do birds eat liatris seeds

I have had Liatris for a few years now. First few years I cut the flowers off just before all the flowers died as Tracys book stated that there might be a “chance” of having a small round flower appear in the fall if one did so. Never happened, so last year I decided to leave them up over the winter for the birds. Birds did not eat the seeds and when I took them down a few weeks ago I grabbed the seeds off the stem and threw them down on the ground. I cannot believe how many seedlings are growing. Must be serveral hundred, plus several hundred more! I will never do that again!

Now to take my soil knife and scrape them up. Who knew they would all sprout. :C(

I have had Liatris for a few years now. For the first few years, I removed the flowers just before they all withered, as Tracy’s book suggested doing so might increase the “chance” of seeing a tiny, round flower emerge in the fall. Never happened, so I made the decision to leave them up for the birds to enjoy over the winter last year. The seeds were not consumed by birds, and a few weeks ago, I removed them from their stems and tossed them to the ground. I cannot believe how many seedlings are growing. I swear I’ll never do that again! Must be several hundred, plus a few hundred more!

Now to take my soil knife and scrape them up. Who knew they would all sprout. :C(.

Below is a picture of another black-eyed Susan, who looks stunning in the morning light with her layer of frost. It appears as though a probing beak tore apart the head.

What consumes the common milkweed seeds is unknown to me. Something must perhaps small mammals, if not birds. However, I think the exposed pods might serve as moist reservoirs, similar to the cup behind sunflower seed heads. Regardless, the pods are so gorgeous that I can’t bring myself to remove them.

Sustainable living goes beyond reduce, reuse, and recycle. It has to do with taking into account the greater context of Earth’s species diversity. It entails designing your living area so that wildlife can flourish there. Leaving patches of weeds and wildflowers in place over the winter, whether they are naturally occurring or ones you have planted, is a simple but effective way to support wildlife. Many different species can find food, cover, and water in these areas of dead vegetation. Additionally, if you prefer a natural appearance, their intriguing shapes and delicate gray and brown tones are lovely. Actually, what motivated me to take these pictures and write this post was the unanticipated beauty of this messy garden on a chilly morning.

Bee balm (right) has a subtle beauty that you have to examine closely after the showy flowers have faded. Inside each tiny, striped tube is one small, dark seed. I’m not sure what species consumes them, but I have noticed that some of them seem to have been dismembered.

A relative of the purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan is harvested later in the growing season, usually after the majority of the purple coneflower seeds have been consumed. Maybe the seeds are harder to harvest or less nutritious.

FAQ

What bird seed attracts the most birds?

Sunflower seeds are the seeds favored by most seed-eating birds, some 40 species including cardinals, tufted titmice, Carolina chickadees, house and purple finches, American goldfinches, brown-headed nuthatches, and red-bellied woodpeckers, to name a few.

Will birds eat my flower seeds?

Birds and other critters may consume a few seeds, but most seeds are quite small and not very noticeable to birds or other seed eaters.

What birds eat cosmos seeds?

Cosmos seeds are consumed by a number of birds including white-throated sparrows, mourning doves and American goldfinches. Long recognized as a wonderful source of nectar for bees and butterflies, the seeds of this plant supply food for house finches, goldfinches and other birds.