5 Ways to Create a Wildlife-Friendly Garden with Fall Plantings

Autumn might be about indoor cozy prep and pumpkin spice for some, but for me it’s mostly about taking advantage of the perfect conditions to expand upon my garden. ‘Tis the season to include sustainable, localized additions that also help local wildlife gear up for the cooler months ahead. Love to watch the birds? Want more butterflies? Looking to increase biodiversity with lizards and beneficial insects? With the right plant choices, your garden can become a wildlife haven filled with food, shelter, and nesting spots, while also being a buzzing, beautiful sanctuary for yourself too. Not to mention, these additions will thrive with less water and less maintenance, while also being part of a stronger and more diverse ecosystem. From adding shrubs with nutrient-dense seeds and berries to thinking on a micro-scale for the little critters, here’s how to make your landscape wonderfully wildlife-friendly this fall.

1. Seed and Berry Buffets

Nicole Clausing

Create a bird-friendly garden with plants that offer seeds and berries that are a feast for the wildlife and for your eyes. Consider a mix of shrubs, grasses, and trees that pop with color in the fall and provide food well into winter for a visually interesting habitat. Hold back on pruning any seed heads until winter has passed, as small beneficial insects like to nest in the pods.

• Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia): Maybe one of the most beneficial and underrated California natives, this shrub produces vibrant red berries that birds such as robins and cedar waxwings love to snack on while also being a host plant providing larval food and shelter for several species of butterflies and moths. 

• Coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis): This is an excellent low-growing shrub that also provides slope stabilization, and is a vital source of nectar for many native insects, including butterflies, bees, wasps, and flies. It also provides seeds and shelter for birds in the fall and winter. 

• Western red cedar (Thuja plicata): This tree offers both shelter and food in the form of its seed-rich cones.

2. Nesting and Habitat Hideaways

Federica Grassi/Getty Images

Shelter wildlife from the storm by providing year-round protection for birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. For greatest impact, plant dense clusters of shrubs and evergreens that will also function as a living windbreak or privacy hedge.

• California lilac (Ceanothus spp.): This shrub offers dense, evergreen shelter perfect for nesting birds, plus blooms that attract pollinators.

• Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.): With its evergreen foliage and gnarled branches, manzanita is a cozy home for wildlife while providing year-round beauty.

• Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia): A mighty oak offers hollowed-out branches for shelter and its acorns provide food for squirrels and birds.

3. Fall Blooms for Pollinators

Linda Lamb Peters

Grow a bee-and-butterfly bouquet while extending the season for pollinators by planting late-blooming flowers that attract bees and butterflies when other food sources become scarce.

• California fuchsia (Epilobium canum): A fall-blooming native that hummingbirds love for its bright red tubular flowers.

• Goldenrod (Solidago californica): Late-season yellow blooms that offer nectar for bees and butterflies.

• Aster (Symphyotrichum chilense): This Pacific Coast native provides an essential fall nectar source for pollinators.

4. Ground Cover for Small Wildlife

Courtesy of Annie’s Annuals & Perennials

Offer ground-dwelling animals like amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals places to hide and forage by using low-growing plants. Create a lush ground layer under taller plants with a mix of ground covers that also suppress weeds and conserve soil moisture.

• Yerba buena (Clinopodium douglasii): A low-growing native with fragrant foliage that creates a cozy layer for small creatures.

• Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca): This fast-spreading ground cover offers shelter and produces small, wildlife-friendly fruit.

• Creeping Oregon grape (Mahonia repens): An evergreen ground cover that provides berries and dense shelter.

5. Water-Wise Plants for a Sustainable Wildlife Oasis

Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash

For drier climates, plant a heat-loving, low-water garden with native plants that benefit local species while reducing your water usage. This is a great opportunity to play with texture, from silver-foliage sages to low-water grasses, creating a habitat that thrives in every season.

• Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis): A heat-tolerant tree that attracts hummingbirds with its tubular flowers.

• Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis): A native ornamental grass that provides food for seed-eating birds and adds texture to your landscape.

• White sage (Salvia apiana): Its silvery leaves are both drought-tolerant and a magnet for pollinators.