Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; golden plumes flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Arkansas · Zones 6–8
Native Plants for Birds in Arkansas
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. For Arkansas, the right natives are shaped by Ozark Highlands & Mississippi Alluvial Plain and a humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Showy Goldenrod and Arrowwood Viburnum to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Arkansas and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–8. 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 Arkansas
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
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, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, good through zone 9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A winter seed source songbirds return to, pink (then purple fruit) flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A winter seed source songbirds return to, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
A winter seed source songbirds return to, reaching 5–8 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, 15–25 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
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
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
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A winter seed source birds return to, spreading 4–8 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — reaching 8–15 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A winter seed source birds return to, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; reaching 4–8 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 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
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
A winter seed source birds return to, 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; white to pink flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Feeds birds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Feeds birds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; white, white berries flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
A winter seed source birds return to, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
9 more also qualify: Blue Grama, Sideoats Grama, Cinnamon Fern, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Big Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Switchgrass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Arkansas
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.