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Need suggestions for plants to attract birds

8 years ago

We life in east central Illinois with a mid-sized yard in a newish development area (scattering of some trees but not nearly as many as the more established parts of the town) and are looking for suggestions about plants to attract birds. We do have some feeders that normally have pretty good attraction, right now their light in numbers of visitors. Any suggestions or questions are greatly appreciated.

Comments (5)

  • 8 years ago

    Echinacea and rudbeckia for finches, salvia and agastache for hummers. Other birds will eat insects, so plant lots of flowers and veggies with no poisons.

    aptz thanked susanzone5 (NY)
  • 8 years ago

    Sunflowers and echinacea.

    aptz thanked littlebug zone 5 Missouri
  • 8 years ago

    One thing I've noticed about the birds in my yard - they gotta have a tree nearby. They flit into the open areas, but always right back into a tree - or shrub. They seem to prefer the type that have lots of branches so that it is hard to see them in there. I'd recommend native plants to build a mini ecosystem - insects, worms, berries. Birds also like water - I just set out a large ceramic saucer with a small solar powered floating pump in it.

  • 8 years ago

    Water for sure...different birds like different kind of watering holes. My doves like large flat shallow saucers to stroll around in. The cardinals like an even shallower water source...they like a bucket lid instead of all the pretty bird baths. My grackles, blue jays and mocking birds prefer a little deeper traditional bird bath shape. The woodpeckers rather peck holes in my citrus and drink from the tree, i don't mind they normally only go for the ones really high up that i can't reach anyway.

  • 8 years ago

    Evergreen shrubs and small trees/conifers, preferably native (or at least non-invasive) for shelter are a must up north, especially within a quick flight from the birdfeeder. I don't live in a climate like yours but I do think American holly should be fine up there, it's actually a tree but it's pretty slow-growing you can also ask any local nursery what evergreen shrubs do well up there and then double check online to make sure it's not invasive.
    Any native Wind-resistant oak is good to plant, even if slow-growing it'll help restore habitat one day.

    Native bunchgrasses (seeds, winter interest, great for back of flower bed): Little Bluestem, Big Blustem, Tufted Hairgrass, Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). A lot come in special cultivars too (I have 'Blue Heaven' Little Bluestem which goes great with Rudbeckia)

    Hummingbird plants: 'Jacob Cline' Monarda/Bee balm, wildtype Purple coneflower (avoid cultivars, they are short-lived because most are a cross between two incompatible species), 'Windwalker' Salvia, Coral trumpet honeysuckle (NOT Japanese, native kind Lonicera sempervirens), Crocosmia, Columbines like Aquilegia canadensis (shade-y), Cardinal Flower

    Fruiting plants: Viburnum dentatum, Winterberry holly, Black cherry, Serviceberry, Blueberry, Sumac, Apples aren't a favored fruit but they can eat them especially during a bad winter, etc

    Easy annuals from seed: Zinnias, tropical sage, cleome, cosmos.. all
    attract pollinators and many have seeds that appeal to birds.

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