Butterfly & Hummingbird Gardens

June 8, 2011

How to attract “friendly” wildlife to your landscape

Hummingbirds and butterflies are delightful garden visitors, fluttering and flying about, adding a dimension of wonder to any landscape. The following are a few tips to help you get started in creating a beautiful butterfly and hummingbird garden where you can enjoy these lovely creatures!

Butterflies

Butterflies need plants for food, and also plants on which they can lay their eggs, called host plants. In general, butterflies like fragrant plants, with bright, bold blooms. They also like blooms that are clustered, or flat-topped, for their good “landing platforms”. It is best to plant a combination of different sizes and colors, as well as plants with different bloom times, so that the butterflies have options all season long. A water source near the plants is beneficial, so fill a shallow saucer with sand and water for drinking and a few flat rocks so that the butterflies can bask in the warm summer sun.

Hummingbirds

The best way to lure hummingbirds to a garden is provide both nectar producing plants and hummingbird feeders. Hummingbirds favor flowers in shades of red, but they like an abundance of flowers in many colors. Narrow, tubular flowers best suit the elongated beak of the hummingbird, which feeds almost constantly. Non-flowering shrubs and trees provide shelter, perching, and nesting spots.

When gardening for either butterflies or hummingbirds, keep pesticide use to a minimum. Remember that butterflies need to start out as caterpillars, so do not be alarmed when you find caterpillars on your plants. Some small insects are beneficial to the diet of hummingbirds, as well.

Butterfly Larvae Host Plants

These are plants that butterflies lay eggs on, and/or larvae feed on.

Perennials

Asclepias (Butterfly Weed)
Ornamental Grasses
Aster (Aster)
Sedum (Stonecrop)
Hosta (Plantain Lily)

Annuals

Daucus (Queen Anne’s Lace)
Trifolium (Clover)
Tagetes (French Marigold)
Viola (Violet)

Shrubs

Althea (Rose of Sharon)
Vaccinium (Blueberry)

Trees

Cornus (Dogwoods)
Prunus (Cherry)
Liriodendron (Tulip Tree)
Quercus (Oak)
Magnolia (Magnolia)
Sassafras (Sassafras)

Herbs

Foeniculum (Fennel)
Petroselinum (Parsley)

Plants that Attract Hummingbirds & Butterflies

** B = Butterfly, H = Hummingbird **

Annuals & Vines

Canna (Canna)- H
Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco)- H & B
Dianthus (Sweet William) – H
Petunia (Petunia) – B
Fuchsia (Fuchsia) – H
Zinnia (Zinnia) – H & B
Impatiens (Impatiens) – H & B
Campsis (Trumpet Vine) – H & B
Lantana (Lantana) – H & B
Clematis (Clematis) – B
Lobelia (Cardinal Flower) – H & B
Lonicera (Honeysuckle) – B
Mirabilis (Four O’Clocks) – H
Wisteria (Wisteria Vine) – B

Perennials

Achillea (Yarrow) – B
Helianthus (Swamp Sunflower) – B
Alcea (Hollyhock) – H & B
Hemerocallis (Daylily) – H & B
Allium (Onion) – B
Heuchera (Coral Bells) – H
Anemone (Anemone) – B
Iris (Iris) – H
Aquilegia (Columbine) – H
Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) – H & B
Asclepias (Butterfly Weed) – H & B
Liatris (Gayfeather) – H & B
Campanula (Bell Flower) – B
Lilium (Lily) – H & B
Centranthus (Red Valerian) – H
Lupinus (Lupine) – H & B
Ceratostigma (Plumbago) – H & B
Lychnis (Lychnis) – H
Chelone (Turtlehead) – H
Monarda (Bee Balm) – H & B
Crocosmia (Crocosmia) – H & B
Nepeta (Catmint) – H & B
Delphinium (Larkspur) – H
Oenothera (Sundrops) – B
Dianthus (Sweet William) – H & B
Penstemon (Beardstongue) – H & B
Dicentra (Bleeding Heart) – H & B
Phlox (Phlox) – H & B
Digitalis (Foxglove) – H & B
Physostegia (False Dragonhead) – H
Echinacea (Coneflower) – H & B
Platycodon (Balloon Flower) – H
Echinops (Globe Thistle) – H & B
Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan) – H & B
Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) – B
Salvia (Salvia) – H & B
Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) – B
Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower) – H & B
Geranium (Hardy Geranium) – B
Sedum (Stonecrop) – B
Guara (Guara) – B
Verbena (Verbena) – B

Shrubs

Abelia (Glossy Abelia) – H
Mahonia (Oregon Grape Holly) – H
Althea (Rose of Sharon) – H
Potentilla (Cinquefoil) – B
Azalea (Azalea) – H
Rhododendron (Rhododendron) – H
Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) – H & B
Spirea (Spirea) – B
Caryopteris (Caryopteris) – B
Syringa (Lilac) – H & B
Clethra (Summersweet) – B
Viburnum (Viburnum) – H & B
Hibiscus (Hibiscus) – H
Vitex (Chaste Tree) – H & B
Itea (Sweetspire) – B
Weigela (Weigela) – H & B
Ligustrum (Privet) – B
Yucca (Yucca) – H

Trees

Aesculus (Horse Chestnut) – H
Prunus (Cherry Tree) – H
Albizia (Mimosa) – H
Robinia (Black Locust) – H
Liriodendron (Tulip Tree) – H
Salix (Willow) – B
Malus (Crabapple) – H