Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; good through zone 8.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Wisconsin · Zones 3–5
Native Plants for Birds in Wisconsin
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. For Wisconsin, the right natives are shaped by Northern forest, driftless prairie & oak savanna and a cold continental climate. Every species below, from Showy Goldenrod and Cup Plant to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Wisconsin and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 3–5. 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 Wisconsin
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; hardy in zones 3–9.
- 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
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; reaching 5–8 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
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
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; reaching 15–25 ft.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; golden yellow flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 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, for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — white spring lace flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A winter seed source birds return to, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 3–6 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — 6–12 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
A winter seed source songbirds return to, creamy umbels flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; flat gold heads flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
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
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
A winter seed source songbirds return to, reaching 6–9 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; happy in clay and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
6 more also qualify: Little Bluestem, Indian Grass, Pennsylvania Sedge, Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Wisconsin
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.