From My Garden to Yours
Painted Lady Butterfly on Butterfly Bush Butterfly Flowers
Hummingbird Garden Plants
May 30, 2018

Plants for Butterfly Larvae, Butterflies and Hummingbirds

The most beautiful gardens are loaded with insects and adored by birds. Among my favorites are caterpillars, butterflies and hummingbirds. To attract them to your yard, provide plants and trees for their entire life cycle.

There are so many flowers, plants and trees that butterflies and hummingbirds love, that I couldn’t possibly list them all. Below is just a sampling that I have grown in my yard. Birds, butterflies and pollinators love diversity, but they especially appreciate plants and trees that are native to your region. If you’re not sure what is native to your area, do an internet search for the native plant society for your state or region.

Herbs Larvae Butterfly Hummers
Basil
Borage
Chives
Calendula
Cilantro
Dill
Echinacea
Fennel
Hyssop
Lavender – Lavendula
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Savory
Thyme

 

Annuals & Perennials Larvae Butterfly Hummers
Agapanthus
Agastache
Alstroemeria
Alyssum – Lobularia marítima
Aster
Bee Balm – Monarda
Borage
Buckwheat – Erigonum
Candytuft – Iberis
Clarkia
Cleome
Columbine – Aquilegia
Coneflower – Echinacea
Coreopsis
Cosmos
Delphinium
Dianthus
Foxglove – Digitalis purpurea
Fuschia
Gaillardia
Geranium – Pelargonium
Gladiolus
Heliotrope
Heuchera
Hollyhock – Alcea rosea
Impatiens
Jupiter’s Beard – Centranthus ruber
Larkspur
Liatris
Linaria – Linaria purpurea
Lobelia
Lupine – Lupinus
Mallow – Malva
Marigold – Tagetes
Milkweed – Asclepias
Monkey Flower – Mimulus
Penstemon
Pincushion – Scabiosa
Ranunculus
Rudbeckia
Salvia
Santa Barbara Daisy – Erigeron karvinskianus
Sedum
Shasta Daisy – Chrysanthemum maximum
Snapdragon – Antirrhinum majus
Speedwell – Veronica
Strawberry
Sunflower – Helianthus annuus
Thrift – Armeria
Verbena
Wallflower – Erysimum cheiri
Wisteria
Yarrow – Achillea millefolium
Zinnia

 

Ground Covers, Vines, Shrubs, Trees Larvae Butterfly Hummers
Abutilon
Apple
Bluebeard – Caryopteria
Butterfly Bush – Buddleja
Ceanothus
Desert Willow – Chilopsis linearis
Elderberry – Sambucus
Honeysuckle – Lonicera
Lantana
Manzanita – Arctostaphylos
Oak – Quercus
Pine – Pinus
Pipevine – Aristolochia macrophylla or californica
Redbud – Cercis occidentalis
Rose – Rosa
Rosemary – Rosmarinus officinalis
Spirea
Sycamore – Platanus
Texas Ranger – Leucophylum
Toyon – Heteromeles arbutifolia
Willow – Salix
Woolly Blue Curls – Trichostema lanatum

4 Thoughts

  1. Johanna on August 12, 2018

    Do we want larvae. I know the milk weed is yummy for those that turn into beautiful monarchs. But some larvae eat my patunias and tomato plants. Baah!

    • gardening-for-purple on August 15, 2018

      It’s definitely a trade-off. If larvae are eating your petunias and tomato plants, you might want to put in some other plants that they like and you would be willing to sacrifice.

  2. Joann on June 18, 2019

    Red Salvia and Red Zinnias are a hug attraction for Hummingbirds!

  3. gardening-for-purple on June 19, 2019

    Yes, and they are so beautiful! Love salvia and hummingbirds. 🙂

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