Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; reaching 5–8 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Kansas · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Birds in Kansas
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. For Kansas, the right natives are shaped by Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie and a continental, windy, semi-arid west climate. Every species below, from Maximilian Sunflower and Cup Plant to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Kansas and the wider flora of the Great Plains and hardy through zones 5–7. 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
23 native species for Kansas
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
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
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
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; good through zone 9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A winter seed source birds return to, golden plumes flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, reaching 1.5–3 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
A winter seed source birds return to, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, creamy umbels flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; reaching 5–9 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 1.5–2.5 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Feeds birds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — reaching 8–20 in.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; spreading 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Bird food twice over — seed heads songbirds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Bird food twice over — seed heads birds strip in fall, plus the caterpillars nesting birds feed their chicks.
- 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
Sourcing
Where to find these in Kansas
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.