These flowers seem to have drawn a lot of attention from bees and hummers. Larkspur Campanula coral bells salvia dianthus pink penstemon columbine I planted Scarlet Bugler Penstemon just for the hummingbirds. It's not the most attractive plant but it is a magnet for hummingbirds. What do they like most in your gardens?
The hummingbirds love salvia greggii (aka Autumn Sage), Crossvine, zinnias, and Mexican Petunias (ruellia). The butterflies like all of the same for nectar, and also use the rue, Wafer Ash trees, dill, parsley, and Passionvine as host plants. We also have a good crop of milkweed for the Monarchs when they pass through, but that's in the pasture and Mother Nature takes care of the planting!
I was going to mention zinnias also... I have 4 50' rows of them and they have certainly attracted the bees, hummers and butterflies. Yesterday I saw my first monarch on the zinnias, hooray....
I never knew that zinnias attracted humming birds. Good to know and I'll file that one away 'til next spring. Love the hummers.
Abutilon, flowering maple Acanthus, Achillea, yarrow Aeschynanthus, lipstick plant Agapanthus africanus, Agastache, Aguilegia formosa, western columbine Alcea rosea, hollyhock Aloe maculata, Alstroemeria, Peruvian lily Angelonia, Antirrhinum, snapdragon Asclepias tuberosa, butterfly weed Asclepias, various, any = milkweed Aster, Begonia, Bletilla, Buddleia, butterfly bush Calibrachoa, million bells Callicarpa americana, beautyberry bush Callistemon rigidus, stiff bottlebrush Calotropis, Camellia japonica Campsis radicans, trumpet creeper Cannas, Catharanthus roseus, Madagascar periwinkle Ceanothus americanus, New Jersey tea, CA lilac Centranthus ruber, Jupiter's beard Cephalanthus occidentalis, buttonbush Chaenomeles Flowering Quince Chrysothemis pulchella, sunset bells Cleistocactus, monkey tail Clematis heracleifolia, Clematis virginiana, virgin bower Cleome hassleriana, spider flower Clerodendrum paniculatum, Pagoda Coleus, (Solenostemon, yeah right, NO!) Anyway, both hummers and b'flies love the flowers on these! Coreopsis, Crocosmia, cardinal flower Cuphea, cigar flower Curcuma, Dahlia, Delphinium, Delphinium, larkspur Dianthus, pinks, sweet William Dicentra spectabilis, bleeding heart Digitalis, foxglove Echinacea, coneflower Echium candicans, Eupatorium, Joe pye Flaveria linearis, Fuchsia, Gladiolus, Hamelia patens, firecracker shrub Heliconia, Heliotrope, Hemerocallis, daylily Hesperaloe parviflora, false yucca Hesperis, dame's rocket Heuchera sanguinea, coral bells Hibiscus syriacus, rose of Sharon Hosta, Hoya, Hyssop, Impatiens balsamina, jewelweed Impatiens capensis, jewelweed Ipomoea coccinea, red morning glory Ipomoea multifida, cardinal climber Ipomoea purpurea, morning glory Ipomoea quamoclit, cypress vine Ipomopsis rubra Standing cypress, Texas plume, Red Texas star, Red gilia Jasminum, Jasmine Justicia brandegeeana, shrimp plant Kalanchoe luciae, flapjack plant Kniphofia, red hot poker Kohleria, Lantana, Lavendula, lavender Liatris, Lilium, lilies Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower Lobelia siphilitica, blue lobelia Lonicera sempervirens, honeysuckle Lupine, Lychnis, rose campion Malva, rose mallow Manzanita, Maranta, prayer plant Mentha, mint Mimosa, invasive tree in parts of the world, but good to know it has this quality Mirabilis jalapa, 4'o'clocks Monarda, beebalm Nepeta, catmint Nicotania silvestris, Nicotiana alata, flowering tobacco Ocimum basilicum, Basil Odontonema strictum, firespike Passiflora, Pelargonium, annual geraniums Penstemon, beardstongue Pentas, Petunia, petunia Phaseolus coccineus, scarlet runner bean Phlox, Phygelius, cape figwort Physostegia, obedient plant Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender', Plumbago, Rhipsalis, Rhododendron, azalea Ruellia, Mexican petunia Salvia, sage Saponaria, soapwort Saponaria officinalis, bouncing bet Scabiosa, pin cushion flower Schlumbergera, Thanksgiving cacti, Christmas cacti Senna bicapsularis, Christmas Senna, host for Cloudless Sulphur Caterpillar Sidalcea, prairie mallow Silene, Spaghneticolia trilobata, creeping daisy Streptocarpus saxorum, Streptocarpella Trachelospermum jasminoides, Confederate jasmine Tropaeolum majus, nasturtium Tropaeolum peregrinum, canary creeper vine Verbena, Veronica, Vitex, wild grape Weigela, Wisteria frutescens, American Wisteria Zinnia,
Wow, that is quite a list! I've spent quite a bit of time looking them up to see what they are. I have quite a few listed that are hardy in my zone but I've made a wish list of others and some of the annuals also. Thank you VERY much for the list, Purpleinopp.
I don't watch for butterfly's as much as my beloved Hummingbirds. For the Hummers I have Salvia, 4 Oclocks, Penstemon, Petunia, Fuschia, Lantana, Crocosmia, Phlox, Lilac, Liatris, Veronica, and Hosta's. I also make sure to plant lots of red to attract them.