As summer wears on, it’s tempting to cut back flowers that have stopped blooming. But gardening experts say you may want to wait. The dried seed heads on many popular flowers become a natural food source for goldfinches, cardinals, sparrows, chickadees, and other backyard birds—meaning you can attract more feathered visitors without ever refilling a bird feeder.

“So many native flowers provide food for overwintering birds—as long as you leave the flower heads and let the seeds ripen,” says Elise Howard, gardening expert and author of Plant This, Not That: Over 200 Native Plant Swaps for a More Sustainable, Pollinator-Friendly Garden.

“Resist the temptation to cut back your native grasses, too. Their seeds will feed birds and provide protective habitat and cover, too.”

Below, Howard shares her top picks for flowers that provide plenty of seeds and have stems that will stay upright, which are perfect for perching.

Echinacea

purple echinacea flower
Valerie Loiseleux//Getty Images

Also known as coneflowers, these tall plants have large, cone-shaped, spiky seed heads. Once the purple petals fade, the spiky seed head becomes a favorite snack for American goldfinches, house finches, cardinals, and blue jays. Leave the stems standing through fall and winter for the biggest benefit.

Rudbeckia

Black-Eyed Susan in front of a house
Linda Raymond//Getty Images

Howard recommends black- and brown-eyed Susans, which have tiny dark cones that are the perfect size for sparrows, finches, and other small birds.

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Asters

Hardy Blue Aster Flowers Close-up
© Debi Dalio//Getty Images

Asters’ colorful blooms are a favorite of butterflies and bees in late summer and early fall. And in the winter, their fluffy seed heads are a food source for nuthatches, cardinals, finches, and other birds.

Goldenrod

Black-capped chickadee in fall on goldenrod going to seed
Robert Winkler//Getty Images

“Not all goldenrod species are well-behaved in home gardens, but the ones available at native plant nurseries, including zigzag, stiff, and Western varieties, will work well, along with many other widely available goldenrods,” Howard says. Let their seeds dry and you’ll see plenty of goldfinches, sparrows, and chickadees.

It might be tough to leave the garden looking a little scraggly all fall and winter but a flower that looks finished to us is often just getting started from a bird’s perspective.