skip to main content

New to Gardening

starting a new butterfly/hummingbird garden

18 years ago

I am wanting to start a hummingbird/butterfly garden and am needing some help. We have three areas that we planting in: 1) 3'x10' area, 2) 3' diameter around pole, & 3) 12" pot. What perennials will work best in full sun to mostly sunny areas where the soil is Garden Miracle Gro roughly 4" deep in the larger areas?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

gurley157fs
18 years ago
These are some that I have planted in my butterfly garden:
Autumn Joy Sedum
Lantana
Coreopsis
Purple Verbena
Salvia
Phlox
Yarrow
Buddelia (probably didn't spell that right - it's butterfly bush)
The butterflies also love the Dill in my vegetable garden area.
lilleyl2005
18 years ago
The butterfly bush will probably get too big, unless you do a lot of pruning and you start with a young one...With the exception of the coreopsis (which I know nothing about), the others should be able to fit into any of the areas. I've recently planted both verbenas and lantanas, and they all like it sunny and dry--a definite plus!

Lil
Related Discussions
Suggestions on plants for a butterfly/hummingbird garden
Q
Comments (27)
People who garden in different areas of the country will find the butterflies are interested in different plants at various times and in different plants from one year to another. I also think it takes a year or more for the butterflies to find your garden and learn that it is a reliable spot to visit in their quest for food and egg-laying/host plants. I've had my best luck with A. Incarnata, especially the new seedlings and young sprouts. I think the smaller plants are safer from predators due to the lack of blooms. But, my sister lives about 70 miles from me and I found her A. Tuberosa covered in Monarch caterpillars. Now, she didn't have other milkweeds for the Monarchs to choose from, while I had lots of both those two. My garden, with milkweed and lots of nectar plants, had also been established for two or three years, while hers was just getting started. I've found the best thing to do is to provide as great a diversity of plants as possible. Hopefully, if there is something available that they need whenever they show up, they'll return often and have a greater chance at survival. If the weather one year offers some plants an advantage over others, a diverse garden is more likely to have at least something that has survived than a garden with fewer choices. And remember, nature is not in a hurry. It may take several years to put together a really richly varied and constantly blooming butterfly garden. So, be patient and know that every single plant you add will provide benefit to some creature. Happy gardening. Martha
...See More
Starting New Butterfly Garden
Q
Comments (7)
I find that Lowes offers a better selection of clearance plants. At least in this area HD never put anything on clearance. They throw them in the dumpster instead of selling them. The only thing I have so far are a few Yarrows in different colors. I got these from Lowes. I also have some Canna Lilies and that's about all. Someone already promised me a BB, I still need a Black Eye Susan, Rubeckia, Sage, Salvia, Joe Pye Weed. Yes, I would appreciate some milkweed seeds. I have some Gallardia seeds if you would like some,
...See More
Adding New Plants for the Butterflies and Hummingbirds
Q
Comments (4)
High Country Gardens is a great source. I've not bought their agastache, but I bought my allium bulbs from them last fall and the foliage is so much more impressive than from other sources. I grow lots and lots of agastache as it is now my "go to" plant in the deer resistant garden. The butterflies really love the bottlebrush blooms of 'Blue Fortune', 'Golden Jubilee', 'Black Adder' and 'Purple Haze'. The hummingbirds prefer the tubular blooms of 'Salmon & Pink', 'Heather Queen', 'Summer Glow', 'Summer Sky', etc. The swamp milkweed (asclepias incarnata) seems to be preferred by the Monarchs in my garden. I just ordered 10 one gallon pots from a local nursery this past Saturday to increase my supply this year. Their plants are huge and ready to bloom each summer. The honeybees and bumblebees cannot get enough of the milkweed blooms! I collected seeds from all of my milkweeds last year. Most (not all) need cold stratification, so I direct sowed those seeds in November. It will be late May or June before milkweed re-emerges here, so I went ahead and ordered more plants just to be safe. Great link you've provided! Cameron Here is a link that might be useful: Milkweed for Monarchs
...See More
What plants do you suggest for a butterfly/hummingbird garden?
Q
Comments (33)
Bronze fennel seems to be very good host plant for the black swallowtails. I had them lay eggs two years in a row on this. Raised some of them up in the house. My favorite hummingbird plants are Salvia lady in red, Monarda Jacob cline, Fuchsia gartenmeister, red petunia and million bells, zinnia, Mexican sunflower, canna lily, coral honeysuckle, agastache, Firecracker penstemon, and red cypress vine.
...See More
smnsayz
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank you lilleyl2005 and gurley175FS for the advice. I will consider them when choosing my plants.

