.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — spreading 10–20 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 5–8 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A winter seed source songbirds return to, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
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
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A winter seed source birds return to, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; hardy in zones 5–9.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 12–18 in.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — spreading 12–18 in.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
A winter seed source birds return to, spreading 4–8 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — yellow catkins flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; good through zone 8.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
A winter seed source songbirds return to, white, white berries flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
A winter seed source songbirds return to, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
A winter seed source birds return to, reaching 3–5 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, creamy umbels flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
9 more also qualify: Virginia Creeper, Bearberry, Indian Grass, Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, Cinnamon Fern, Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in New York
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.