I know that bee balm is said to attract bees, but what flowers or plants gone to seed attract birds?

There is no reason to have a bird bath without also having some sort of thing the birds like, don't you think?





Or maybe they like certain grasses, either to eat or for their nests, is that


so?





Ta!

FlowersBirthday FlowersSympathy FlowersSun flowers, teazel's, thistles all produce seed, the pampas grass left over winter with is plums on gives birds some thing to line their rest with
Reply:Generally, most gardeners will choose the plants for their garden based on color, fragrance, or any number of other criteria. While a garden devoted solely to flowers whose seeds attract birds may be out of the question in your overall scheme of things, you should at least consider adding a few "song bird plants". Shrubs, annuals, perennials, native and cultivated plants can all be used to attract such birds. If it is possible, grow a couple plants from each of the following groups, to provide seeds and fruits for all seasons.


Once your birds have become accustomed to eating in your yard, they will develop a certain dependency on you and your garden. When the winter months roll around, natural food will become scarcer. Provide plenty of seed, fruits or suet during these times to keep your feathered friends around your yard, and happy!


When it is at all possible, a water supply should be included into your garden plan. This is easily accomplished by the inclusion of a birdbath, which gives them the water they need and enjoy.





PLANTS WHICH ATTRACT AND FEED SONG BIRDS


(Check cultural requirements for local suitability.)





(A) ANNUAL (P) PERENNIAL (D) DECIDUOUS (E) EVERGREEN





TREES for shelter and protection


Larger trees planted at the borders of your property provide a safe starting point for visiting birds. These plants are important for escape from predators, winter shelter, and summer nesting sites. They may also provide food in the form of seeds, berries, and sap.





Flowering Dogwood (D)


Cornus florida American Holly (E)


Ilex opaca Red Cedar (E)


Juniperus virginiana


Red Mulberry (D)


Morus rubra Colorado blue spruce (E)


Picea pungens Douglas fir (E)


Pseudotsuga menziesii


White cedar (E)


Chamaecyparis thyoides Bald cypress (D)


Taxodium distichum White fire (E)


Abies concolor


Ponderosa pine (E)


Pinus ponderosa Rocky Mountain juniper


J. scopulorum Austrian pine (E)


Pinus nigra


California juniper (E)


J. californica Alternate leaf Dogwood (D)


Cornus alternifolia American Mountain Ash (D)


Sorbus americana


Red-osier Dogwood (D)


Cornus stolonifera Silky Dogwood (D)


Cornus amomum Gray Dogwood (D)


Cornus racemosa


Hackberry (D)


Celtis occidentalis Sassafras (D)


Sassafras albidium Oak (D)


Quercus sp.


Hazelnut (D)


Corylus avellana Chestnut (D)


Castanea sp. Black walnut (D)


Junglens nigra





ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS for fruit and seed


Many flowering plants produce large quantities of seed each year. This is a very important food source for many sparrows, finches and other songbirds. At the end of the blooming season, don't cut the spent flowers off, but allow them to dry and hang in place.


Penstemon (P)


Penstemon spectabilis Sunflower (A)


Helianthus annuus Tickseed (P)


Coreopsis sp.


Bee Balm (P)


Monarda Floss flower (A)


Ageratum houstonianum Aster (A)(P)


Aster sp.


Goldenrod (P)


Solidago Cosmos (A)(P)


Cosmos sp. Bachelor's Button (A)


Centaurea cyanus


Larkspur (A)


Consolida ambigua Spider flower (A)


Cleome spinosa Snapdragon (A)


Antirrhinum majus


Purple Coneflower (P)


Echinacea purpurea Four O'Clocks (A)(P)


Mirabilis jalapa Cockscomb (A)


Celosia sp.





SHRUBS AND VINES


Plant shrubs in clumps or hedgerows so birds can observe the yard while hidden from the view of cats and other predators. By the same token, place your bird feeders and bird baths away from places where cats may lay in waiting for an unsuspecting bird. Almost any fruiting plant provides food for the birds, but plants like raspberries tend to be picked clean, long before the summer is over. The following shrubs and vines tend to hold their fruits and seeds through the fall and into the winter months.


Salal (E)


Gaultheria shallon Oregon grape (E)


Mahonia aquifolium Beautyberry (D)


Callicarpa bodinieri


Silverberry (D)


Eleagnus commutata Bayberry (D)


Myrica pensylvanica Chokecherry (D)


Prunus virginiana


Virginia Creeper (D)


Parthenocissus quinquefolia Firethorn (E)


Pyracantha coccinea Black Currant (D)


Ribes americanum


Elderberry (D)


Sambucus sp. Blueberry (D)


Vaccinium corymbosum Huckleberry (D)(E)


Vaccinium ovatum


Cranberry bush (D)


Viburnum trilobum Blackberry (D)


Blackberry Cotoneaster (D)


Cotoneaster


Crabapple (D)


Malus sp. Japanese Yew (E)


Taxus cuspidata Sumac (D)


Rhus sp.


Manzanita (E)


Arctostaphlos sp. Creeping juniper (E)


Juniperus horizontalis Common juniper (E)


Juniperus communisWhite Teeth