Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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- New Jersey
- For birds
New Jersey · Zones 6–7
Native Plants for Birds in New Jersey
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 New Jersey and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–7 — proven performers for New Jersey's humid, four-season climate across Pine Barrens & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Serviceberry 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
30 native species for New Jersey
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–7 · see this collection in other states.
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
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
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; 1.5–2 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; 4–8 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 15–25 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A winter seed source birds return to, 12–18 in wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; 12–18 in wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A winter seed source songbirds return to, for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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, cotton-candy pink flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 1.5–2.5 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, cold-hardy to zone 4.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; 4–8 in tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- 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
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
6 more also qualify: Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Cinnamon Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in New Jersey
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.