What to Plant for a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden

When planting a butterfly and hummingbird garden, keep in mind that native plant species attract native wildlife. That is just common sense, but native plants are also easiest to maintain, and native perennials will come back every year. Another important feature of a wildlife garden is water. A shallow birdbath will not only attract all kinds of birds, but beneficial insects and butterflies will also take advantage if it. A few smooth stones on the side of the birdbath will help some of the smaller insects get access to the water.

Sometimes it takes a year or so before your garden becomes a real wildlife showplace. The birds need to find it, but once they do, they'll return every year. You can supplement the available wildlife shelter and plantings by adding songbird houses and supplemental feeders. Supplemental hummingbird feeders are important because once the hummingbird migration begins in the fall; there won't be enough flowers in your yard to feed them all no matter how much you plant. Hummingbird food can be made by adding 4 parts water to one part granulated sugar. It's best to boil it first, then let it cool down before adding to the feeders so it will be sterilized. Change at least once a week, as the sugar water in a hummingbird feeder can turn bad quickly in hot weather.

Trees and shrubs to plant for birds and butterflies are: Abelia, Althea, Azeleas, American Beautyberry, Bottlebrush, Butterfly Bush, Cape Honesuckle, Dogwood, Eucalyptus, Indian Hawthorne, Firebush (Hamelia) Flame Acanthus, Flowering Quince, Lantana, Persimmon, Pyracantha, Redbud, and Viburnum.

Perennials to plant are: Ajuga, Astilbe, Beebalm, Begonia, Blackfoot Daisy, all blooming Salvias, Cardinal Flower, Fennel, Texas Betony, Columbine, Monarda, Engleman's Daisy, Gregg's Mist Flower, Coreopsis, Dahlia, Daylily, Dianthus, Four O'Clocks, Foxglove, Gaura, Gaillardia, Geranium, Hibiscus, Hollyhock, Mealy Blue Sage, Mexican Heather, Milkweed, Parsley, Penstemon, Petunia, Purple Coneflower, Rudbeckia, Scabiosa, Shrimp Plant, Turk's Cap, and Yarrow.

Easy to grow annuals are: Calendula, Dill, Zinnia, Cosmos, Queen Anne's Lace, Portulaca, Nicotiana, Nasturtium, Globe Amaranth, and Cornflower.

For Vines, try: Virginia Creeper, Carolina Jasmine, Cross Vine, Red Honeysuckle, Morning Glory, Purple Hyacinth Vine, Coral Vine and Passion Vine.

Keep in mind that butterfly larvae are caterpillars and will eat green foliage. They love passion vine, dill, fennel and parsley and will eat them to the ground, in some cases. All the plants will recover, except dill, which burns up in the hot weather anyway. The butterflies will make their cocoons on some plants like Fennel, so don't cut the plants down once they lose their foliage, unless you are sure the caterpillars have moved on.

Pesticides, and even organic pesticides such as BT, are lethal to butterflies and their larva. The best thing for a wildlife garden is to keep out the weeds, water occasionally if needed, then just sit back and enjoy. The plants listed above are generally pest resistant and most are native to the US, so they are used to getting chewed on by our native butterfly larvae and other bugs.

While shopping, you might see plants listed for hummingbirds or butterflies that are not on this list. I eliminated plants that were invasive or non-native. Ask you nursery professional about the invasive potential of certain plants you may be concerned about. Cherry Laurel, Yaupons, Ragweed and even Cedar show up in lists for wildlife plantings but they've escaped and are taking over our countryside and crowding out our native grasses and oaks.

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