Carla,

It is hard for me to say if the plants that hummingbirds and butterflies love attract more red wasps than I would otherwise see. Living in a rural area, we have a lot of wasps. However, I see them more around the hummingbird feeder than around the plants.

The following is a list of plants ON OUR PROPERTY that attract butterflies and/or hummingbirds. Some of the plants, especially the trees, are natives. In some cases, I have transplanted the natives from their original location to a site closer to the house. There are many other plants that attract butterflies/hummingbirds, but I'm only listing those that I actually have.

It is hard to pick a favorite, because different butterflies need different plants. With the hummers, you can't go wrong with anything that has a tubular blossom and that is red.

Here's the list:

TREES AND SHRUBS:

Desert Willow (Chiplosis linearis)
Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus)
Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Possomhaw Holly (Ilex decidua, I think)
Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin)
Chichasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)
Wild Plum (Prunus americanus)
Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicanus)
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canandensis)
Black Willow (Salix nigra)
Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Hackberry (Celtis spp.)
Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)
American Em (Ulnus americana)
Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthus)
Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria)
Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Sumac (Rhus spp.)
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
Black Willow (Salix nigra)
Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum

VINES:

Honeysuckle 'Pink Lemonade' (Lonicera heckrotti 'Pink Lemonade')
Native Orange Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans)
Hybrid Orange Trumpet Creeper (Campsis x tagliabuana 'Madame Galens')
Yellow Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans 'Flava')
American Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)
Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea)
Morning Glory -- annual flowering plant, many cultivars, including: Grandpa Ott's, Scarlett O'Hara, Heavenly Blue, Split Personality, Blue Star, Crimson Rambler
Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)
Scarlet Runner Bean--annual vine (Phaseolus coccineus)
Purple hyacinth bean (Dolichos lablab) purple

FLOWERS: This is a mix of annuals and perennials, both wildflowers and cultivated varieties.
Basket FLower (Centaurea americana)
Begonia
Blackfoot Daisy, Plains (Melampodium leucanthum)
Blue Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum)
Blue Queen Salvia (Salvia superba)
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Canna spp.
Cleome
Coreopsis lanceolata
Cosmos
Daylily
Dianthus
Dill
Four O'Clocks
Gaura lindheimer
Gaillardiam Red (Gaillardia amblyodon)
Gladiolus
Globe Amaranth
Goldenrod spp.
Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)
Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa)
Lantana spp., including lantana camara and lantana horridus
Liatris (aka Gayfeather, blazing star)
Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea)
Mexican Petunia (Ruellia sp.)
Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia sp.)
Milkweed (Asclepias sp.)(Including green milkweed (Asclepias viridis), Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
Mock Bishop's Weed (Ptilimnium nuttali)
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Nicotiana alata
Nicotiana sylvestris
Partridge Pea (Cassia fasciculata)
Parsley
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Purple Horsemint (Monarda citriodora)
Rose Vervain (Verbena canadensis)
Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)
Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed susan)
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)
Tropical Sage (Salvia coccinea)
Salvia splendens
Scarlet Hibiscus (Hibiscus coccinea)
Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritinum)
Swamp Mallow (The native one with a white flower with a red eye)
Texas Thistle (Cirsium texanum)
Texas Vervain (Verbena halei)
Verbena Bonariensis (Tall verbena)
Wild Phlox (Prairie phlox)
Zinna spp.

There are many common weeds that butterflies are attracted to, including dandelions, clovers, chickweeed, ragweeds, thistles, mugworts, and nettles.

Butterflies that emerge early in late winter or in very, very early spring are attracted to the blooms of fruit trees, like plums and peaches. (And, not much else is blooming that early.)

Some moths and butterflies feed on common vegetables, including cabbage moths that feed on cabbage/broccoli family plants, swallowtails that feed on parsley and dill, and tomato worms that feed on tomato & related plants and turn into hummingbird moths.

There are many, many other plants that attract and feed hummingbirds and butterflies. Remember that you need plants for the larvae to feed upon as well as food sources for the adult butterflies.

Dawn,
Thank you for the informative answer! I have a little more to think about now than just planting a butterfly bush LOL :D
Your property ust look very nice with all those beautiful flowers.
Carla

Carla,

Ir really doesn't have to be complicated to plant a butterfly and hummingbird garden. It starts with planting one plant. Then, everytime you shop for a new plant, ask yourself "Will this plant help the wildlife I'm trying to attract?" Before you know it, you will have a yard that attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife. Sometimes I think we can make it too hard by overplanning.

