To bring birds into your landscape, plant a variety of Florida native wildflowers that provide food and habitat. Include species that produce nectar and seeds, attract insects, and offer shelter.
Hummingbirds gather nectar from wildflowers with tubular flowers. Many flowers produce fruit that other birds will eat.
Hummingbird on Standing cypress (Ipomopsis rubra) by Peg Urban
Sparrows, warblers, finches, nuthatches, titmice, chickadees, cardinals and indigo buntings feed on seeds, as well as larger birds like thrashers, redwing blackbirds, bobwhites, doves, mockingbirds, catbirds and grosbeaks. After wildflowers have bloomed, leave seedheads on the plants for birds. Other flowerheads may shatter, scattering seeds on the ground that attract smaller birds, such as finches.
Most birds feed insects to their chicks, and many insects visit wildflowers for nectar and pollen. Insect-eating birds include goldfinches, chickadees, titmice, cardinals, grosbeaks, wood warblers, blue jays, sparrows, thrashers, nuthatches, crows and mockingbirds. Some great Florida wildflowers to plant for attracting insects are:
This chart lists Florida native wildflowers that work well in home landscapes and provide food and habitat for birds. It will help you select plants that are suitable for your geographic location and soil and light conditions, as well as by bloom color and season. Images of each can be found in the gallery below the chart.
Click on the images to enlarge and see the plant’s name.