Bird Gardens

Gardens featuring plants native to Baja California, Mexico use little water and are low-maintenance. Add an easily-cleaned water basin as an extra attraction for birds in this dry, arid habitat.

Birds you might see here include:
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
White-Crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Black-Chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)

Bottle Palm
Beaucarnia recurvate
This large succulent is native to the semi-desert areas of central to southeastern Mexico. It provides shelter and nesting sites for birds.

Elephant Bush
Pachycormus discolor
This member of the cashew family is endemic to the Baja California, Mexico peninsula. It offers perching and food for small birds.

Elephant Tree
Bursera microphylla
Related to frankincense, this aromatic shrub is found in arid regions of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. It provides perching and food for birds.

Gardens with plants from western North America bloom when the warmth of spring reaches their particular location. Limit sprinkler water and follow the seasons to help migratory birds find food sources as they move from one region to the next.

Birds you might see here include:
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Black-Headed Grosbeak (Pheucticas melanocephalus)

California Coffeeberry
Rhamnus californica
This shrub occurs in a variety of habitats throughout California, the Southwestern U.S., and Baja California, Mexico. Its berries are an important food source for wildlife.

Lindheimer’s Beeblossom
Oenothera lindheimeri
The native range of this plant is from southeastern Texas east into to Louisiana and south into Mexico. It is an important food source for birds and pollinators.

Hummingbird Sage
Salvia spathacea
Native to southern and central California, the attractive flowering spikes of this sage are an important food source for hummingbirds.

Gardens with plants from the Mediterranean climates of Australia and Asia are often successful in Los Angeles with our cool wet winters and warm dry summers. Cut back plants in early autumn to ensure a healthy bloom in spring.

Birds you might see here include:
Bewick’s Wren?(Thryomanes bewickii)
American Robin?(Turdus migratorius)
California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis)

Ohi’a Lehua
Metrosideros collina ‘Springfire’
This flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family is found throughout the Pan Pacific region. It is an important source of nectar for birds and pollinators.

Dwarf Bottlebrush Tree
Callistemon hybrid
Most bottlebrush species occur in eastern Australia, from the tropical north to the temperate south. It is an important source of nectar for birds and pollinators.

Parney’s Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster parneyi
Native to Asia, this shrub adapts to a wide range of conditions. Clusters of small white flowers produce bright red berries in fall and winter–an important food source for birds.

Group plants with similar water needs together for easy care and maintenance. These plants from different regions in Africa all require very little water once established.

Birds you might see here include:
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
Hooded Oriole?(Icterus cucullatus)
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow?(Aimophila ruficeps)

Snowball Viburnum
Viburnum tinus
Native to North Africa and the Mediterranean region of Europe, this shrub prefers shady, moist areas but tolerates dry conditions as well.

Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa farinosa
Native to the hot Mediterranean climate of Tunisia in northern Africa, both birds and insect pollinators are attracted to this shrub’s lavender flowers.

Bird of Paradise
Strelitzia regina
Native to the eastern coast of South Africa, this plant has become a popular landscape selection in dry regions around the world. It is the official flower of the City of Los Angeles.

Some birds migrate across continents. These plants, native to Mexico, Central, and South America, might be familiar to the rufous hummingbird, whose migration takes it from Alaska to Mexico and back.

Birds you might see here include:
Black Phoebe?(Saynoris nigricans)
Dark-Eyed Junco?(Junco hyemalis)
Hermit Thrush?(Catharus guttatus)

Red Powder Puff
Calliandra haematocephala
This densely branched shrub is native to South America. Under the right conditions, it can bloom year round, providing food and shelter for birds.

Sword Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata
This fern is a common landscape plant native to the Americas. It provides birds with hiding areas and nesting materials.

Coahuila Sage
Salvia coahuilensis
This beautiful sage comes from the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental in the province of Coahuila, Mexico. The purple flowers attract hummingbirds and other pollinators.