When I created the butterfly garden at our then-new house in 1999, I was really just trying to create a 'nice view' outside my kitchen window. Since then, I have had countless hours of enjoyment watching the hummers, butterflies and moths as I work in the kitchen. The flowers in bloom are lovely too, but even when nothing is blooming, the neatly mulched low-maintenance bed is still pleasant to view.

Some of the simplest flowers attract tons of butterflies. For example, zinnias are easy to raise from seed, are drought tolerate, and butterflies just flock to them.

And, because I spend a ton of time in my very large vegetable garden, I sneak a lot of plants into it that will attract hummers, butterflies and moths. Every raised bed of vegetables has complanion plantings of herbs and flowers. Nothing fancy, just little plants stuck in here and there. It makes the time spend in the veg. garden more enjoyable for me and for the wildlife.

So, be sure to have fun with it too! A simple butterfly bush underplanted with zinnias, for example, will attract a lot of butterflies. A moonflower vine on a trellis or fence will attract night-flying moths in mid to late-summer. A datura in the ground or in a container near the moonflower will attract even more. You don't have to start out with a big fancy planting. You can start small and add more as you go along. I'm always adding more, and don't ever think of my landscape as 'done' or 'finished', but merely as 'constantly evolving'.

Dawn

Carla/Dawn:

I did not start with wanting to attract bflies or hummers but everything I have tried has been successful, so I guess I did it but was not aware of what I was doing until I came to Garden Web forum. I have an Autumn sedum that will be covered with monarchs during migration. It is great to sit in the backyard and watch and see how close so many of them will come, actually sit on the lawn chair with you.

Thats when I want to wear a long flowing white gown, but a flower laurel on my head and call myself, Mother Nature in training. : ).

It is very rewarding though, you feel like you are actually, in a small way, assisting in the upkeep of Mother Earth.

Carla, have you gardened before or just starting. Dawn has goobs of knowledge and I listen to her. "Dawn, one the few I do listen to to make my garden better" : ).

Also go the butterfly and hummingbird garden forums on this web site. There is some good info, some of it a little technical for me but I enjoy reading it.

Happy Gardening Stephanie

Ah ha! You've hit on my favorite topic! If you're gonna attract butterflies the one thing you simply MUST have, together with the nectar flowers are the HOST PLANTS. I am a certified Monarch Waystation as well. Monarchs need all the help we Oklahomans can give because......we are in the middle of the primary route from south to north in spring and north to south in fall.

Now, Dawn has a lot of host plants for various butterflies, but I don't know if she realizes it or not, so I'll name some of hers first that host various species of butterflies in Oklahoma.

Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)--host plant for Red Spotted Purples, Viceroys, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails

Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)--host plant for Red Spotted Purples

Wild Plum (Prunus americanus)--host plant for Red Spotted Purples
Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicanus) (Red Spotted Purples)

Black Willow (Salix nigra)--host plant for Mourning Cloaks, Red Spotted Purples, Viceroys

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)--Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)--Mourning Cloak

Hackberry (Celtis spp.)--Mourning Cloak; Hackberry Emperor; Tawny Emperor; Snout

Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)--Mourning Cloak; Question Mark
American Elm (Ulnus americana)--same

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthus)--Silver Spotted Skippers

Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria)--Henry's Elfin

Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)--various silk moths

Sumac (Rhus spp.)--Io moth; Regal Moth

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)--Luna Moth; Regal Moth
Black Willow (Salix nigra)--Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, Red Spotted Purple

Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum--hummingbird clearwing sphinx moths

VINES:

Honeysuckle 'Pink Lemonade' (Lonicera heckrotti 'Pink Lemonade')--hummingbird clearwing sphinx moths

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) (host plant for Monarch Butterflies, as well as other Asclepias species)

Canna spp.--skippers

Cleome (common checkered skipper; cabbage white butterfly)

Dill (host for Black Swallowtail)

Four O'Clocks (host for white-lined sphinx moth)

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) (host plant for Painted Ladies)

Mexican Petunia (Ruellia sp.) (host plant for Buckeye butterfly)

Milkweed (Asclepias sp.)(Including green milkweed (Asclepias viridis), Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), asclepias syriaca (common milkweed); asclepias verticillata (whorled milkweed); asclepias exaltata (poke milkweed); asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed); asclepias viridis (spider milkweed); asclepias sullivantii (prairie milkweed); asclepias latifolia (broadleaf milkweed); and asclepias asperula (antelope horns). These are all perennial. Asclepias curassavica is a very showny annual that can be grown from direct sown seed and is the Monarch's favorite host plant.

