.png)
Are you looking to create beautiful gardens that are also beneficial for pollinators and birds? We grow an extensive selection of plants that offer both benefits; many natives in particular have blooms that are an excellent source of nectar for pollinators, that then age to provide bountiful seed for birds. This week, we still have a huge selection of 'birdseed perennials', and most are 25% off for our final three days of our fall season!
The most critical part of providing essential food for resident and migrating birds is that you shouldn't clean up their food before they've eaten it! We've been trained to keep our gardens manicured in all seasons, and it's hard to break those habits. Your yard can still be a lovely space if you haven't deadheaded spent blooms and brown seed heads. These old blooms, stems and leaves offer texture and movement in your landscape and provide much needed shelter and food for birds and insects throughout the cold months.
Here are some of our favorite perennial bird seed producers (most of which are also excellent sources of pollen while blooms are fresh) - all are native to WNC.
Goldenrod, Solidago rugosa & others
Zone 2-9
18-24'' tall & 8-12'' wide
Full sun
Drought tolerant once established
Plumes of bright yellow flowers mid-summer to fall, excellent late-season pollinator support
Birds supported by the seed: American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, Carolina wren, dark-eyed junco, indigo bunting, northern cardinal, pine siskin, tufted titmouse, white-throated sparrow
Coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea, E. pallida, E. tennesseensis & others
Zone 4-9
2-3' tall & 1-2' wide
Full sun
Showy blooms June-September are great pollinator support
Birds supported by the seed: goldfinches, chickadees, blue jays, juncos, mourning doves, cardinals, pine siskins
(You'll notice that we left our aging blooms on our coneflower & other perennials this fall - they may not be as 'tidy' looking on the tables, but we regularly have bird visitors feeding!)
Black & Brown-eyed Susans, Rudbeckia hirta or triloba
Zone 3-9
18-24" tall & wide
Full sun
Colorful & long blooming, great pollinator support, often self-seed & naturalize
Birds supported by the seed: goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals, nuthatches
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' or 'Autumn Fire', Hylotelephium telephium
Zone 4-11
1-2' tall & wide
Full sun
Tall bloom spikes emerge white in summer & age to red in fall, beloved by pollinators
Birds supported by the seed: Chickadees, finches, grosbeaks, siskins
Lanceleaf Coreopsis (and others), Coreopsis lanceolata
Zone 4-9
1-2' tall & wide
Full sun
Bright yellow flowers in summer loved by pollinators, self-seeding
Birds supported by the seed: cardinals, chickadees, goldfinches, sparrows
New England Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Zone 3-8
16-24" tall & wide
Full to part sun
Profuse blue-purple blooms late summer to fall serve as important nectar for pollinators
Birds supported by the seed: American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, dark-eyed junco, eastern towhee, northern cardinal, white-breasted nuthatch
Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium & other native grasses
Zone 4-10
2-3' tall & 1-2' wide
Full sun
Lovely texture & color in landscape, especially in fall
Birds supported by the seed: doves, finches, juncos, sparrows
We carry a variety of native grasses that are appreciated by birds.
Joe Pye Weed, Eutrochium maculatum & others (currently S/O for the fall, more in spring!)
Zone 4-8
3-7' tall, 3-4' wide (depending on species/cultivar)
Full sun
Large showy purple blooms summer-fall, great for pollinators
Birds supported by the seed: American goldfinch, Carolina wren, dark-eyed junco, tufted titmouse
Source: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/design/nature-lovers/seedy-plants-for-birds/