Bird-Friendly Landscape Plants for South Florida
Kushlan Program Overview | Introduction | Getting Started | Plant Lists | City in a Garden
South Florida offers an extraordinary range of plants that can support birds when selected and arranged with ecological function in mind. The list below is drawn from Attracting Birds to South Florida Gardens by James A. Kushlan and Kirsten Hines, a foundational guide to bird-friendly gardening in our region. The book emphasizes that plants provide not only fruit and nectar, but also the insects, shelter, and structural complexity birds depend on throughout the year. This curated selection highlights high-value trees, shrubs, vines, and epiphytes well suited to South Florida conditions and commonly used by resident and migratory birds. It is intended as a starting point for homeowners, condominium associations, schools, and community groups interested in creating landscapes that actively support bird conservation across our metropolitan area.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Native Status (South FL) | Birds Attracted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak | Quercus virginiana | Native | Blue Jay; Northern Cardinal; warblers; woodpeckers; thrushes |
| Cabbage Palm (Sabal Palm) | Sabal palmetto | Native | Northern Mockingbird; Common Grackle; doves; warblers |
| Gumbo Limbo | Bursera simaruba | Native | Thrushes; vireos; orioles; migratory songbirds |
| Strangler Fig | Ficus aurea | Native | Thrushes; orioles; grackles; parrots |
| Avocado | Persea americana | Non-native | Northern Mockingbird; grackles; parrots |
| Pigeon Plum | Coccoloba diversifolia | Native | Thrushes; Gray Catbird; vireos |
| Wild Tamarind | Lysiloma latisiliquum | Native | Warblers; orioles; insectivorous songbirds |
| Mahogany (West Indian) | Swietenia mahagoni | Native | Warblers; vireos; woodpeckers |
| Black Olive | Terminalia buceras | Non-native | Warblers; flycatchers; orioles |
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Native Status (South FL) | Birds Attracted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoplum | Chrysobalanus icaco | Native | Thrushes; Northern Mockingbird; Gray Catbird |
| Firebush | Hamelia patens | Native | Ruby-throated Hummingbird; orioles; warblers |
| Simpson’s Stopper | Myrcianthes fragrans | Native | Blue Jay; Northern Mockingbird; warblers |
| Marlberry | Ardisia escallonioides | Native | Thrushes; Gray Catbird; vireos |
| Wax Myrtle | Morella cerifera | Native | Warblers; Yellow-billed Cuckoo; Northern Shrike |
| Wild Coffee | Psychotria nervosa | Native | Thrushes; Northern Cardinal; Gray Catbird |
| Dahoon Holly | Ilex cassine | Native | Thrushes; Northern Cardinal; vireos |
| Button Sage | Lantana involucrata | Native | Ruby-throated Hummingbird; warblers |
| Saw Palmetto | Serenoa repens | Native | Thrashers; Northern Cardinal; Common Ground-Dove |
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Native Status (South FL) | Birds Attracted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Creeper | Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Native | Thrushes; Northern Cardinal; warblers |
| Coral Honeysuckle | Lonicera sempervirens | Native | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
| Passionflower (Corkystem) | Passiflora suberosa | Native | Thrushes; orioles |
| Greenbrier | Smilax spp. | Native | Northern Cardinal; Brown Thrasher |
| Bougainvillea | Bougainvillea spp. | Non-native | Northern Mockingbird (nesting); wrens |
| Cape Honeysuckle | Tecomaria capensis | Non-native | Hummingbirds; orioles |
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Native Status (South FL) | Birds Attracted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native Bromeliads (Airplants) | Tillandsia spp. | Native | Warblers; Blue-gray Gnatcatcher; wrens (foraging for insects) |
| Native Orchids | Various species (e.g., Encyclia, Epidendrum) | Native | Warblers; small insectivores (foraging among roots and debris) |
| Resurrection Fern | Pleopeltis polypodioides | Native | Warblers; gnatcatchers (insect foraging) |
| Ball Moss | Tillandsia recurvata | Native | Warblers; vireos (insect gleaning) |
| Spanish Moss | Tillandsia usneoides | Native | Warblers; Northern Parula; gnatcatchers (foraging and nesting material) |
