Quick answer: 35 native plants for birds are native to Washington, 22 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
35 species
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Bigleaf maple Acer macrophyllum · 3 states
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Creeping Oregon grape Mahonia repens · 15 states
- Crevice alumroot Heuchera micrantha · 4 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Giant red paintbrush Castilleja miniata · 13 states
- Globe gilia Gilia capitata · 5 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Marsh marigold Caltha palustris · 28 states
- Nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia · 9 states
- Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor · 9 states
- Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii · 3 states
- Paper birch Betula papyrifera · 28 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-flowering currant Ribes sanguineum · 4 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis · 11 states
- Royal penstemon Penstemon speciosus · 6 states
- Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia · 14 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet monkeyflower Erythranthe cardinalis · 7 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Upland larkspur Delphinium nuttallianum · 13 states
- Vine maple Acer circinatum · 3 states
Native plants for birds in Washington: what to know
35 of the 78 plants native to Washington in this directory fit this need: 45% of the state's list, below the 52% share across all species.
Between them they flower from March through October, with the most in bloom in May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 28 are also good for pollinators, 17 are also drought-tolerant, 12 are also shade-tolerant.
29 of them grow in full or partial sun and 12 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Creeping Oregon grape and Crevice alumroot to trees such as Bearberry and Bigleaf maple. For wildlife, 28 support pollinators, 35 provide food or cover for birds and 9 are caterpillar host plants.
22 of the 35 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Harebell: common listings for it 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
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms May-Aug
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun