That's for the Birds - Planting Beautiful Birdseed

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. We call them 'birdseed perennials!'

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

• 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/