Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
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- For birds
Rhode Island · Zones 6–7
Native Plants for Birds in Rhode Island
Seed, berry, and cover plants that feed songbirds year-round — and the caterpillars that nesting birds actually raise their chicks on. Rhode Island sits in a landscape of Narragansett coastal lowland, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its cool, humid, maritime character. The list below — led by Lanceleaf Coreopsis and Black-Eyed Susan — is filtered to species genuinely native to Rhode Island and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 6–7. 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
26 native species for Rhode Island
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–7 · see this collection in other states.
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A winter seed source birds return to, for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A winter seed source birds return to, rosy purple flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A winter seed source birds return to, white pincushions flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
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
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — 6–10 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, spreading 15–25 ft.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, 1.5–2 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Its seed heads carry songbirds through the lean months; 6–12 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — spreading 6–12 ft.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Leave its seed heads standing — songbirds strip them through fall and winter, 6–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Leave its seed heads standing — birds strip them through fall and winter, for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — yellow catkins flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Feeds songbirds two ways: winter seed and the caterpillars that raise their young.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
A winter seed source birds return to, white to pink flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A winter seed source birds return to, pink-white bells flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
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
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
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
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Its seed heads carry birds through the lean months; hardy in zones 3–9.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Seed for songbirds and caterpillars for their nestlings — good through zone 9.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Seed for birds and caterpillars for their nestlings — 1–2 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
2 more also qualify: Prairie Dropseed, Switchgrass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Rhode Island
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.