Nicotiana alata (tomato and tobacco sphinx)
Nicotiana sylvestris (tomato and tobacco sphinx)

Partridge Pea (Cassia fasciculata) (sulphur butterflies)

Parsley (Black Swallowtail)

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) (Black Swallowtail)

Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed susan) (silvery checkerspots)

Texas Thistle (Cirsium texanum) (Painted Ladies)

Dawn - you go girl!

Other suggestions for host plants include:

Rue (both the Giant Swallowtail and Black Swallowtail use this as a host)

False nettle (doesn't have the stinging hairs and hosts the Red Admirals, Question Marks, Eastern Comma)

Snapdragons (Buckeyes)

Pipevines (aristolochia macrophylla or durior, a. serpentaria, a. tomentosa, a. clematitis) will host the pipevine butterflies; macrophylla and tomentosa are native)

Spicebush (lindera benozoin) - spicebush swallowtail; or
Sasafrass for the same.

Passion vines (Passiflora ceurulea or incarnata or their hybrids like Incense, Lavendar Lady) - host for the Gulf Fritillary

Wild violets - host plant for variegated fritillary

Sunflowers - gorgone and silvery checkerspots; pearl crescents

Verbesina enceliodes (cowpen daisy)--GREAT nectar and host for the Bordered Patch - a gorgeous little butterfly)

Nectar Plants:

Butterfly bush (buddleia davidii cultivars - don't get the Nanho series)

Swamp hibiscus (Texas Star) - great for hummingbirds and sulphur butterflies

Salvias - all are great

Lavendar - my butterflies love it!

Asters (bloom in late summer-fall)

Mexican Flame Vine

Tithonia (can get seed at Wal-mart)

As many natives as you can get in your yard, the better!

Susan

Monarch Watch offers a seed kit for attracting Monarch butterflies with the following varieties included: butterfly weed, showy milkweed, common milkweed, swamp milkweed (incarnata and pulchra), tropical milkweed, prairie blazingstar (liatris), floss flower (blue horizon ageratum), purple coneflower, tithonia torch (mexican sunflower), super giant mixed zinnia, and verbena.

Many of these can be purchased as plants at local nurseries. The milkweeds are very invasive and reproduce by the zillions, so you may want to capture the seed pods as they develop. As for butterfly bush, they never did much for me and I finally dug them all up. Have not noticed that the above flowers attract more wasps, either, but they do attract bees, which I think is a good thing. Good luck! Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Monarch Watch

Stephanie,
I have been vegetable gardening or about 5 years now. I am really wanting to get more creative and have a beautiful front yard. I have been reading off and on here for about a year now. I really enjoy garden web.
LOL I found the hummingbird forum after I posted my question :D I have been lurking there since then.

Yall have a good weekend!
Carla

Stephanie, Thank you so much for the kind words. I am glad to know that I offer some helpful information. I learn so much from all of you, too, you know!

Susan: I was hoping you'd respond to this post as you know so much about which plants attract which butterflies! :) I sort of know which plants attract which butterflies, moths and cats, but not in depth the way that you do!!!

And, I don't think anyone has directly mentioned this....and it seems obvious, but I'll say it anyway: it is pointless to attract wild creatures of any sort to your yard if you are going to expose them to dangerous chemicals. Go organic for the sake of the wildlife you enjoy watching. You won't regret it. (If the rest of y'all want to see Susan and I go off on a tangent about working with nature in a natural way, just wind us up and let us go. We've both been known to get on our soapbox now and then with regards to chemical-free gardening.) lol

If you are want to attract butterflies, remember that they need to drink water too. They love a little puddle of mud/water here and there. When it is dry, I turn on the hose and make them a mud puddle every day.

And hummingbirds love to fly through the mist of a sprinkler or one of those porch/patio misting systems. I turn on my misting system for them daily during the hot months.

I enjoy these 'conversations' that we share so much. It is like living in a neighborhood of people who have very similar interests, except our neighborhood is electronic. When life gets very busy and I am away from the computer for a long time like I was last year during the massive wildfires, I really, really, really miss y'all.

Dawn

Carla, we all help each other. It is nice to have someone on line you can discuss and learn from such as this forum. Some of the other websites I have visited in regard to gardening can get kind of "katty" with each other or just simply ignore you cause you asked a question that was answered in a forum six years ago. Hope you enjoy visiting with us.

