Quick answer: 166 native plants for birds are native to Indiana, 141 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
166 species
- Adam's needle Yucca filamentosa · 21 states
- Allegheny chinquapin Castanea pumila · 21 states
- Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis · 17 states
- American basswood Tilia americana · 37 states
- American beech Fagus grandifolia · 31 states
- American bellflower Campanulastrum americanum · 34 states
- American bittersweet Celastrus scandens · 33 states
- American elm Ulmus americana · 31 states
- American hazelnut Corylus americana · 34 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana · 33 states
- American plum Prunus americana · 37 states
- American sycamore Platanus occidentalis · 28 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Birdfoot violet Viola pedata · 34 states
- Bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis · 28 states
- Black ash Fraxinus nigra · 19 states
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · 35 states
- Black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata · 25 states
- Black oak Quercus velutina · 30 states
- Black tupelo Nyssa sylvatica · 31 states
- Black walnut Juglans nigra · 33 states
- Black willow Salix nigra · 24 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blackjack oak Quercus marilandica · 24 states
- Blue vervain Verbena hastata · 34 states
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 states
- Brown-eyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba · 21 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Canada yew Taxus canadensis · 18 states
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Chinkapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii · 30 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea · 32 states
- Climbing prairie rose Rosa setigera · 27 states
- Cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli · 25 states
- Common blue violet Viola sororia · 37 states
- Common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis · 29 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common evening primrose Oenothera biennis · 30 states
- Common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata · 28 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius · 30 states
- Common persimmon Diospyros virginiana · 26 states
- Common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus · 21 states
- Common winterberry Ilex verticillata · 32 states
- Compass plant Silphium laciniatum · 20 states
- Coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus · 30 states
- Crimson-eyed rose-mallow Hibiscus moscheutos · 28 states
- Cucumbertree Magnolia acuminata · 19 states
- Cup plant Silphium perfoliatum · 27 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Deerberry Vaccinium stamineum · 22 states
- Dense blazing star Liatris spicata · 24 states
- Devil's walking stick Aralia spinosa · 21 states
- Downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis · 24 states
- Downy serviceberry Amelanchier arborea · 37 states
- Dwarf crested iris Iris cristata · 17 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis · 25 states
- Eastern hop-hornbeam Ostrya virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea · 24 states
- Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern red columbine Aquilegia canadensis · 36 states
- Eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens · 23 states
- Eastern wahoo Euonymus atropurpureus · 23 states
- Eastern white pine Pinus strobus · 28 states
- Fewleaf sunflower Helianthus occidentalis · 16 states
- Fire pink Silene virginica · 26 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis · 35 states
- Fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica · 30 states
- Gray alder Alnus incana · 26 states
- Gray birch Betula populifolia · 17 states
- Gray dogwood Cornus racemosa · 19 states
- Grayhead coneflower Ratibida pinnata · 26 states
- Great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica · 36 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus · 19 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum · 25 states
- Highbush cranberry Viburnum opulus var. americanum · 22 states
- Hollow Joe-pye weed Eutrochium fistulosum · 24 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Inland sea oats Chasmanthium latifolium · 21 states
- Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum · 35 states
- Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus · 26 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Lowbush blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium · 22 states
- Mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium · 27 states
- Marsh marigold Caltha palustris · 28 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa · 26 states
- Mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia · 23 states
- Nannyberry Viburnum lentago · 25 states
- Northern red oak Quercus rubra · 33 states
- Northern spicebush Lindera benzoin · 31 states
- Northern white cedar Thuja occidentalis · 21 states
- Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra · 20 states
- Pagoda dogwood Cornus alternifolia · 30 states
- Paper birch Betula papyrifera · 28 states
- Partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata · 30 states
- Pawpaw Asimina triloba · 29 states
- Pignut hickory Carya glabra · 31 states
- Pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica · 20 states
- Pin oak Quercus palustris · 27 states
- Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha · 29 states
- Prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata · 25 states
- Pussy willow Salix discolor · 18 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red maple Acer rubrum · 33 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- River birch Betula nigra · 28 states
- Riverbank grape Vitis riparia · 20 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata · 30 states
- Rusty blackhaw viburnum Viburnum rufidulum · 18 states
- Scarlet beebalm Monarda didyma · 25 states
- Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis · 26 states
- Shagbark hickory Carya ovata · 34 states
- Shingle oak Quercus imbricaria · 18 states
- Showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa · 28 states
- Showy tick trefoil Desmodium canadense · 29 states
- Shumard oak Quercus shumardii · 22 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Silver maple Acer saccharinum · 37 states
- Slippery elm Ulmus rubra · 30 states
- Smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum · 34 states
- Smooth alder Alnus serrulata · 23 states
- Smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides · 30 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum · 28 states
- Southern red oak Quercus falcata · 23 states
- Staghorn sumac Rhus typhina · 28 states
- Steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa · 22 states
- Sugar maple Acer saccharum · 34 states
- Sundial lupine Lupinus perennis · 28 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Swamp rose Rosa palustris · 27 states
- Swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius · 21 states
- Swamp white oak Quercus bicolor · 23 states
- Sweet Joe-Pye Eutrochium purpureum · 33 states
- Sweet crabapple Malus coronaria · 20 states
- Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua · 26 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Tall blazing star Liatris aspera · 26 states
- Trumpet vine Campsis radicans · 33 states
- Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera · 27 states
- Virgin's bower Clematis virginiana · 27 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- Virginia iris Iris virginica · 26 states
- Virginia pine Pinus virginiana · 20 states
- White ash Fraxinus americana · 35 states
- White meadowsweet Spiraea alba · 22 states
- White oak Quercus alba · 33 states
- White snakeroot Ageratina altissima · 23 states
- White turtlehead Chelone glabra · 22 states
- Winged sumac Rhus copallinum · 30 states
- Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana · 33 states
- Witherod viburnum Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides · 24 states
- Wood lily Lilium philadelphicum · 28 states
- Yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis · 21 states
Native plants for birds in Indiana: what to know
166 of the 267 plants native to Indiana in this directory fit this need: 62% of the state's list, well above the 52% share across all species.
Between them they flower from January through December, with the most in bloom in May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 125 are also good for pollinators, 113 are also shade-tolerant, 96 are also drought-tolerant.
129 of them grow in full or partial sun and 113 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Birdfoot violet and Black-eyed Susan to trees such as Allegheny chinquapin and Allegheny serviceberry. For wildlife, 125 support pollinators, 166 provide food or cover for birds and 73 are caterpillar host plants.
141 of the 166 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, Crimson-eyed rose-mallow, Eastern hop-hornbeam: 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
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun