Songbird Station

Water garden planSongbirds are a wonder to watch in all seasons. This garden is designed to provide food and cover that encourages songbirds to nest in your yard.

Place your birdbath on a gravel bed instead of a pedestal. You can also add a few larger rocks in the gravel to provide shelter for toads, lizards and other small creatures.

Planting Key

Full sun, dry soil
A: Rose verbena (Glandularia canadensis)
B: Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
D: Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya)
E: MO black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia missouriensis)
F: Purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)
G: MO primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa)
H: Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
I: Western sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis)
J: Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)
K: Gray-head coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
L: Blue false indigo (Baptisia australis)
M: Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Shade or semi-shade, average to moist soil
AA: Golden ragwort (Packera aureus)
FF: Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)
GG: Crested iris (Iris cristata)
HH: Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
II: Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum)
JJ: Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
LL: Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans)
MM: Goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus)
NN: Rose turtlehead (Chelone obliqua)

Select from the list of woody plants based on the amount of sun or shade your planting site receives.

Shrubs, Vines and Trees
  Full Sun Shade or Semi-Shade
Shrubs
  • Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
  • Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
  • Golden currant (Ribes odoratum)
  • Native viburnums (Viburnum spp.)
  • New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus)
  • Wild hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
  • Deciduous holly (Ilex decidua)
  • Sumacs (Sumac spp.)
  • Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
  • Strawberry bush (Euonymus americanus)
  • Indian cherry (Rhamnus caroliniana)