Butterfly Nectar Sources

Deep wine-red foliage provides a wonderful foil for the tall sturdy spikes of light pink tubular flowers in late spring and early summer attracting bees, hummingbirds, and the occassional butterfly. Dark Towers Penstemon, an offspring of Penstemon digitalis, was developed by Dale Lindgren at the University of Nebraska from his original selection of Husker Red. Dark Towers has darker foliage that keeps its color better through summer and it has pink flowers versus white on Husker Red. Provide this easy to grow clump forming perennial, a nativar (a cultivar from native species), with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor, flowering, and for the deepest foliage colors. Pair Dark Towers Penstemon with chartreuse foliaged plants for a wonderful contrast. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12469

Large, rounded clusters composed of nearly 1" wide, fragrant, pure white flowers sit atop sturdy stems in summer and are sure to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. David's Garden Phlox has exceptional disease resistance and was selected as the 2002 Perennial Plant of the Year. Garden Phlox is also known as Summer Border Phlox or Fall Phlox, it is a hardy clump forming, upright growing herbaceous perennial found throughout much of the eastern and central US. Item# 10830.

Spikes of comparatively large, two-lipped tubular flowers are a brilliant dayglow pink with a contrasting small white throat and are produced from late spring or summer into fall attracting hummingbirds, larger bees, and occassional butterflies. Dayglow Salvia is new to the US in 2021, an Autumn Sage and Littleleaf Sage hybrid, with a long flowering habit, sturdy disposition and a naturally upright to rounded habit. This shrub-like perennial may remain evergreen in mild winter climates, like zones 9B-10, but acts like a die-back perennial where temperatures fall much below about 30^oF. Perfectly suited for use as a low-maintenance container specimen or add it to a sunny garden or landscape for traffic stopping, summer-long color. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained, average moist, fertile soils for maximum flower power. Item# 12550

A profusion of golden orange-yellow dark eyed daisies are produced in mid to late summer and into fall atop tall sturdy stems and attract a myriad of smaller pollinators and garden beneficials. Deam's Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii, is different from Goldstrum by having a clump forming habit, slightly larger flowers, and overall taller plants with better resistance to powdery mildew. Its reliability has garnered this US native perennial the coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit. Provide Deam's Black-Eyed Susan with a full to mostly sunny site in average to well-drained soils. Songbirds enjoy the ripe seed heads and it may reseed under good conditions on exposed soils making it a good addition to cottage gardens, meadows, prairies, and other naturalistic and informal settings. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12115

Tall spikes adorned with whorls of 3/8" purple flowers edged in light lavender are produced throughout the growing season and the nectar rich flowers attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and even hummingbird moths. From the breeding work of the Durham twins of east Texas, Darrell and Jerrell, comes this unusual picoteed color form of Porterweed. These are vigorous well-branched herbaceous to shrub-like tropical perennials that revel in the heat and sun of summer providing a continuous display of flowers and pollinators until the first frost. The flower power of Porterweeds makes them worthy of being grown as annuals where not hardy or they can be overwintered as container plants in a warm sunny location indoors. Provide a full to mostly sunny location with average or better drainage and moderate fertility for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 11967

Tall spikes adorned with whorls of 3/8" purple flowers edged in white to light lavender are produced throughout the growing season and the nectar rich flowers attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and even hummingbird moths. From the breeding work of the Durham twins of east Texas, Darrell and Jerrell, comes this unusual picoteed color form of Porterweed. These are vigorous well-branched herbaceous to shrub-like tropical perennials that revel in the heat and sun of summer providing a continuous display of flowers and pollinators until the first frost. The flower power of Porterweeds makes them worthy of being grown as annuals where not hardy or they can be overwintered as container plants in a warm sunny location indoors. Provide a full to mostly sunny location with average or better drainage and moderate fertility for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 11931

