Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; 15–25 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Maryland · Zones 6–8
Native Plants for Birds in Maryland
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. Every species here is genuinely native to Maryland and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–8 — proven performers for Maryland's humid, four-season climate across Piedmont & Chesapeake Coastal Plain, not a generic list. Local standouts include Flowering Dogwood and American Beautyberry. 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
29 native species for Maryland
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, 4–7 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 12–18 in wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — 15–25 ft tall.
- 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, spreading 12–18 in.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; rosy purple flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Feeds birds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — spreading 6–10 ft.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; white pincushions flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, cotton-candy pink flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A winter seed source songbirds return to, reaching 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, violet-blue flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 6–12 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; spreading 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 6–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — 30–50 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — yellow catkins flowers.
- 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
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
A winter seed source birds return to, 4–8 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — good through zone 8.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — spreading 1–2 ft.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
5 more also qualify: Cinnamon Fern, Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Indian Grass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Maryland
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.