9 Bird-Attracting Plants to Grow in October

There’s more than one way to attract birds to your garden. Perhaps you’d like to watch them feed, or you simply want to help your local ecosystem. Attract them with food and shelter, and they’ll return to your garden year after year.

Some birds migrate for the winter, heading south to warmer weather. Others stay in place to brave the winter season. October is a great time to help both types of birds. Migratory species will visit along their routes, and overwintering birds will use your garden for shelter. 

Choose late-blooming shrubs and fruiting trees as bird-attracting plants for October. They’ll feed hungry birds, and their branches will give them a place to rest. Whether you garden on an apartment balcony or a giant homestead, there’s a plant on this list for every gardening situation.

Brodie Eastern Red Cedar

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Brodie Eastern Red Cedar

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Peggy Martin Climbing Rose

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Peggy Martin Climbing Rose

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Double Knock Out® Rose

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Freeman Maple

	botanical name Acer × freemanii
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 45-70’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Silver maples are giant, quick-growing trees native to the eastern U.S., and red maples are strong, sturdy trees that share a similar native range. When the two share pollen, they create the Freeman maple. These bird-attracting plants are stunning in October and phenomenal in the home garden.

The tree’s leaves turn vivid shades of red in the cool months when the days are shortening. They’ll stand out amongst the yellows, oranges, and browns of the fall season. 

Freeman maple attracts birds with its seeds. It also attracts moths, which in turn lure hungry birds that want to feed on their larvae. You’ll also notice pollinators on the blooms in spring, and squirrels going up and down the tree’s limbs. 

Vine Maple

	botanical name Acer circinatum
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 10-25’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Vine maple fills the forests of the western U.S. with vine-like branches and graceful foliage. The tree is quite stunning, and it’s perfect for shady West Coast gardens. It’s a native species that attracts birds with the promise of food, shelter, and a nesting site. 

Like the Freeman maple, the vine maple attracts songbirds and small species with its seeds. The small critters may nest on the branches, and they’ll use them to rest mid-flight.

In the fall, the leaves turn from green to brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. For best results, plant these bird-attracting plants in October and provide some shade with plenty of water. It appreciates consistently moist and well-drained soil that’s rich in nutrients.

Pineapple Sage

	botanical name Salvia elegans
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-5’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Pineapple sage fills your garden with a lovely pineapple-like smell. It’s an herb in the sage genus, and it produces giant spikes full of red blossoms. These tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, as hummingbirds love tubular red flowers.

Scarlet bee balm is a similar species with aromatic leaves and red blooms, and it, too, attracts hummingbirds. You can’t go wrong with scarlet-flowered native plants! Consider making a dedicated hummingbird garden with scarlet bee balms, pineapple sages, and scarlet runner beans. 

Pineapple sage is not frost-tolerant. It’ll die back when frosts and hard freezes arrive. Take cuttings and overwinter them indoors, then plant them outdoors next spring to grow them again.

Douglas Fir

	botanical name Pseudotsuga menziesii
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 40-80’
	hardiness zones 4-6

The Douglas fir is a giant evergreen conifer that’s often used as a Christmas tree. In its native range, it’s a crucial species for local wildlife. Douglas fir trees provide shelter, food, and protection for at-risk populations along the West Coast.

This tree works well in inland areas as well as coastal ones. It reaches impressive heights, but it doesn’t spread too wide. It’s the perfect bird-attracting plant for October in the back portion of the yard away from the house. 

I have a Douglas fir in my backyard. I’ve seen and heard brown creepers, western screech-owls, and chickadees on its trunk and in its cavities. Plant one in your yard and you’ll surely attract birds in no time, as they love eating the seeds from its cones. 

Eastern Red Cedar

	botanical name Juniperus virginiana
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 30-40’
	hardiness zones 2-9

Eastern red cedar is the ideal bird-attracting evergreen conifer for the eastern U.S. It retains its fragrant leaves year-round, providing cover for birds, squirrels, and other small creatures. Not only is it good for the ecosystem, but it’s adaptable and easy to grow in home gardens.

Eastern red cedar trees feed hungry bird species with their fruits. They’ll peck them from the branches year-round, not just in October.

Your garden’s conditions will influence how well this tree grows. It’ll stay like a bush in poor soils, and it’ll grow taller in garden loam or moist earth. It dislikes soggy soil, but it appreciates consistent moisture during the growing season. 

American Crabapple

	botanical name Malus coronaria
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15-30’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Crabapples are lovely fruit trees for the home landscape and ideal bird-attracting plants for October. There are many different kinds, and the American crabapple is one of the most widespread. It fills wild landscapes of the eastern U.S. with spring blooms, color-changing leaves, and tiny crabapples that birds and small mammals eat in the fall. 

Plant the American crabapple if you live in cold or humid portions of the eastern states. In the West, try the western crabapple, Malus fusca. It performs better with the cool, moist winters that are common near the coast and the Pacific Northwest. 

The American crabapple also hosts small critters through the winter with its strong branches. Bird species and small mammals will nest in the nooks and crannies of the limbs. 

Red Elderberry

	botanical name Sambucus racemosa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-12’
	hardiness zones 3-7

Red elderberries, like crabapples, grow fruits that birds love to eat. The plants are deciduous shrubs rather than trees, and they attract wildlife in their natural habitat. Plant them in wet areas of the yard where the soil stays moist during the growing season. 

The red elderberry spreads through seeds and suckers. The suckers will create dense thickets if you let them grow. If you prefer a single or small multi-stem elderberry, simply snip the suckers when they’re young and tender. 

Similar to crabapples, red elderberries are attractive to wildlife but sour if you try to eat them raw. Cook them into jams, syrups, and preserves if you’d like to taste them. 

Scarlet Runner Bean

	botanical name Phaseolus coccineus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6-15’
	hardiness zones 7-11

This vegetable crop feeds both birds and gardeners! Its scarlet flowers are attractive to hummingbirds, and the resulting bean pods and beans are tasty when cooked. The flowers are edible, too, though I prefer to leave them for the hummingbirds and bumblebees. 

Unlike most beans, scarlet runner beans sprout vines from a perennial root structure! Sprouts will reappear annually in the spring in regions with mild winters. 

In all other areas, grow these October bird-attracting plants as summer annuals instead. They’ll thrive under the heat of summer, and they’ll help wildlife as they flourish. 

Rose Bush

	botanical name Rosa spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-8’
	hardiness zones 4-11

Roses are superb for beautifying the landscape and attracting bird species. They add floral charm with their blooms, and their fruits, called hips, are ornamental during October and the winter. Any standing hips are a food source for our feathered friends.