Butterflies, bees and flower-feeding birds all have a sweet tooth. They need pollen and nectar from flowers to power their flight and nourish offspring. If you’d like to attract these pollinators to your garden, it’s simple – provide a diverse selection of flowering plants that bloom from spring to fall. We’ll give you some pointers.
Plant Variety to Attract More Pollinators
While many plants support all manner of winged creature, each group does have preferences. Hummingbirds favor red flowers over any other color, while bees ignore red.
The size and shape of the flower are also important. Among bees alone, we find more than 4,000 species in North America, each with different body shapes, tongue lengths and associated feeding references. Of course, each species will also feed on a number of different food sources, so it is important to have several species flowering at once.
To attract the greatest diversity of pollinators, include flowers of multiple colors, shapes and sizes. Make the garden more attractive to pollinators by clustering species of plants into clumps rather than scattering individual plants throughout a garden. Don’t forget about flowering trees and shrubs, which offer food as well as shelter.
Bring on the Bees
Bees can see colors well and rely on vision to find nectar. They are most attracted to blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow flowers. Many different native bee species can be found visiting the composite flowers of ‘Real Glory’ Leucanthemum. You will also find the vibrant spires of Ever White™ Agapanthus buzzing with bees all summer long.
Attracting Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are looking for something a little different in a flower. Their long, narrow beak is designed to reach deep into the necks of tubular flowers such as Bells of Fire™ andLydia™ Tecoma. But you may be surprised at the smaller flowers on which the birds feed. The necks of Saucy™ Wine and Saucy™ Red Salvias are not too tight for hummingbirds to penetrate.
Enticing Butterflies
We all know that butterfly bush, such as Ultra Violet™ Buddleia, is one of the best shrubs we can plant to attract butterflies to the garden. On a smaller scale, Pink Moody Blues™ Veronica produces similar flower spikes rich in nectar. You will delight in watching butterflies land on the bold blossoms of our Southern Living agapanthus selections. Also, include flowering shrubs such as ‘Kaleidoscope’ Abelia and Little Bonnie™ Dwarf Spiraea to provide butterflies with shelter as well as nectar-rich blooms.