Sure, our varieties and blends of seeds are hands-down the best options for feeding your backyard birds. No question.
But what is better than offering non-GMO, organic seed with no waste? Native plants, grasses, and flowers.
More and more Nature and especially birds are depending on us for food water and shelter. Habitat creation of native plants and grasses goes a long way toward supporting our birds, being natural foragers and hunters. By creating habitat, we end up living in common with nature which, to me is the end goal, living as one in nature.
Whether or not the bird in question eats insects or not, the fact remains that all birds depend on us and native greenery for their very survival.
With that in mind, the expansion of these types of natural food sources is fantastic not only for our birds but for the insects they eat, many other wildlife species and the air we breathe. Here are five local/native plants and flowers your backyard should be growing this spring after the winter months subside.
Cardinal Flower
Just as the name suggests, this flower is bright red in colouring much the same as one of our favourite winter birds, the Northern Cardinal. Part of the bellflower family, these flowers reside in and around wet and damp places such as marshes, stream banks and low-lying wooded areas. While named after cardinals, these flowers are a favourite to our summer hummers and will attract and keep them around your yard for the entire season.
Oaks
Throwing a large tree into the mix, oaks are a favourite among many birds and other species of wildlife. Home to a number of nooks, crannies, and crevices, these trees offer nesting sites as well as an abundance of insects for our birds.
Buttonbush
Another wetland shrub is the eastern variety of buttonbush. This plant enjoys the wettest of areas and products white flower that is attractive to birds as well as pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
Honeysuckle
When it comes to behaving, the honeysuckle vine is one that many homeowners can plant and control. When it comes to the birds, hummingbirds cannot resist the sweet nectar produced by these plants while other species such as Baltimore orioles consistently dine on the fruit it bears.
Sunflower
With their large faces pointed directly into the sunlight, this is perhaps the most quintessential summer flower. In addition to attracting photographers and memories of our youth in the wild, these flowers produce plenty of seeds that attract a variety of different birds.
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