Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 5–9 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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- For birds
California · Zones 5–10
Native Plants for Birds in California
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. For California, the right natives are shaped by Coast Ranges, Central Valley & Sierra Nevada and a Mediterranean, summer-dry climate. Every species below, from Red-Flowering Currant and Buttonbush to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to California and hardy through zones 5–10. 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
11 native species for California
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–10 · see this collection in other states.
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; hardy in zones 5–9.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
A winter seed source songbirds return to, bright yellow flowers.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Hairy Manzanita
Arctostaphylos columbiana
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 3–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; hardy in zones 2–6.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
A winter seed source songbirds return to, hardy in zones 7–10.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 6–9 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in California
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.