To be honest, I dont care much for the cold, so winter is not my favorite season. But I do enjoy watching the birds that visit in winter, and, without foliage in the trees, its easier to photograph them, too. Its hard to beat a good photo of a goldfinch feasting on a sunflower head or a brilliant cardinal eating holly berries. With that in mind, here are ten plants that will attract birds to your yard in winter by providing them with food.
Black oil sunflower seeds are a staple in birdfeeders everywhere, but birds will eat the seeds of virtually any variety of sunflower. The Maximillian sunflowers in my yard are very popular with finches, chickadees, and titmice.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
These perennials are easy to grow and have long blooms. They complement other plants that produce seeds, like asters and coneflowers, nicely.
Loved by many, bright daisies produce wholesome seeds that are essential winter food for finches, sparrows, cardinals, and towhees.
These fall bloomers are ideal for those who want a garden full of plants that bear seeds in a staggered pattern. They come in purple, pink, blue, or white.
While many birds consume the dried seeds of these fragrant annuals, some, like crows and grackles, rip apart the orange blooms.
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
This vine’s fruit provides a valuable winter food source for woodpeckers, blue jays, mockingbirds, and nuthatches.
With its dark blue fruit, this adaptable shrub supports a variety of bird species, such as red-eyed vireos and brown thrashers.
To be completely honest, winter is not my favorite season because I don’t enjoy the cold. However, I do like to watch the winter visitors’ birds, and it’s also simpler to take pictures of them since the trees have less foliage. A picture of a goldfinch chowing down on a sunflower head or a brilliant cardinal consuming holly berries is always a good one. In light of this, the following ten plants will draw birds to your yard during the winter by giving them food.
This vine that is woody yields orange capsules that open to reveal red berries within. Both a male and a female plant are required for fruit production because vines can be either male or female and female flowers require male fertilization. Make sure to purchase a native variety as some areas consider the relative, oriental or Chinese bittersweet, to be invasive.
Birds will consume the seeds of almost any type of sunflower, but black oil sunflower seeds are a common sight in birdfeeders worldwide. Finches, chickadees, and titmice love my yard’s Maximillian sunflowers.
I will never forget the moment I witnessed a chickadee land in a pot of long-dead marigold seeds and begin to consume them. It reminded me that a lot of reseeding annuals and perennials can provide winter food for birds. Marigolds are just one plant that attracts birds; other plants that do the same include zinnias, cowpen daisies, cornflowers (bachelor buttons), black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, and many more.
FAQ
What birds eat marigold?
Do birds eat zinnia seeds?
Do birds eat marigold seeds in winter?