Zone 5 · winter lows -20°F to -10°F
Bird-Friendly Plants for Zone 5
2.1k bird friendly plants that are hardy through Zone 5, ranked by how many gardeners actually save and grow them.
Most-saved bird friendly plants for Zone 5
#1 most savedCheyenne Spirit Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Cheyenne Spirit'
#2 most savedPink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
#3 most savedButterfly Kisses Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Butterfly Kisses'
Butterfly Weed Gay Butterflies Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies'
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Deluxe Butterfly Garden'
Hello Yellow Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow'
Purple Coneflower Rainbow
Echinacea purpurea 'Rainbow'
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias x hybrida
May Night Sage
Salvia nemorosa 'May Night'
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta 'American Gold Rush'
Garden Phlox 'Rene Duval'
Phlox paniculata 'Rene Duval'
Pugster Pink Butterfly Bush
Buddleia davidii 'Pugster Pinker'
Blanket Flower
Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Mixed Border'
Cinderella Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella'
Prairie Phlox
Phlox pilosa
Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Cheyenne Spirit Mix'
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta 'Autumn Colors Mix'
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Wild Lupine
Lupinus perennis
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'
Trio Butterfly Bush
Buddleja davidii 'Trio'
Columbine Mix
Aquilegia x hybrida 'Mix'
Red Popsicle Lupine
Lupinus polyphyllus 'Red Popsicle'
Showing the 24 most-saved of 2.1k. See all bird-friendly plants →
Bird-Friendly Plants in Zone 5
What are the best bird friendly plants for Zone 5?
The 24 above are the most-saved bird friendly plants that are also rated hardy through Zone 5. Ranking by real gardeners — not by catalog marketing — surfaces the ones gardeners keep coming back to.
Will these survive Zone 5 winters?
Every plant listed here is rated for Zone 5, where winter lows reach -20°F to -10°F. Site conditions still matter: drainage, wind exposure, and a good layer of mulch make the difference between a rated-hardy plant and a happy one.
How do plants attract birds?
Three ways: seeds (coneflowers, grasses left standing through winter), fruit (viburnum, serviceberry, winterberry), and insects — a native-heavy garden produces the caterpillars nestlings depend on.
Keep exploring
Bird-Friendly Plants in other zones
Design a Zone 5 bed with these
Snap a photo of your yard and Sow places these plants in it — correctly sized, matched to your zone, with care reminders that follow your real weather.
