Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 15–25 ft.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Florida · Zones 8–11
Native Plants for Birds in Florida
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. For Florida, the right natives are shaped by Florida flatwoods, scrub & subtropical south and a subtropical to tropical, wet summers climate. Every species below, from Flowering Dogwood and Arrowwood Viburnum to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Florida and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–11. 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 Florida
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–11 · see this collection in other states.
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
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 4–7 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A winter seed source birds return to, 12–18 in wide.
- 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; reaching 5–8 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; white, red berries flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; reaching 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 1.5–2 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
A winter seed source birds return to, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A winter seed source birds return to, happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Feeds birds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, good through zone 9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — hardy in zones 3–9.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
A winter seed source birds return to, for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
2 more also qualify: Big Bluestem, Switchgrass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Florida
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.