Dawn, I hope we dont have the same situation this year with wildfires. I think half of Seminole county burned. We flew in from California during that period and it was very frightening to see the land blackened and the smoke in the air. Lets hope we get some rain. I have waited all week, and nothing! A sprinkle and some lightening and thunder and nothing! Ponca should be in good shape though and Woodward.

Susan, what are the black butterflies with the blue spots. I want to say a swallowtail but I really dont know. Help.

Have a good day tomorrow. Steffie

Carla,

I agree with Steffie that we have lots of nice people on this forum and we seldom get catty with one another. That's one of my favorite things about this forum, too.

Steffie,

This year we have had a few little wildfires, but none of them have been big raging monsters like we saw last year, so I am very optimistic.

We have had lots and lots of motor vehicle accidents, and quite a few more residential fires than usual. And, in fact, quite a few more aircraft incidents during the past year. It's been about three years since we had a 'quiet' fire year, but I'm hoping for one in 2007. (Since my DH is our volunteer fire dept.'s chief, and my DS is a professional firefighter, maybe that is too much to ask for. We don't have a single day in this household where there is no discussion of fires/firefighters/fire equipment, fire news, etc.).

I am happy to report there has never been a fire of any type in my garden. LOL

And, on a fire-related topic, son's girlfriend was visiting for the weekend. He took her into the guest room and spent a great deal of time showing her how to exit from the upstairs room in the event of fire. Told her where the upstairs fire extinguisher is. She was rolling on the floor laughing. Then she realized he was quite serious. I told her to just get used to it. :)

You don't have to be crazy to live here, but it helps.

Dawn

Carla: I'm just getting to growing host plants on purpose, except for some parsley I've let grow for several years. But last year was a wonderful year for butterflies in my garden. In the fall I spent a Sunday morning being absolutely mesmerized by all the butterflies in my front yard...it made me late for church :) I took a million pictures!

One tree I haven't noticed anyone mentioning is Chaste Tree (vitex) The monarchs really loved mine.

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Butterfly Convergence - Oct 2006

OH wow! What a nice picture than you for sharing that Lisa!

This weekend I bought several packages of different colored Morning Glories and some Cleome Seeds.
However I have talked the husband into helping me buid an area dedicated to butterflies complete with a nice watering hole! And a bench for me! YAY!

Lisa, I'm so glad you posted that pic of the Chaste tree (vitex), because we've been discussing it on the Butterfly Forum. Some say it doesn't attract butterflies at all in their region, and some say sit does. Apparently it does in Oklahoma. Glad to know that.

Stephanie--hmmmmmm. Without a photo it's difficult. Could be a female tiger if seen early in the season, between now and May. Also could be a spicebush swallowtail, or a black swallowtail. In any event, it is a swallowtail. Eastern Tiger swallowtails feed on cottonwood, willow, black cherry, and other trees. Spicebush swallowtails feed on spicebush (lindera benzoin) or Sasafrass trees, or laurels like Red Bay. Black swallowtails feed on anything in the apiaceae family, like dill, carrots, fennel, parsley. They also eat Rue. Rue also hosts giant swallowtails, too, so I grow it.

There are many other plants in the apiaceae family that I am trying, like angelica and zizia. They are also said to feed on Bishop's weed (aegopodium), also in the apiaceae family - the groundcover that grows rampant? I really want to try that because I have an area in my yard where absolutely nothing will grow.

Other apiaceae members include Queen Anne's Lace, astrantia, eryngium, heracleum (cow parsnip) and many others.

I ditto what Dawn said about pesticide-free gardening. If you use pesticides, don't expect to see many caterpillars in your garden. I like to allow Mother Nature to work her wonders. If you have bad bugs in the garden, the beneficials will come to take care of them (like ladybugs to aphids). I always find some new interesting bug or insect every year. Fascinating!

Carolyn - where have you been? We've missed you.

Susan

I really enjoy this forum, and have checked it over the winter a few times but it seemed very quiet, so I just lurked. Not much going on then in my garden either! I appreciate this thread because I'm considering turning my veggie garden into a butterfly spot. Since my mom passed away last summer, veggie gardening isn't as much fun alone. I've got the Monarch Watch seeds and two large packages of wildflower seeds. I may just rake and scatter and see what happens! It's so great to be outside again and enjoying this beautiful springtime - and hoping the rain and damp weather continue and keep the fires away! Also makes for happy, happy plants! Happy Gardening to all! Carolyn

I have two "victoria blue salvia" and the are about 4ft tall and 3 ft diameter each. They have lasted 2 years so far. I get humming birds, butterflies, and hummer-moths at mine. I also throw used fruit scraps(whole bananas, watermelon)in with it. the butterflies swarm.... Not to many H-birds this year. But plenty of beautiful butterflies......

