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Where do the plant recommendations come from?

USDA PLANTS for native ranges, Doug Tallamy's research and the National Wildlife Federation's Native Plant Finder for ecological value, plus Audubon's Plants for Birds database and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for regional fit.

Are these all native plants?

Yes. Every recommendation is genuinely native to the area associated with your ZIP code.

Why is this bird-driven instead of plant-driven?

Most planners start with your climate zone and give you a generic native plant list. This one starts with the birds you actually want to attract, then filters plants to the ones that support those species.

Plants for Birds in Pennsylvania

Native Pennsylvania plants that genuinely support the birds you want in your yard.

Pennsylvania holds some of the most important forest habitat left in the eastern US. Hawk Mountain still counts thousands of migrating raptors every fall. The Allegheny National Forest harbors breeding warblers most of the country has lost. Ruffed Grouse — the state bird — drum on logs from the Poconos to the western plateau, and Wood Thrushes sing in nearly every woodlot the state still has.

Native Pennsylvania plants do work that lawn grass and big-box ornamentals can't. They host the caterpillars and insects that 96% of Pennsylvania songbirds rely on to feed their chicks. Oaks, cherries, hemlocks, and the understory flora that filled Pennsylvania's forests are the same plants that still feed its birds today.

Enter your Pennsylvania ZIP code in the tool below. The planner will filter every plant in our database to the ones genuinely native to your part of Pennsylvania — Allegheny Plateau, Ridge & Valley, Poconos, or Piedmont — and useful for the birds you actually want. Pick the species — Wood Thrushes, Pileated Woodpeckers, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, cardinals, or all of them — and we'll give you a plant list that does the work.

Native Pennsylvania plants that genuinely support birds

A few of the most useful native Pennsylvania plants for birds:

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) — Pennsylvania's state tree. Cover for chickadees, kinglets, and Pine Siskins; seeds for nuthatches.
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) — Hosts hundreds of caterpillar species. Acorns feed jays, woodpeckers, turkeys, and many more.
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) — Hosts 450+ caterpillar species. Summer fruit for over 80 bird species.
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) — Hosts hundreds of caterpillars; aging trees provide cavity nests for chickadees and owls.
Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) — Pennsylvania's state flower. Cover for ground-nesting birds; nectar for hummingbirds.
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) — Yellow late-fall blooms; seeds for songbirds in winter.
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) — Red autumn berries for migrating Wood Thrushes and Veeries.
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) — A hummingbird magnet along Pennsylvania's streams and seeps.
Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.) — Late-summer pollinator favorite; seed heads feed finches into winter.
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) — Spring woodland bloom that supports native bees and small pollinators.
Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) — Summer fruit for Cedar Waxwings, Wood Thrushes, and Catbirds.
Pin Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica) — Pioneer species in forest edges; fruit for grouse, thrushes, and waxwings.

This is a state-wide overview. For a list tailored to your garden:

Enter your Pennsylvania ZIP and pick the birds you actually want. The planner filters every plant in our database down to the ones native to your part of Pennsylvania and genuinely useful for your birds.

What's your ZIP code?

We'll show you native plants that are genuinely native to your area and rank them by which birds they support.

US ZIP code

Free. No email. We'll filter every plant in the database to those actually native to your state and suited to your USDA zone.

Better With Birds

Shop the birds you love

If you're already this excited about Pennsylvania birds, you're going to like the apparel, prints, and stickers we've designed around them.

Wood Thrushes, Ruffed Grouse, Pileated Woodpeckers, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds — all illustrated and designed by Jaymi at Better With Birds. Made-to-order, never mass-printed.