Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Let's start with petal color and attracting a specific bird--the hummingbird. Pretty much anything with red flowers will attract them. A few examples are: red columbines (Aquilega canadensis), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), and red trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). The honeysuckle also qualifies as an attractant for its nectar. Plants in the Aster Family have attractive flowers and will also provide seeds for birds. For example, goldfinches are very partial to thistle seeds, such as the native thistles (Cirsium sp.). Another possibility in the Aster Family are native sunflowers. Ornamental native grasses are a great source of seeds for birds as well. They don't usually ripen until late summer or early fall, however. For Zone 6, little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) are all good choices. You might look at the New England Wildflower Societyweb page and check "Native Seeds--Catalog and Advice". They have native plant seeds and plants available to purchase for the New England area. Their descriptions of the plants give information about their wildlife attraction. Also, on that web page you can select "Links" and then select "Native Plant Society Database" to find a list of Native Plant Societies in the US and Canada to look for the Native Plant Society nearest you. For instance, the Connecticut Botanical Society web page has a very good section on "Gardening with Native Plants".