Attract Birds to Your Garden with a Homegrown Bird Food Buffet (2024)

When you think of seed sources for birds, a bright, giant sunflower (Helianthus) may be the first plant that pops in your mind. After all, if you regularly fill your feeders, sunflower seeds dominate many commercial bird food mixes. (Have you ever watched finicky birds sort through seed mixes, tossing less desirable seeds to the ground in search of tasty sunflowers?) Growing annual sunflowers announces to the birds that you’re a gardener with good taste.

Newer compact cultivars offer small-space gardeners a chance to enjoy growing sunflowers, both for their cheerful, charming flowers as well as the seed. Whether you’re looking for massive flowerheads on tall stalks, multi-branched varieties with a long bloom period, or an array of colors, you’ll find hundreds of sunflower options.

Not all sunflowers sport yellow petals. If you’re looking to add rich hues of creamy yellow, lemon yellow, red, pink, and bicolor combinations to your beds, you’ll love Summer Lovin’s 4-5-inch wide blooms. Plant these near the back of the border, as they can reach 6 feet tall.

For oodles of blooms on a single stalk, you’ll love this “bouquet on a stick.” Golden-yellow blooms appear earlier than other varieties, and the multiple flowers on one stalk provide a burst of color without planting dozens of sunflowers. The 5-to-6-foot tall plants make a great addition to narrow spaces, providing a gorgeous show from a single plant.

Named an AAS Winner in 2001, Ring of Fire blooms later in the season, offering a fresh pop of color just as the garden begins to look tired in late summer. The bi-colored, golden petals with a ring of red surround a chocolate-brown center. Reaching 4 to 5 feet tall, this beauty will attract birds as the seed head dries.

The first sunflower named an AAS Winner in 2000, Soraya produces 4-to-6-inch blooms on long stems, featuring orange petals and a chocolate brown center. The self-supported plant reaches 5- to 6-feet tall. With a branching habit and a long season of blooms—followed by seeds for the birds—Soraya makes a great addition to your garden.

Vintage Lime is a showy perennial wildflower that blooms heavily from mid-spring to late summer, often with sporadic blooms into fall. Borne on short, sturdy stems, the uniquely colored flowers make excellent, long-lasting cuts for floral arrangements and bouquets.

A 2020 AAS Winner. Deep red, 3-inch-wide, prolific blooms cover this compact, 18-to-24-inch-tall coneflower from mid-summer to first frost. Sturdy stems, brilliant color, deer resistance, and floriferous habit make this an excellent addition to garden beds and containers. Hardy to USDA zones 4-9.

The blooms on this low-maintenance coneflower look like lovely parasols, with a prominent cone and recurved petals. The tall, strong stems ensure upright blooms with no flopping, and each stem produces multiple bi-color blooms in white and pink. Birds will appreciate these sturdy stems when swooping in for a snack. Hardy to USDA zones 3-9.

Dense petals in a pretty palette of pink hues surround a green cone—adding a pop of interest to the garden. Lush foliage and sturdy, upright stems create a great backdrop for the continuous, profuse blooms from late spring through fall. Compact, 18-to-24-inch plants work well in containers and smaller gardens. Hardy to USDA zones 4-9.

An annual variety, this AAS Winner Rudbeckia hirta should really be known as “Green-Eyed Susan”—it sports a bright green center cone. These large 4-6” eye-catching flowers are on a compact plant that grows only 12-18 inches tall making them a perfect addition to borders and containers all summer long.

A 2020 AAS Winner, this compact, perennial Rudbeckia with bright golden-yellow flowers adds a big burst of color to late summer gardens. With dark centers contrasting beautifully against the yellow, arched petals, you’ll enjoy the pretty show through fall—and then the birds will adore the seedheads. Grows 18-24 inches tall. Hardy to USDA zones 4-9.

The first Rudbeckia hirta that’s truly a perennial. With a compact habit and 5-to-7-inch blooms, this Black-Eyed Susan makes a bold statement in the garden, attracting pollinators before the birds arrive for their snacks. Plus, growing only 12 to 18 inches tall, it’s ideal for small space gardens, borders, or containers placed where you can enjoy watching the visiting birds. Hardy to USDA zones 5-9.

Goldblitz is a hardy perennial with a natural day length, so you can enjoy its flowers sooner in your summer garden and longer into the season. A great seasonal marker for early-fall color and a wonderful food source for bees, migrating birds, and butterflies. Hardy to USDA zone 3A

For a perfectly pretty, compact plant, give Super Hero Spry a try. An AAS Winner, the dark maroon lower flower petals against golden upper petals looks lovely in the garden. Less than 12 inches tall, this is a perfect plant to add to borders or containers.

Brighten up garden beds or containers with the fully double, carnation-like blooms of White Sugar and Spice. The creamy white petals contrast beautifully against the green feathery foliage, adding elegant interest to the garden all season.

Plant enough of these 24-to-36-inch tall beauties to enjoy them in bouquets, as well as in the garden. With fluffy, 3-to-4-inch, bright-orange blooms on sturdy stems, they make a gorgeous statement in beds and containers—and the birds will appreciate the seeds in fall.

This marigold is distinct because of its irregular gold and red design. The flower is gold with red petal tips in a unique design, no flower pattern is the same. Free flowering, this marigold will reach 8 to 12 inches tall and spread about 12 inches too.

Discover the Zinnia hybrida Belize series in single and double flowers. These plants boast a compact plant shape and excellent branching, perfect for small gardens or containers. With a vibrant palette of five colors, this series offers endless possibilities for adding bursts of color to your garden or landscape.

Huge, vibrant colored blooms and fully double flowers make Zesty a terrific addition for impressive patio containers (where you can watch the pollinators and birds enjoy the blooms and seedheads). Or use the 18—to 24-inch plants in borders or mixed beds. Colors include Fuchsia, Pink, Scarlet, White, plus the first double zinnia available in Purple.

Fully-double flowers increase flower longevity with lasting impact. Excellent disease resistance partnered with heat and drought tolerance provides superior season-long garden performance. Vigorously branched plants are excellent in landscapes, containers, and hanging baskets. Available in four colors: Fire, Deep Yellow, Cherry, and White.

Want to showcase a star in your garden? Add the AAS Gold Medal and Fleuroselect winner Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor Zinnia. Recognized for its bold, vibrant red center ring surrounded by golden-yellow outer petals, this zinnia’s aging flowers morph into soft shades of apricot, salmon, and dusty rose, creating additional interest in the fall garden.