Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Colorado · Zones 3–6
Native Plants for Birds in Colorado
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. Every species here is genuinely native to Colorado and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 3–6 — proven performers for Colorado's semi-arid, cold winters, high sun climate across Southern Rockies & High Plains, not a generic list. Local standouts include Serviceberry and Apache Plume. 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
26 native species for Colorado
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–6 · see this collection in other states.
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; hardy in zones 5–9.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A winter seed source birds return to, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; yellow flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A winter seed source birds return to, for clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A winter seed source birds return to, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; hardy in zones 3–7.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, 3–5 ft wide.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; cold-hardy to zone 2.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 1.5–2.5 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
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
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
A winter seed source songbirds return to, 6–12 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, good through zone 9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — reaching 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
2 more also qualify: Indian Grass, Switchgrass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Colorado
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.