Butterfly Nectar Sources

Loose clusters of sweetly fragrant, creamy yellow, star shaped flowers are produced over a long period beginning in late spring and early summer on this vigorous and durable evergreen twining climber. This cultivar of Confederate Jasmine appears to flower a good deal longer than the more common white flowered selections. An excellent choice for arbors, trellises, and evergreen screening on a lattice work or fence. Confederate Jasmine can also be used as a deep groundcover that will grow to 12-24" high. Where not hardy they can be maintained as easy and low maintenance container specimens. This may be the same as Woodlander's 'Mandianum' which may yet be the 'Star of Toscane'. Item # 11020

Round clusters of 1" light yellow to white tubular flowers are produced from about mid to late spring atop sturdy square stems adorned with lightly fragrant foliage. Newly described to science in 2011 by Jason Singhurst and Walter Holmes, the Yellow Flowered Beebalm has as yet only been found in northeastern Texas and Miller county in Arkansas. This is a slowly spreading native perennial well suited to naturalistic settings such as meadows, prairies, or roadside planting as well as in mixed perennial borders and pollinator habitats. The flowers attract hummingbirds and larger butterflies. We have to say thank you to SFA Gardens for making this species more widely available. Item# 11988

From spring to fall a near continuous display of the 2-3" wide bright sunny yellow trumpets are held against a foil of deep green glossy foliage. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The Yellow Mandevilla, Pentalinon luteum or Urechites lutea, is a vigorous twining, naturally evergreen, tropical vine native to southern Florida, the Caribbean, and Honduras. It is vigorous enough to cover a small arbor or medium-sized trellis but is mannerly enough to be maintained on a smaller 3-4' high support where it can be enjoyed as container plant for a sunny patio. Provide the Yellow Mandevilla with a fertile, average moist, average to well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny site for maximum flowering and vigor. Item# 12385

A rare or uncommon color form of the common Red Shrimp Plant, the Yellow Queen Shrimp Plant produces a continuous display of upright to arching spikes composed of large showy light yellow to chartreuse colored bracts from which the individual white tubular flowers emerge in spring and summer to year round under warm tropical conditions. It displays the same habit and exceptional flower power of its maroon-red bracted cousin making a beautiful display as a container plant specimen and in mixed container gardens as well as in the garden and landscape. The common Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeeana, is a heat loving, naturally evergreen, bushy, tropical plant with dark olive green foliage and grows to about 24" high by about 18" wide. It is both full sun and bright shade tolerant but tends to have the densest branching habit where it receives at least 4 hours or more of direct sunlight. Provide an average to well-drained, moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Attracts hummingbirds and the occasional larger butterfly and is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Caterpillar host: Cuban Crescent, Texan Crescent, White Peacock, and Malachite. Item# 1170

Unusual for the Florida Flame Azalea! Whorls of deep rich rosy pink to near red, pointed, tubular buds open to display the large light to medium pink, lightly fragrant, butterfly pollinated flowers that are produced in early spring atop the still bare stems. The Yellow River Pink Florida Flame Azalea, Rhododendron austrinum typically produces flowers in shades of yellow and orange and so this is quite uncommon for this species, was discovered by Ron Miller along the banks of the Yellow River in Alabama. As is typical for the native deciduous Azaleas, this is a naturally upright to vase shaped growing plant that rounds out somewhat at maturity and the foliage and new growth begin to emerge about the time the flowering season ends. As with other Azaleas and Rhododendrons, the Yellow River Pink Azalea will need a well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter with average moisture and will benefit greatly from an organic mulch, such as pine straw, to help maintain more even moisture levels during the growing season. They can be grown in full sun under good conditions but may benefit from midday or afternoon shade to filtered shade, especially in drier conditions. Images courtesy of Ron Miller, all rights reserved. Item#12743

Bright orange, 1" wide upward facing daisies are produced from spring to fall atop wispy wiry stems and are held above the deep green, fuzzy foliage attracting a variety of smaller pollinators including bees and butterflies. Zemmenia, Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida, is a low growing naturally mounding, drought resistant, Texas tough, small native shrub-like perennial that is a mainstay of pollinator gardens from central Texas to the Rio Grande Valley as well as along the southwestern border and into Mexico. It seems to flower best and have the tidiest habit in full sun but can tolerate some shade but it may be at the expense of flowers. Zexmenia generally prefers a well-drained sandy or rocky soil but is adaptable to good garden soils as long as the plants have good to excellent drainage. It also makes a forgiving container plant but again provide sharp drainage. The butterfly in the image is a Western Pygmy Blue. Item# 13085