If you’re wanting to attract butterflies and/or hummingbirds to your yard, there are many shrubs and flowers to choose from, regardless of your experience with gardening. Reds, blues, and yellows are common colors that these petite pollinators tend to love, and they should be thoughtfully incorporated into your garden design.
Plants that Attract Butterflies
There are over 200 species of butterflies in Florida and you can imagine how amazing it would be to have even a handful of them visit your garden for a good meal and a relaxing afternoon. You’ll need to choose flowers with bright colors and adult nectar sources, create shelter to protect them from heavy rains and predators, and provide access to clean water.
Here are some great options of plants that are known to attract butterflies:
Agapanthus
Black-Eyed Susan
Blanket Flower/Gaillardia
Buddleia/Butterfly Bush
Cone Flower/Echinacea
Coral Honeysuckle
Crossandra
Dill
Hibiscus
Jatropha
Lantana
Maui Ixora
Milkweed
Parsley
Passion Flower
Pentas
Plumbago
Porterweed
Salvia
Walters Viburnum
Plants that Attract Hummingbirds
Of the 16 species of hummingbirds in the United States, only about 3 species are found in Florida, with the red-throated hummingbird probably being the most commonly spotted. Hummingbirds have a difficult time getting the amount of food they require from flowers alone, so including feeders in your design will both attract and keep them around for a while. However, flowers are what will initially draw them to your garden.
Here is a list of trees, shrubs, and flowers that can attract hummingbirds in Florida:
Agapanthus
Bottle Brush
Buddleia/Butterfly Bush
Cigar Plant
Coral Honeysuckle
Firebush
Firecracker Plant
Jatropha
Maui Ixora
Milkweed
Salvia
We carry most of these plant varieties at our farm throughout the year, however there may be times when some plants are not in stock. Stop by or give us a call to see how we can help you with your Butterfly Garden plans.
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