Thanks,
Bruce
meldy_nva
18 years ago
Buddleia will need to be pruned every winter, but it is a wonderful butterfly draw, and basically trouble-free to grow; most are very tall but there are a few "dwarf" versions. My local butterflies especially like asclepia, nepeta, veronica, all marigolds, red or yellow zinnias, phlox, rudbeckia, salvia, gaillardia (sp), monarda, dill (plant successively), and parsley. Interestingly, although I do have lantana, they will ignore it to go to the marigolds and zinnias.

link is National Wildlife Federation's butterfly info - do check out their list of species-specific plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: NWF butterfly info
flybynyte
18 years ago
Don't forget the coneflowers. I have purple and white. There always seem to be butterflies around them when they are in bloom!

Happy gardening!
phyllis__mn
18 years ago
We had a shortage of Monarch butterflies for a couple of years, due to the death of huge numbers in the southwest, I believe. Anyway, I am doing my part to bring them back! I have Asclepia that are feeding the hungry caterpillars now. I also left the wild milkweed along the edge of the garden for them. Here is a picture of the Caterpillar; isn't he a handsome dude?
smnsayz_yahoo_com
18 years ago
Thanks again to everyone.

Related Stories

EARTH DAY Create a Container Wildlife Habitat for Hummingbirds and Butterflies

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Don’t let limited space prevent you from welcoming wildlife into your garden

GARDENING GUIDES Attract Hummingbirds and Bees With These Beautiful Summer Flowers

By Annie Thornton

Roll out a welcome mat for pollinators to keep your landscape in balance and thriving

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Hummingbird Sage Lures Wildlife With Its Sweet, Fruity Fragrance

By Oakley Gardens

This native California ground cover thrives with little water on grassy slopes, under trees or in patio containers

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Invite Entertaining Hummingbirds Into Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Hummingbirds — unique to the Americas — zip through open landscapes seasonally or year-round. Here’s how to attract them

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Autumn Sage Brings Color and Butterflies

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Whether you live in the arid desert or the humid South, you'll likely find this deer-resistant beauty as irresistible as winged creatures do

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: California Fuchsia Brings Color and Hummingbirds

Set this summer perennial up in a dry and sunny spot for blazing orange or red blooms into fall

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES A Quick-Start Guide to Bird-Watching for Fun and Learning

By Alison Hodgson

Set out some seed and grab your field guide. Bird-watching is an easy, entertaining and educational activity for the whole family

GARDENING GUIDES How to Stop Worrying and Start Loving Clay Soil

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Clay has many more benefits than you might imagine

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Roll Out the Welcome Mat for Hummingbirds With Red Columbine

By Pollination Press LLC

Grow Aquilegia canadensis in eastern perennial gardens or informal woodland plantings for its delicate foliage and uncommon red flowers

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Be a Butterfly Savior — Garden for the Monarchs

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keep hope, beauty and kindness alive in the landscape by providing a refuge for these threatened enchanters

Sponsored

Kuhns Contracting, Inc.

26 Reviews

Central Ohio's Trusted Home Remodeler Specializing in Kitchens & Baths

More Discussions

Graduation project survey

2