Coming again in 2022! Small clusters of 2-3" wide brilliant golden yellow trumpet shaped flowers are produced throughout the growing season to potentially year-round under warm tropical conditions and are mainly butterfly pollinated but also attract bees and other pollinators. The Dwarf Allamanda, Allamanda cathartica 'Compacta', is a small, naturally evergreen, tropical shrub growing to 2-3'H x 2-3'W and potentially slightly larger with age. The stems are adorned with whorls of glossy narrow foliage to about 3" long. This is an easy to grow, heat and sunloving tropical with good to excellent flower power and makes an easy container plant that is sure to add a tropical flair to any sunny garden setting. For optimum vigor and flowering provide the Dwarf Allamanda with a full sun to partly shaded location in a fertile, well-drained soil. It is important to allow the soil to become somewhat dry between waterings and the hotter it is generally the happier they are and will sulk under cool (below about 55-60^oF) and wet conditions. Item# 395

Clusters of fiery-orange tubular flowers are seemingly borne continuously from mid to late spring to fall, where grown as a die-back perennial, to potentially nearly year-round under warm tropical conditions attracting mainly hummingbirds but also larger butterflies. The Dwarf Mexican Firebush, Hamelia patens var. glabra 'Nana', is a naturally evergreen, heat and sunloving, tropical shrub that acts like a die-back perennial returning from the crown in spring in areas where freezes occur. This compact form of the Mexican Firebush lends it to use in smaller spaces and containers as well as in the garden and landscape. The Dwarf Mexican Firebush appears to be just as hardy as the standard larger growing form and we have seen it take temperatures as low as 8^oF with no problems carrying its hardiness well into zone 8. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Item# 403

1/4" soft red blooms adorn the long spike-like bloom stems from spring to frost. Another of the smaller varieties creating a dense bush with loads of nectar rich flowers for the butterflies and hummingbirds. Dwarf Red Porterweed is the smallest and most compact Porterweed that we offer and it lends itself to use near the front of the border, in butterfly and hummingbirds gardens, as well as in containers. Item# 407.

The sweetly contrasting bicolor flowers are composed of two large soft shell pink lower petals and a bright rosy pink tube and hood all emerging from maroon tinged calyxes and spikes. Dyson's Joy Salvia, or simply Joy Salvia, is likely a selection or hybrid of Salvia greggii or Autumn Sage, and develops into a compact rounded plant growing to about 2' x 2' that can be enjoyed as a container plant as well as in the garden and landscape. The brightly colored flowers attract low flying hummingbirds, occasional butterflies, and other pollinators with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! Images courtesy of Jadelty Plant Propagation Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13140

Large clusters of sweetly fragrant, rich pink, 1-1/4" wide salverform flowers are produced atop sturdy 12-16" high stems beginning in midspring and continuing into summer with some additional repeat flowering later in the year on well-grown plants. Earlibeauty® Rose Bouquet Phlox is a vigorous slowly spreading, evergreen perennial Phlox that was selected for its early and long flowering season, vigorous groundcovering habit, as well as for its deep green foliage that has excellent disease resistance even under shade and high humidity. The sweetly fragrant and nectar rich flowers of Phlox, whose species are nearly all native to North America, are excellent for attracting butterflies which is their main pollinator. Provide Earlibeauty® Rose Bouquet Phlox with an average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soil in a full sun to part sun site for optimum vigor and flowering. Deadheading is not required but may help to further extend the flowering season. Images courtesy of The Primrose Path, all rights reserved. Item# 12840

The large rounded clusters of deep orange and gold buds open to sunny yellow, fragrant flowers that attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds in early spring atop the bare stems. Earl's Gold Deciduous Azalea, an Earl Summerville hybrid, develops into an upright to rounded, medium to large deciduous shrub well suited to bright woodland settings but will also thrive in full sun under good conditions. Like the Aromi hybrids, the Earl Summerville hybrids show excellent tolerance to the heat and humidity of the Southeastern US. Sometimes still fondly referred to as Wild Honeysuckle Bushes, these nativars will do best in an average moist, well-drained, fertile, acidic soil from partial shade to full sun conditions. Topdress with an organic mulch like pinestraw, a.k.a. pine needles, or pine bark. Item# 13290

