Best Plants for a Bird-Friendly Landscape

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Large Trees

Water Oak
Willow Oak
Southern Red Oak
Shumard Oak
Drummond's Red Maple
American Elm
Pecan
Green Ash
American Basswood
Sugarberry (Hackberry)

Deciduous trees like Pecan are bird-friendly and beautiful.

Deciduous trees like Pecan are bird-friendly and beautiful.

Small Trees

Mexican Plum
Parsley Hawthorn
Roughleaf Dogwood
American Hornbeam
Possumhaw
Yaupon Holly

Hard to beat the beauty of a Hawthorn.

Hard to beat the beauty of a Hawthorn.

Shrubs

Wax Myrtle
Arrowwood Viburnum
Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum
Turk's Cap
American Beautyberry

American Beautyberry is a bird magnet.

American Beautyberry is a bird magnet.

Vines

Purple Passionflower
Crossvine
Carolina Jessamine
Coral Honeysuckle

Purple Passionflower has gorgeous blooms and is an aggressive grower.

Purple Passionflower has gorgeous blooms and is an aggressive grower.

Grasses

Gulf Muhly
Switchgrass
Eastern Gamagrass
Little Bluestem
Inland Sea Oats

Gulf Muhly and Sunflowers make a perfect, colorful combination.

Gulf Muhly and Sunflowers make a perfect, colorful combination.

Wildflowers

Aquatic Milkweed
Blazing Star
Green Milkweed
Texas Coneflower
Rough Coneflower
Blue Sage
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Gulf Coast Penstemon
Cardinal Flower
Indian Blanket

Explore KPC's Nine Natives program for some great inspiration with wildflowers and grasses.

This is native Aquatic Milkweed, a Monarch's dream.

This is native Aquatic Milkweed, a Monarch's dream.

Avoid These Invasives

Chinese Elm
Bradford Pear
Golden Rain Tree
Ligustrums
Nandina
Elephant Ear
Mexican Petunia
Yellow Flag Iris
Liriope
Pampas Grass

Ligustrums are still sold around town (!) even though they can take over an entire site, leaving little nutritious food for wildlife.

Ligustrums are still sold around town (!) even though they can take over an entire site, leaving little nutritious food for wildlife.