Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 12–18 in.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
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South Carolina · Zones 7–9
Native Plants for Birds in South Carolina
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. South Carolina sits in a landscape of Sandhills, Piedmont & Lowcountry, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid subtropical character. The list below — led by Lanceleaf Coreopsis and American Beautyberry — is filtered to species genuinely native to South Carolina and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 7–9. 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
27 native species for South Carolina
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 7–9 · 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
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
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — spreading 3–6 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–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
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; spreading 1.5–2 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; spreading 1.5–2 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; spreading 15–25 ft.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A winter seed source birds return to, golden yellow flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; cotton-candy pink flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; spreading 5–8 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
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
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; hardy in zones 3–7.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — 2–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
A winter seed source birds return to, inconspicuous flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — good through zone 9.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
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
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
A winter seed source birds return to, spreading 1.5–2.5 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
3 more also qualify: Pennsylvania Sedge, Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in South Carolina
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.