Quick answer: 64 native plants for birds are native to Arizona, 44 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
64 species
- American century plant Agave americana · 2 states
- American plum Prunus americana · 37 states
- Anderson wolfberry Lycium andersonii · 1 states
- Banana yucca Yucca baccata · 8 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Brittlebush Encelia farinosa · 4 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- California fuchsia Epilobium canum · 8 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Candy barrel cactus (fishhook barrel) Ferocactus wislizeni · 1 states
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Chalk dudleya Dudleya pulverulenta · 4 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Chuparosa Justicia californica · 1 states
- Colorado blue columbine Aquilegia coerulea · 9 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common sotol Dasylirion wheeleri · 3 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Creeping Oregon grape Mahonia repens · 15 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Deergrass Muhlenbergia rigens · 5 states
- Desert willow Chilopsis linearis · 5 states
- Fairy duster Calliandra eriophylla · 1 states
- Firecracker penstemon Penstemon eatonii · 3 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii · 7 states
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Garrett's firechalice Zauschneria garrettii · 4 states
- Giant red paintbrush Castilleja miniata · 13 states
- Globe gilia Gilia capitata · 5 states
- Gray alder Alnus incana · 26 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Joshua tree Yucca brevifolia · 3 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- New Mexico locust Robinia neomexicana · 2 states
- Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor · 9 states
- Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens · 3 states
- Palmer's penstemon Penstemon palmeri · 3 states
- Parry's penstemon Penstemon parryi · 1 states
- Pineleaf penstemon Penstemon pinifolius · 2 states
- Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa · 16 states
- Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha · 29 states
- Purple sage (desert sage) Salvia dorrii · 7 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis · 11 states
- Saguaro Carnegiea gigantea · 1 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea · 12 states
- Scarlet monkeyflower Erythranthe cardinalis · 7 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Upland larkspur Delphinium nuttallianum · 13 states
- Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis · 5 states
- Yellow bells (esperanza) Tecoma stans · 3 states
Native plants for birds in Arizona: what to know
64 of the 127 plants native to Arizona in this directory fit this need: 50% of the state's list, close to the 52% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through December, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 53 are also good for pollinators, 49 are also drought-tolerant, 31 are also deer-resistant.
54 of them grow in full or partial sun and 20 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Buffalograss and Butterflyweed to trees such as American plum and Bearberry. For wildlife, 53 support pollinators, 64 provide food or cover for birds and 19 are caterpillar host plants.
44 of the 64 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Harebell, Indiangrass, Switchgrass: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec