Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard

Welcoming birds to your yard isn’t about choosing the right feeders and bird food. If you want to attract the widest range of birds to your home, you need to plant a diversity of native plants. Why go green? Native plants live longer; they are drought resistant, take less water and fertilizer, they cost less, are less work and easier to maintain. And a big plus—they are good for the environment. In 2007, Douglas Tallamy published the groundbreaking book, Bringing Nature Home, on going native to protect wildlife. Since then Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, the National Wildlife Federation, and National Audubon have all endorsed and encouraged gardening with native plants. Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard is the first book to cover planting native to specifically attract birds. The book recommends plants for all types of backyards, no matter how large or small—from large plots to container gardens. Sorenson gives state-specific recommendations for 31 Eastern U.S. states—including and east of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana to the East Coast, and from the Canadian border to the Gulf Coast—for native plants that support birds during the four seasons. The book covers the full gamut of native plants—nearly 200 species of trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and perennials—and gives details on why specific plants are bird friendly and how to choose plants that work successfully in attractive home landscapes. It also includes dramatic color photos of nearly 70 bird species. Birders, gardeners, and landscapers—all who love birds and beautiful gardens—will find this book a must.