Calling all bird watchers, ornithologists, and hobbyists alike! Are you trying to attract more birds to your yard? There are better options than just using feeders that will attract all the woodland critters (even if they weren’t really invited!).

Did you know you can use native plants to attract birds to your yard? Not only is this an eco-friendly and cost-effective way to make your property more attractive to our feathered friends, it’s also easier than you might think!

(Featured Image: American Robin by Kelly Colgan Azar)

There are several native plant species that provide a one-stop-shop for our local birds. Native plants help to provide shelter and building materials for our flying friends, which offer ideal nesting sites for many bird species. Above all, native plants are hosts to an abundant source of food!

Seeds are produced from a variety of native plants. Oftentimes, these seeds are dropped, shaken, or blown from expired blooms or seed pods. These seeds can provide nutrient-dense food that birds can’t get enough of! Most Michigan native plants release their seeds in the fall, offering sustainable energy to birds as they prepare for the winter season.

Berries are a staple for many of Northern Michigan’s woodland inhabitants, and birds are no exception to this! Blueberries and raspberries often come to mind when thinking about Northern Michigan berries, but there are a host of plants that provide a huge variety of bird friendly berries. Many plants will produce small berries from expired blooms as their version of a ‘seed pod’. These are commonly harvested in the fall, and will bring a menagerie of birds to your yard.

Insects are perhaps the most nutrient-dense and attractive food source for many of our winged friends. Birds are a natural predator for flying and crawling insects. Beetles, moths, aphids, flies, and grasshoppers are just a few of their favorite insects to munch on. 

Native plants provide a natural habitat and food source for these insects, which in turn will draw a crowd of birds. Since insects start making their way to the plants as soon as they start to sprout, they offer a food source to birds from spring through fall in Northern Michigan.

Native plants and shrubs are hardy for our harsh winters. This typically means you will often see native species start to bud earlier in the spring than non-native species. Birds will naturally choose to build a nest in a tree or shrub that has already started to bud or grow leaves as this provides protection from both predators and the weather. 

Shrubs like dogwood and elderberry are a popular choice for birds to choose for nesting. Not only do these native shrubs provide good shelter early in the spring, but they also produce delicious berries in the fall that are a favorite among our feathered friends.

Native plants are a part of our larger ecosystem, which includes birds, insects, and other animals too! Just as native plants help care for birds, birds can also help native plants out by spreading their seeds far and wide. 

Birds love to snack on berries year-round. Native plants depend on mobile critters like birds and small mammals to spread their seeds to different areas. Birds often spread these seeds through their excrement, which provides the ideal incubation habitat for a variety of seeds. 

Once these seeds are spread, about one-third of them will eventually grow into a mature, thriving plant. It is beneficial to the plant species as a whole to have more mature plants in a certain region as it greatly promotes cross-pollination. Cross-pollination leads to higher fruit and seed yields, which leads to more spreading and greater success of the species as a whole.

If you’re looking for a hassle-free landscaping option for your yard, native plants will be a good solution for you. Since these plants grew to live naturally in Northern Michigan, they have already adapted to our region’s rainfall, temperatures, and soil conditions. 

The key to growing native plants in Northern Michigan is ensuring they are planted early enough in the season that they can grow deep and mature roots before their first winter. Once the plant is well-established, our ecosystem will provide exactly what it needs. This means there is little maintenance that is required to keep them growing healthy and happy all season long!

Bright Lane Gardens proudly offers a large selection of plants that are native to Northern Michigan. We are a small, family owned nursery located in Lake Ann, Michigan. Our goal has been to provide low-maintenance, sustainable gardening options that are accessible to our greater community. Visit our website for a full list of native plants that we offer. 

Our focus this year is to expand our native plant inventory significantly. We have put a lot of research into selecting native species that are not only beautiful, but that can also benefit our local ecosystems. We are here to help you find native plants that will bring beauty and birds to your yard!