All wildlife relies on three elements for survival: food, water, and shelter. Create a haven for wildlife in any backyard by providing these components in an attractive arrangement. Food can be offered in the form of native plantings or supplemental feeders. It is important to avoid non-native plants when building a wildlife habitat, as they can be invasive and outcompete native species, and offer little benefit to wildlife. All wildlife needs a consistent reliable water source. Water is used for drinking, bathing, and breeding (in the case of amphibians and some insects). A great way to attract wildlife to any backyard is to provide a safe place for them to escape predators and raise their young.
Here are lists of plants native to the U.S. that wildlife are especially attracted to (before planting, make sure you check to see the plant is native to your specific area).
Bird Friendly Plants: Trees
- American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
- American holly (Ilex opaca)
- Black cherry (Prunus serotina)
- Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
- Buckeye (Aesculus spp.)
- Crabapple (Malus spp.)
- Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
- Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
- Hawthorns (Crataegus spp.)
- Hickories (Carya spp.)
- Oaks (Quercus spp.)
- Pawpaw
- Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
- Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
- Red mulberry (Morus rubra)
- Sassafrass (Sassafrass albidum)
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
- Shagbark hickory
- Spruces (Picea spp.)
- Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
- Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
- Willow oak (Quercus phellos)
Bird Friendly Plants: Shrubs
- American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
- American elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
- Arrowwood viburnum
- Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)
- Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.)
- Buttonbush
- Chokeberry (Photinia)
- Hollies (Ilex spp.)
- Huckleberry
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
- Sumacs (Rhus spp.)
- Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
- Viburnums (Viburnum spp.)
- Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
- Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria)
Bird Friendly Plants: Vines
- American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
- Cross vine
- Rattan vine
- Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
- Trumpet creeper (Campis radicans)
- Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
- Wild grape (Vitus spp.)
Bird Friendly Plants: Groundcover
Bird Friendly Plants: Grasses
- Bluestem (Little and Big)
- Indian grass
- Inland sea oats
Nectar Plants: Hummingbirds, Butterflies and Bees
- Aster (Aster spp.)
- Azalea (Rhododendron spp.)
- Bee balm (Monarda spp.)
- Black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia)
- Blanketflower (Gaillardia spp.)
- Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
- Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
- Climbing aster (Ampelaster carolinianus)
- Clover/legumes
- Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
- Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)
- Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)
- Delphinium (Delphinium spp.)
- Lobelia (Lobelia spp.)
- Lupine (Lupinus spp.)
- Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
- Narrowleaf sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)
- Oxeye (Heliopsis helianthoides)
- Penstemon (Penstemon spp.)
- Phlox (Phlox spp.)
- Salvia (Salvia spp.)
- Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnate)
- Trumpet creeper (Campis radicans)
Caterpillar Host Plants
- Asters (Aster spp.)
- Buckwheats (Eriogonum)
- Butterflyweed (Asclepius tuberose)
- Senna (Cassia)
- New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus)
- Desert buckbrush (Ceanothus fendleri)
- Dill
- Citrus (Citrus spp.)
- Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
- Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia durior)
- Fennel
- Hackberry (Celtis spp.)
- Lupines (Lupinus spp.)
- Mallows/Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea)
- Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
- Parsley (Petroselinum)
- Passion vine (Passiflora incarnate)
- Purpletop grass (Tridens flavus)
- Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
- Snapdragon (Antirrhinum major)
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
- Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
- Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
- Violets (Viola spp.)
- Black cherry (Prunus serotina)
- Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
- Wild indigo (Baptisia leucophaea)
For more information on attracting nectar feeders to your garden, see Backyard Wildlife Habitat – Nectar Feeders.