Butterfly Nectar Sources

Red Spread Lantana produces clusters flowers that open orange and then darken to deep rich red on a mounding to spreading plant. Lantanas are excellent free flowering perennials that love the heat and the sun. Use Red Spread as a ground cover or allow it spill from large containers. Great for butterflies and other pollinators. Item# 10104

A multitude of upward facing, sleepy, scarlet blooms are born among the soft, dark green foliage from late spring to frost. A hardy and long-lived, spreading to upright perennial, Turk's Cap is an easy to grow heirloom that will flower in sun or light shade. An excellent nectar plant for hummingbirds as well as butterflies. Caterpillar host: Glassy Winged Skipper. Resistant to browsing by deer and moderately drought resistant once well-established. The ripe fruits are readily consumed by birds and other wildlife, along with the occasional curious human. Item# 691.

Dense bottlebrush-like flowers composed of fragrant frilly white to cream colored flowers are produced atop the tips of the bare stems in late winter or early spring. Redneck Nation Fothergilla or Witch Alder is a moderately dense growing small to medium sized deciduous suckering native shrub with showy gray-green and bronze new growth that matures to blue-green in summer and produces fall color in shades of red, orange, and yellow. This species is new to science as of 2020! The the cultivar name is in honor of its original discovery by botanist and naturalist Fred Nation in Baldwin County, Alabama and the species name honors Dr. Ron Miller. Provide an average moist, well-drained, acidic soil in full to partly sunny location for optimum vigor and flowering. Redneck Nation Fothergilla can be used as a low growing and low maintenance informal hedge or as a specimen plant in the garden and landscape as well as in naturalistic settings. Flowers will be similar to those shown although this is an image of Mt. Airy Fothergilla. Item# 12165

Rounded clusters of bright fiery orange flowers from which emerge a bright sunny yellow and orange speckled rolled lip creating a tube for feeding butterflies and hummingbirds. The Reed-Stem Epidendrum is truly one of the easiest to grow and flower orchids that can be grown as an informal groundcover under tropical conditions like zone 10. For us, this rewarding orchid flowers most heavily from spring through summer. Provide a well-drained soil, amend with peat moss in dry, very sandy soils. 4-5 plants per pot. Item# 11585

The show starts in early summer and may last nearly until the first frost with this reliable and fragrant Garden Phlox. It produces large domed clusters of bright purplish pink flowers on tall sturdy stems with mildew resistant, deep green foliage. Phlox is adored by butterflies and hummingbirds alike! Robert Poore is one of only a handful of Garden Phlox cultivars recommended for southern gardens by noted Texas plantsman Greg Grant. Item# 10161

A 2018 Best of the Best Award winner at the UGA Trial Gardens! Dense black spikes of dark tubular calyxes produce 2" deep royal purple tubular flowers beginning in spring or early summer and continuing until fall atop compact plants with rich green foliage. Rockin'® Deep Purple Salvia is a sterileSalvia guaranitica hybrid so it can spend more time and energy producing its nectar rich flowers instead of for maturing seed. A vigorous well-branched habit lends this Salvia for use in medium to large containers as well as in the garden and landscape. The summer long supply of tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, larger butterflies, as well as larger bees. Provide a sunny location in an average moist well-drained fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12104

Large intense red tubular flowers emerge from deep red calyxes in tall spikes throughout the growing season on this vigorous yet compact tropical Salvia hybrid. Roman Red Salvia is similar in form and habit to the popular Wish series but in a vibrant new color! Expect an aerial dogfight when your neighbor's hummingbirds show up for a feast. Suitable for use in medium to large containers as well as in gardens and landscapes. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist well-drained fertile soil. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, all rights reserved. Item# 11986

Deep rose pink, fuzzy tubular flowers are produced in spikes atop the tall stems of this vigorous and free flowering hummingbird magnet! Rosebud Sage is a vigorous and hardy Salvia that begins flowering in early summer and continues into fall on a plant that can easily reach 6' x 6' so allow for plenty of room. A native of Mexico it is a die-back perennial into zone 7 if give protection and a winter mulch. Provide a moderately fertile, well-drained, average moist soil in a full to mostly sunny location for the best results. Item# 11143

Spikes of 1" long deep rosy pink tubular flowers emerge from dark purplish pink calyces beginning in spring and continuing until fall. Rosie Posie Agastache develops into a dense rounded mass of fragrant foliage that is topped by the long-lasting dispaly of colorful flower spikes. The tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. The neat habit of this Agastache lends it to use as a container plant as well as in gardens and landscapes. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions for optimum vigor and flowering. Image courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc. Item# 11910

Clusters of bright golden yellow upward facing daisies are produced atop sturdy stems emerging from the rosettes of rounded low growing deep green foliage in early(8B) to late spring or early summer(3) depending on your cold hardiness zone. Roundleaf Golden Groundsel, Packera obovata, is very similar to the cutleaf Golden Groundsel, Packera aurea, but is more tolerant of full sun as well as light shade and drier growing conditions. This stoloniferous native perennial develops into an evergreen to semi-evergreen mat of low rich green foliage and its flowers attract many early season pollinators, especially bees. Use Roundleaf Golden Groundsel as a groundcover in informal and naturalistic garden settings as well as in roadside plantings, meadows, and prairies. It is native to much of the central and eastern US.   Item# 12249

