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Which Plants attract the most wildlife to your garden?

Jovan Coleman
9 years ago

Planning a wildlife friendly garden that I hope would attract tons of songbirds, lizards, and maybe rabbits (though not so many they devour my plants). I have a list of pomegranate tree, Ironwood tree, Penstemmon, and aloes to start. Wondering what plants you see attracting songbirds, butterflies,etc?

Comments (8)

  • newtoucan
    9 years ago

    Passion fruit vine - butterflies swarmed it. It's eaten down to the stem but fun watching the butterflies.

    Butterfly weed- will have butterflies and chrysalis everywhere in yard.

    Mulch - attracted Abert's Towhee scratching the mulch to find things to eat.

    Water feature- lots of birds stop by the waterfall in my pool and take a drink. Probably not the best water for them but they like it.

  • waterbug_guy
    9 years ago

    I've never seen as much effect on wildlife due to plant selection as I have with garden practices. Most any flowering plant attracts nectar/pollen collectors, but beyond that...

    Leaving leaf litter/seed pods under trees creates a habitat for bugs, from bacteria on up to the larger bugs which birds and lizards eat. Basically composting in place and the birds turn the compost for you.

    Adding water like Toucan said, but water features specifically for wildlife. Like a shallow pan for bird bathing in addition to drinking. That will also provide water for other creatures. Birds don't like cover near the water where cats can hide but they do like branches nearby where they can stage and check for predators before moving to the water.

    And also water in the landscape. Some higher water plants means moist ground, more insects, more food for wildlife. True desert landscapes don't generate a like of life compared to when water is added.

    Rocks/rock piles for lizards, crickets and other bugs. Add some wood in there and some plants on top with added water and you have a good insect producer.

    Shade I think increases insect production and therefore wildlife.

    These things are more a all year. more wildlife type thing. A plant that generates berries for example provide a really short window of food for wildlife while habitat is an all year type thing.

  • lazy_gardens
    9 years ago

    WATER!!!!!

    Ironwood ... flowers attract bees and hummingbirds, beans attract quail (if you leave them where they fell) and large doves, trees used by doves and verdins for nesting.

    Queen's Wreath vine attracts bees, seeds attract quail and doves, vines attract verdins to eat bugs.

    Desert willow blooms attract bees and hummingbirds, seeds used by verdins for nesting, other birds as food.

    Grass attracts hummingbirds because of the gnats that live in it, and attracts blackbirds.

    Peruvian Cereus ... flowers attract bees, ripe fruits attract almost everything as soon as the flickers or thrashers hack the fruit open.

    Creosote ... flowers attract bees, seeds attract quail and doves.

    Peppers and tomatoes - flowers attract bees, caterpillars attract wasps, fruit attracts flickers and curvedbill thrashers

    Mostly it's the whole shebang ... I am not a tidy gardener so there are plenty of fallen leaves and mulch for the towhees and curve-billed thrashers to kick around, twigs for nest-building, something blooming most of the year, seeds left to land wherever.

    I don't use insecticides, so the bugs attract other bugs and bug-eating birds.

  • Fascist_Nation
    9 years ago

    Hope this link helps.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Low Water Using Desert Plants Bird Attractant

    This post was edited by Fascist_Nation on Wed, Nov 5, 14 at 13:18

  • Deeby
    9 years ago

    For rabbits, grass ! But for rabbits have shrubbery for them to hide in from predators.

  • Juttah
    9 years ago

    A mesquite (if you have the room) and wild sunflowers for songbirds, and kidneywood for bees and butterflies.

    The sunflowers and kidneywood have a long bloom season, and the mesquite attracts birds year-round, including migrants passing through.

    A creosote bush is a wildlife magnet also, especially a fat healthy one full of flowers and seeds, which is what you'll get if you put it in full sun and give it an occasional drink of water.

  • Jovan Coleman
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the awesome tips, everyone! I have a lot of plants to add to my list :)

  • SteveF21
    9 years ago

    Butterflies love desert milkweed and lantana. My hummingbirds love hibiscus and Arabian jasmine vines (both require afternoon shade); Cape honeysuckle and chuparosa (both like a lot of sun).

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