Planting for Butterflies and Hummingbirds

These lovely and charming visitors are as useful in our gardens as they are beautiful. They are airy and soft, quick and gentle, and everybody loves them. With the right plants in your yard you can encourage them to stay for a while. Let's look at what it takes...

Butterflies in the larval (caterpillar) stage need food plants and adult butterflies need nectar-producing plants. Butterflies enjoy sunny areas that are sheltered from winds, preferably with some water nearby. For all the information you need about butterflies, you will enjoy this site of The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Hummingbirds consume about half their weight in food each day. The flowering plants you will provide them a supply of nectar and insects for protein. They prefer a mix of shade and sun and a blooming period throughout the season. Because hummingbirds may be quite territorial, plant several of each plant in different locations if you can. There are many sites about hummingbirds on the Internet. Here are some pretty good ones with many links and information.

Journey North
Shelbee
Hummingbirds.net
Shelbee Bird Garden

Try to plant the tallest plants in the background and the shortest in the front, it will act as a shelter for one and two will let you have a better chance to view and enjoy them.

Pesticides could be deadly for these gentle creatures, please do not use them. If you attract nature to you, nature will work for you! Butterfly and hummingbird gardens will not only attract these creatures, but others who will feed on unwelcome insects in your garden, which is a wonderful thing to have. A supply of water nearby will be needed if you have no source available. A birdbath, small pond or even a pool will do just fine.

Here are the favorites plants for butterflies:

Food for Larvaes (caterpillars stage)

Plants:
Hollyhock
Snapdragon
Aster
Diascia
Bleeding Heart
Foxglove
Fennel
Sunflower
Lupine
Nasturtium

Vines like:
Passion Vine
Strawberry
Wisteria

Shrubs:
Wild Lilac
Senna
Hibiscus
Ocean Spray
Tree Mallow
Mallow
Coffeeberry
Currants / Gooseberry
Rose
Spiraea
Viburnum

Trees:
Horsechestnut
Birch
Cornus
Dogwood
Crabapple
Pine
Plane Tree
Poplar
Prunus
Douglas Fir
Oak
Willow

Food for Adult Butterflies

Plants:
Jupiter's Beard
Achillea
Lily-of-the-Nile
Snapdragon
Columbine
Butterfly Weed
Aster
Astilbe
Borage
Shasta Daisy
Cereopsis
Cosmos
Delphinium
Dianthus
Purple Coneflower
Sea Holly
Wallflower
Sweet Pea
Lobelia
Monarda
Oregano
Phlox
Sage
Pincushion Flower
Goldenrod
Marigold
Verbena

Shrubs:
Abelia
Buddleia
Wild Lilac
Hebe
Lavender
Honeysuckle
Potentilla
Coffeeberry
Rhododendron
Rhus Trilobata
Currants / Gooseberry
Rosemary
Elderberry
Spiraea
Lilac

Trees:
Acer
Horsechestnut
Apple
Willow

Here are the favorites plants for Hummingbirds:

Plants:
Hollyhock
Columbine
Butterfly Weed
Spider Flower
Montbretia
Delphinium
Foxglove
Gladiolus
Coral Bells
Iris
Cardinal Flower
Lupine
Monkey Flower
Monarda
Geranium
Sage
Veronica
California Fuchsia
Zinnia

Vines and like:
Bean, scarlet runner
Trumpet Vine
Clematis ligusticifolia
Cardinal Climber

Shrubs:
Flowering Maple
Acacia
Strawberry Tree
Buddleia
Calliandra
Wild Lilac
Westurn Redbud
Cestrum
Flowering Quince
Fuchsia
Toyon
Hibiscus
Justicia
Beauty Bush
Lavender
Honeysuckle
Ribes sanguineum & speciosum
Elderberry
Lilac
Weigela

Trees:
Horsechestnut
Silk Tree
Coral Tree
Eucalyptus

Although brightly coloured flowers do attract hummingbirds, nectar content is more important. I have found some sites that have butterfly/hummingbird infos (The Celtic Connection, In The Garden, Melany's Garden, and Eeyore's Thistle Patch) and garden plans (birding.about.com,