Clusters of blue to light blue, star-shaped flowers are borne in spring on sturdy stems atop the wide foliage. The Eastern Bluestar makes a wonderful garden addition with a mannerly clump forming habit and excellent pest and disease resistance. Yellow fall foliage color adds to its interest. Tolerant of wet to average moist soils. Eastern Bluestar is an easy to grow and reliable native perennial. The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbird moths. Item# 10268

Exceptionally dark purple to black shamrock-like foliage creates the perfect foil for the white to light pink trumpet shaped flowers that are produced during much of the the growing season. Ebony Allure™ Purple False Shamrock, a selection of Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae, is the latest, darkest foliaged cultivar of this popular container and garden plant which can be enjoyed indoors or out. This is a clump-forming bulbous and non-aggressive Oxalis that slowly multiplies into larger and larger clumps. Ebony Allure™ Purple Oxalis will perform best in a well-draining, average moist, fertile soil under lightly shaded conditions. Easy and rewarding! Images courtesy of AG3, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12456

One of the earliest to begin flowering and an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! Clusters of lilac-pink tubular flowers are produced in abundance beginning in midspring and continuing into fall and are held against a contrasting foil of long-lasting showy deep bronze-red bracts and exceptionally dark green glossy foliage that takes on purple and bronze tones in winter. The flowers of Abelias attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Edward Goucher Glossy Abelia, considered to be a hybrid of Abelia x grandiflora x A. shumanii, has a naturally dense, rounded to vase-shaped habit on this medium-sized, evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub. Abelias are known for their toughness and adaptability to a variety of soil types provided they have average or better drainage. Deer resistant, somewhat salt tolerant, and mature, well-established plants are moderately drought resistant. Provide a full sun to part shade site with moderately fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Long one of our personal favorites! Item# 3041

Brilliant orange fading to pink and finally red and burgundy into the eye. The 4-5" flowers just seem to keep coming all summer long on a compact but vigorous enough tropical hibiscus. Erin Rachael's smaller stature makes it a perfect container specimen or as part of the landscape in frost free locations. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Item# 10485.

Large rounded trusses of deep golden orange buds open to display the rich golden yellow, wonderfully fragrant flowers that are produced in early spring atop bare stems attracting butterflies, larger bees, and hummingbirds. Escatawpa is a vigorous and hardy selection of the Florida Flame Azalea, Rhododendron austrinum, that develops into an upright to rounded, medium to large deciduous shrub well suited to bright woodland settings but will also thrive in full sun under good conditions. Like the Aromi hybrids, Escatawpa has excellent tolerance to the heat and humidity of the Southeastern US. Sometimes still fondly referred to as Wild Honeysuckle Bushes, these nativars will do best in an average moist, well-drained, fertile, acidic soil from partial shade to full sun conditions. Topdress with an organic mulch like pinestraw, a.k.a. pine needles, or pine bark. Item# 10151

Rich purple, 1" wide daisies with a nicely contrasting sunny yellow eye are produced in mass in fall attracting bees and other smaller pollinators with a late season burst of color just in time for LSU Football! Geaux Tigers! Ezo Murasaki Japanese Woods Aster or Asian Aster, a selection of Aster ageratoides var. ageratoides, is a vigorous rhizomatous perennial adorned with deep green ovate foliage that makes an easy warm season groundcover topping out at about 24" high. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soils. Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady. Item# 13049

Dense clusters of large pink tubular flowers with a white lower lip are born in late summer and early fall on this easy native perennial. Excellent for attracting bees. This is the latest flowering Physostegia that we grow. The Fall Obedient Plant will readily spread by rhizomes creating a mass of sturdy, 3-4' stems. An easy and reliable native perennial. Item# 10420.

Large clusters of white flowers with a light purple eye are produced beginning in late spring or early summer and continuing into midsummer with some rebloom in fall. Fashionably Early Crystal Phlox is a hybrid that is similar to Garden Phlox, Phlox paniculata, but begins flowering about 2 weeks earlier, has exceptional disease resistance and thick deep green foliage, and slowly spreads to develop into a mass of foliage and 30" high flower stems. Attracts butterflies. Image courtesy of Walter's Gardens, www.waltersgardens.com. Item# 11748