9 Plants That Will Feed Birds All Winter Long, According to Wildlife Experts Help local birds survive the season. Close Credit: Robert Winkler / Getty When temperatures drop and food becomes scarce, it can be difficult for birds to receive adequate nutrition. To ensure they stay healthy during winter, many birds rely on berry and seed-producing plants as food sources. This is where you come in. "Planting a diversity of native plants such as grasses, herbaceous flowering plants, and woody plants (shrubs and trees, vines, and woody groundcovers) in your garden or flower containers will provide birds with the necessary food and shelter they require during the winter," says Marlene Pantin, plants for birds manager with the National Audubon Society. What's more, many of these plants add visual interest to your garden when many plants have gone to sleep for the season. Ahead, wildlife experts share the best plants to grow if you want to provide a winter food source for birds. Tess Renusch, native plant habitat content and certifications coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation Marlene Pantin, plants for birds manager with the National Audubon Society 11 Common (Yet Beautiful!) Backyard Birds to Look for During Winter 01 of 09 Purple Coneflower Credit: Nancybelle Gonzaga Villarroya / Getty Images Instead of cutting them back, leave the heads of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in your garden through winter. "The prominent seed heads are filled with nutritious, oil-rich seeds that provide high fat and protein for sustained energy, which is necessary for thermoregulation," says Tess Renusch, native plant habitat content and certifications coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation. She adds that the seed heads are a favorite of songbirds, such as American goldfinches and cardinals. Zones: 3 to 9Size: 2 to 5 feet tall x 1.5 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; medium to dry, loamy, sandy, to clay soil 02 of 09 Little Bluestem Credit: akova / Getty Images Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) produces small, fuzzy seed clusters along the stem that survive throughout winter. The clusters are enjoyed by juncos, sparrows, and cardinals, says Renusch. "As a larval host plant, little bluestem will provide a vital supply of protein-rich caterpillars and insects as birds begin nesting in the spring," she adds. Zones: 3 to 9Size: 1 to 4 feet tall x 1.5 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; medium to dry, loamy, sandy, to clay soil 03 of 09 Winterberry Credit: Johnathan A. Esper, Wildernesscapes Photography / Getty Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is more than just a beautiful addition to the winter garden. Its bright red berries offer a reliable, high-energy food source for birds when other fresh fruits and insects are no longer available, notes Renusch. It attracts American robins, cedar waxwings, eastern bluebirds, and woodpeckers. Zones: 3 to 9Size: 6 to 10 feet tall x 6 to 10 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to shade; dry to moist, clay to sandy soils 04 of 09 American Beautyberry Credit: McKinneMike / Getty American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) produces clusters of bright purple drupes that last through winter, even after the leaves have fallen. "The fruit's high moisture content is a critical source of carbohydrates and hydration for birds when other soft fruits may be scarce," says Renusch. Zones: 7 to 11Size: 3 to 8 feet tall x 3 to 6 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; dry to moist, clay, loamy, to sandy soils 05 of 09 Indiangrass Credit: GracedByTheLight / Getty Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) is a prairie grass native to southeastern North America. "It provides cover year-round for birds who consume its seeds in winter," says Pantin. She notes that this species is particularly attractive to songbirds, as well as butterflies and small mammals. Zones: 4 to 9Size: 5 to 7 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining, clay to rocky soils 06 of 09 Sunflower Credit: Vladimir Zlotnik / GETTY IMAGES Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) fill gardens with beauty from late spring through summer. But instead of cutting them to the ground when they're done blooming, consider leaving the seed heads in the garden for birds. "Birds are attracted to the seeds, so leaving dead flowers into the winter is one way to create a natural bird feeder," says Pantin. Zones: 6 to 9Size: 2 to 10 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; moist, well-draining soil 07 of 09 Viburnum Credit: Eric Bruss / Getty Viburnum (Viburnum spp.), such as Southern arrowwood, is a winter food source for birds and other pollinators and wildlife. "Its ink-blue fruits are eaten by songbirds, and it’s a caterpillar and larval host and a nectar source for bees and butterflies,” says Pantin. Zones: 2 to 11, depending on varietySize: 12 to 15 feet tall x 3 to 12 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining, slightly acidic soil 08 of 09 Hawthorn Credit: Arkela / Getty Hawthorns (Crataegus spp.) are native to southeastern North America and produce small red berries that mockingbirds, bluejays, and other birds love to snack on, says Pantin. "It is an important nectar flower for insects and a larval host plant for a variety of butterflies," she adds. Zones: 3 to 9, depending on varietySize: 15 to 30 feet tall x 15 to 30 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil 09 of 09 Aster Credit: © Debi Dalio / Getty Images American asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), including the New England aster, produce large, purple flowers from August to October. In late fall, the plant yields nutritious seeds that can persist into winter, providing a food source for birds. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 2 to 5 feet tall x 2 to 5 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil Explore more: Garden Landscaping