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Looking for plants for hummingbird and butterflies

Posted by jacquelynm 4a (My Page) on
Sat, Aug 21, 10 at 16:31

Hello,
I am just getting into planting in the garden and have decided I want to make a garden for the butterflies and hummingbirds. I am looking to find the right perennial plants for my area that will also be hardy and forgiving of a first time gardener. Any suggestions would be wonderful.


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Looking for plants for hummingbird and butterflies

Hummers seem to be attracted to a lot of different blooms, both annual and perennial. I see them mostly at petunias and callibroacha, but the best thing is seeing them sipping from each individual flower of heuchera plants. One of my heucheras is at the window level of our basement rec room and i've often seen them at the flowers. So heuchera would be my #1 recommendation. :)


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RE: Looking for plants for hummingbird and butterflies

I second the coral bells(heuchera) The hummers love them here and come back again and again. My husband remarked that there must be a lot of nectar in them. Hummers prefer tubular plants in red or dark pink. but I have seen them come for any dark color and flowers that aren't tubular--like my geraniums.

Monarda( bee balm) is a good plant to attract bees butterflies or hummers. Actually just lots of flowers attracts them both as well as a place to get a drink of water. The hummers show up here before the flowers are blooming and stay all summer. I do have lots of flowers.


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RE: Looking for plants for hummingbird and butterflies

The butterflies and humming birds love my butterfly bushes, ragosa roses, bee balm, and cat mint. All of which are easy first time plants. Just plant them and make sure you mulch them well.


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RE: Looking for plants for hummingbird and butterflies

I don't have a lot of butterflies, but do have lots of bees. They love nepeta (cat mint), lythrum, verbascum (sorry to disappoint you, bees, but that stuff is on its way out! LOL), and bee balm (monarda) - oh, and hollyhocks!


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RE: Looking for plants for hummingbird and butterflies

I also recommend bee balm (monarda) and would add butterfly weed (asclepia tuberosa), autumn joy sedum, yarrow to name a few. Lilacs also attract butterflies although newly planted shrubs take a few years to flower.

Living in Northern Ontario I also incorporate wildflowers into my beds which the bees and butterflies love, ie Joe Pye weed, goldenrod, asters.


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