Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A winter seed source birds return to, 12–18 in wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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North Dakota · Zones 3–4
Native Plants for Birds in North Dakota
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. North Dakota sits in a landscape of Northern mixedgrass prairie & Drift Prairie, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its cold, semi-arid character. The list below — led by Black-Eyed Susan and Cup Plant — is filtered to species genuinely native to North Dakota and the wider flora of the Great Plains and hardy through zones 3–4. 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
22 native species for North Dakota
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–4 · see this collection in other states.
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; yellow flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A winter seed source birds return to, hardy in zones 3–8.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
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
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 1.5–2 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, golden yellow flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — inconspicuous green flowers.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
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
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
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 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
Sourcing
Where to find these in North Dakota
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.