Native Plants Charm Birds and Butterflies

California Native Plants That Attract Birds and Butterflies

There are a variety of California native plants that are not only drought resistant but also charm many birds and butterflies into visiting a garden.

Plants That Attract Birds

“Many plants attract birds,” says “Green” Gene Sottosanto, a landscaper in Laguna Beach. He highlights several key species:

  • Fennel: The No. 1 bird plant in Southern California. It provides flowers, seeds, and aphids—favorites for many birds.
  • Night-blooming jasmine: Produces white berries that attract mockingbirds.
  • Cotoneaster pannosus: Attracts mockingbirds, robins, thrushes, and purple finches.
  • Privets: Favored by mockingbirds.
  • Magnolia grandiflora: Red fruit attracts red-shafted flickers and red-breasted sapsuckers.
  • Flowering maple: Popular with hummingbirds, orioles, and goldfinches.
  • Strawberry tree: Attracts band-tailed pigeons, thrushes, and mockingbirds.
  • Cape honeysuckle: Loved by hummingbirds.

Plants That Attract Butterflies

If you want to attract butterflies to your garden, consider these California natives and garden-friendly choices:

  • Fennel: Also supports butterfly species in addition to birds.
  • California Lilac: Attracts the Echo Blue and California Tortoiseshell butterflies.
  • Hibiscus: Favored by the Common Hairstreak butterfly.
  • Snapdragons: Draw in the Buckeye butterfly.
  • Baby Tears: A favorite of the Red Admiral butterfly.

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, novelist, blogger, and YouTuber. A prolific author, Julie writes in several genres. She enjoys creating page-turning suspense served up with a dose of romance, garden books that turn any brown thumb green, and spiritual books meant to enlighten and inspire. Widely published, Julie has written 45 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys sunny, blue skies most days and year-round gardening. Julie gains inspiration from being surrounded by plants when she writes.