The dark colored nearly black spikes and calyxes provide a dark contrast to the brilliant glowing red two-lipped tubular flowers that are sure to draw hummingbirds for miles from spring to fall! Royal Bumble Salvia, a selection or hybrid of the native Littleleaf Sage, S. microphylla, is a 2015 Royal Horticulture Society Award of Garden Merit winner with excellent vigor and amazing flower power all on a compact well-branched plant. Considered by some to be the best red Salvia x jamensis/S. microphylla hybrid on the planet! Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile well-draining soil for optimum vigor and flower power. In areas that experience hard freezes plant this Salvia out between early spring to midsummer to ensure winter survival. Item# 12476

An old favorite and an excellent performer Royal Red Butterfly Bush produces a continuous wave of rich reddish-purple spikes of flowers that are adored by butterflies, bees, and other beneficials. The flowers are richly fragrant with an aroma reminiscent of honey. Royal Red is vigorous and fast growing quickly developing into a medium-sized deciduous shrub that flowers from late spring until frost. Item#  630.

Mountain or Royal Sage produces loose spikes of glowing orange-red tubular flowers from mid summer to fall just in time for migrating Hummingbirds. This Texas and Mexican native is a root hardy perennial in the northern portions of its range but may become shrub-like in mild winter climates. Easy, drought tolerant once established, and virtually pest free. Item# 10021.

The nearly 1/2" wide ruby red flowers adorn the narrow elongating spikes of this large growing Porterweed from spring to frost. We are excited to be able to finally offer this true red flowering form of the ever popular Coral Porterweed! Ruby Throat Red Porterweed is a vigorous large type Porterweed that can easily exceed 3' high. The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds along with a host of butterflies are sure to search this beauty out and enjoy its rich near continuous supply of nectar. These are heat and sun loving tropical plants that have excellent flower power and will show off in a non-stop fashion throughout the growing season! Item# 12377

A rare Rudbeckia that is native only to the Pineywoods of west central Louisiana and east Texas. The bright golden yellow 4-5" daisies are born on tall sturdy stems that are held above the rich green rounded foliage. The Sabine Coneflower is native to consistently moist to bog-like conditions and will probably fare best in a moist to average garden soil. Item# 9402.

Spikes of deep red upward facing funnel-shaped flowers are produced non-stop from mid to late spring to fall atop the rich glossy deep green foliage attracting hummingbirds, occasional butterflies, and long-tongued bees. San Antonio Red Hummingbird Bush, a selection of Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii, is a small decidous native shrub from South Texas with excellent flower power. This easy and reliable heirloom has an upright to spreading busny habit rarely exceeding 3-4' in height (3'x3' is fairly typical in our zone 8B gardens) and it revels in the heat and sun of summer and is undaunted by the high humidity and high rainfall of the southeastern US. In the northernmost portion of its hardiness range, zones 7A-8A, the Hummingbird Bush may freeze back to near groundlevel in the hardest winters but readily returns to flowering by mid to late spring. Provide a full sun to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Small and tough enough for container culture but it also makes a low-maintenance addition the garden and landscape. Caterpillar host: Crimson Patch Item# 10034

From dark colored spikes and calyxes emerge vivid hot fuchsia colored two-lipped tubular flowers that are produced throughout the growing season on a mound forming, heat and sunloving perennial. San Carlos Festival Littleleaf Sage, a Yucca Do selection of Salvia microphylla from the mountains of Tamaulipas, Mexico, has proven to be a top garden performer with excellent season long flower power and reliable cold hardiness. The brightly colored, nectar rich flowers are sure to draw hummingbirds as well as bees and the occassional butterfly. Provide this tough perennial Salvia with a well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture, although, fully established plants are somewhat drought resistant the plants will flower best where they have at least some moisture available during the growing season. In areas that experience hard freezes plant this Salvia out between early spring to midsummer to ensure winter survival. Item# 12477

3-4" wide light pink to purplish pink coneflowers with drooping narrow petals are held high above the foliage on sturdy 18-24" high stems. Flowers begin in May and may continue through August and they attract bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. The Sanguin Purple Coneflower is a taprooted, clump-forming native with an easy to get-along-with and tough nature. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 9304

A dwarf form of the popular Mexican Sage bush that grows to only 2'H. Santa Barbara Dwarf Purple Mexican Sage is a durable drought tolerant perennial that puts on amazing show of velvety purple flower spikes beginning in late summer (just in time for the Hummingbirds) and lasting until frost. Item# 9094

Dense spikes of golden yellow flowers cover the upper 2/3's of this plant for an extended period beginning in mid to late summer and continuing into fall. Seaside Goldenrod is a clump forming native perennial common in coastal areas whose nectar rich flowers provide a much needed food source to fall migrating Monarch butterflies along with other butterflies, bees, and many garden beneficials. Deep green smooth foliage adorns the stems. This is a salt tolerant species that is more compact in poor and salt laden soils but in rich garden soil it is known to reach 6-8' high. Pinching out the growing tips in late spring will help to create a fuller more compact plant. Provide a full to mostly sunny location but it is otherwise adaptable to a wide variety of soil types from wet clay to sand. Item# 11627

Large deep red bottlebrush-like flowers are produced at the ends of the arching stems in spring and sporadically through summer on large established plants. Semmes' Hardy Bottlebrush was selected as much for its cold hardiness (large well-established plants have increased cold hardiness over young tender plants) as for its habit and flowering potential. Bronze tinged new growth follows the flush of spring flowers that are sure to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and other garden beneficials. Semmes' Hardy Bottlebrush has a naturally compact and rounded 4-5' x 4-5' habit with somewhat arching evergreen branches. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 11886