I think I had this for a couple of years, and it did attract lots of hummers and butterflies and moths. I just planted a new Salvia 'Black and Blue' this year because the butterfly people suggested it for both hummers and butterflies. I also have the Salvia Texas Sage with pink/white blooms, and the Sulphurs just love it.

The butterflies that like the fruit plates are Question Marks, Commas, Red Admirals, Mourning Cloaks, Hackberry and Tawny Emperors because they are not strict nectaring butterflies like the Monarchs, Swallowtails, Sulphurs, etc.

We are inundated with lots of butterflies this year. I have raised close to 60 Question Marks, a couple of Hackberry Emperors, Silvery Checkerspots and Bordered Patches, Black Swallowtails, and Pipevine Swallowtails. I raised about 5 Nessus sphinx and one Eumorpha Achemon sphinx that feed on my Virginia Creeper (a very valuable wildlife plant for birds and moths).

Last year, my friend, Linda, said she had the migrating Monarchs all over her verbesina enceliodes (Golden Crownbeard), so she gave me a seedling. I've also got 3 different hardy lantanas, pentas lanceolata (a sphinx moth host plant), milkweed (tons of it for the Monarch larvae), Joe Pye Weed (in full bloom right now), two passion vines (Blue Crown and incarnata 'Incense', and the mama Gulf Frit just laid about 50 eggs on them), Wild Senna, Partridge Pea, Sunflowers, verbena bonariensis, annual red verbena, fennel (green and bronze), Zizia aurea (for the Black Swallowtails, too), my Rue that I've grown for several years, and several pipevine species, Aristolochia macrophylla (big leaf), A. tomentosa, A. clematitis, and A. serpentaria, veronica, lavendar 'Provence', catmint, Marigolds, lots of zinnias, Salvia pink flowering perennial, Mexican Flame Vine (a real nectar favorite), yellow coneflower, pale coneflower, cosmos (the Orange is blooming its head off right now), phlomis tuberosa, cleome, agastache foeniculum, and tons of other stuff, all crammed into my tiny front yard.

I saw one hummingbird early in the season, but haven't seen any since. I usually see them when they migrate south later in summer-early fall.

Sometimes the butterflies that like rotting fruit, dung, and tree sap, will use the hummer feeders, too. Have you seen that happen?

Susan

Susan,
I'm not sure if you saw my question on another thread so I'll ask again here. I keep seeing a VERY large butterfly in our yard. Actully not IN the yard, he does a fly-by daily, but never lands. I'd like to find out what it is and what types of host and nectar plants will attract it to MY yard.

It looks a lot like Monarch, except it's yellow instead of orange, and close to twice the size of a Monarch. It has the black veins and edges.

If you know what this might be plesae let me know so I can try to add some plants that will attract more of them.

Courtney

Courtney,

Does it look like the butterfly in the link below?
Let me know if it does, and I'll tell you what they like in our garden and yard.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly

No, I don't think that's it. Although it is possible. :)) I think the one that I see is missing the tail. I've looked on all sorts of websites, but I can't find it. With it's wings fully opened, it's about the size of my open hand. It's HUGE!

Courtney

Courtney,

Did you and Susan discuss whether it might be a zebra swallowtail?

If it is not an Eastern Black Swallowtail, I don't know what it is.

When they are nectaring in the flowerbeds, they especially like the zinnias and verbena bonariensis, but they seem willing to nectar at many different plants. They also like lots of wildflowers, like goldenrod, purple coneflower, coreopsis, milkweed, Joe Pye Weed and Ironweed.

The swallowtails seem to be attracted to many, many shrubs and trees including cottonwoods, willows, cherries, butterfly bush, vitex, and lots more. They also like anything in the carrot famiy, including carrots (they bloom the second year), parsnips, fennel, Queen Anne's Lace, and also parsely, rue and celery.

If your butterfly isn't an Eastern Black Swallowtail, and it isn't a Zebra Swallowtail, maybe it is a Zebra Longwing, although the few I have seen are more white and black than yellow and black.

Dawn