Butterfly Nectar Sources

Tall sturdy branching spikes adorned with tubular, two-lipped, pale sky blue flowers with a slightly darker blue hood are produced from spring or early summer into fall attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. African Sky Salvia is a vigorous, freely flowering, clump-forming, deer and drought resistant, tropical, shrubby perennial with medium green, rough, fragrant foliage perfectly suited to hot sunny sites in well-drained soils. It can be even be grown as a clipped hedge in freeze free, tropical locations. Use African Sky Salvia in containers for an easy care, pollinator attracting plant with a long season of flowering. This is quite different from the similarly named, spring and fall flowering Salvia uliginosa 'African Skies', a selection of Bog Sage. Item# 12552

A vigorous and reliable Oakleaf Hydrangea selection with sturdy stems and good sun tolerance. The 10-14" white bloom panicles, with individual blooms as large as a half-dollar, are borne in spring and fade to pink. Oakleaf Hydrangeas are beloved in the garden not only for their blooms but they also have the beautiful oak-leaf shaped foliage, which turns to shades of pink, red, burgundy, and purple in fall along with the interesting peeling bark on older stems. Item# 9103

Purple, lavender, and near white 5-petaled flowers practically cover the plant in spring atop the deep green narrow foliage. Alyissa's Purple Prairie Phlox is a groundcover like native perennial whose butterfly pollinated flowers open a dark purple and fade to light lavender and near white as they age. Use this low growing perennial as a groundcover at the front of the border, garden, or landscape or in natural settings like roadsides, meadows, and prairies. This is an Almost Eden exclusive introduction and was discovered in an old fence row in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana. Item# 11801

A 2020 All American Selections Herbaceous Perennial award winner! 2-3" wide dark-eyed golden yellow daisies are produced throughout the summer and even into fall atop a dense and compact well-branched plant. American Gold Rush Rudbeckia was selected with disease resistance in mind as well as this plant's ability to flower throughout summer and a compact habit. It may be most similar to and is considered to be a hybrid of Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii, or the Brown-Eyed Susan, which can reach 3' in height. Like its parent, expect this hardy clump forming perennial to revel in the heat and sun of summer with its disk flowers providing nectar for smaller pollinators and the ripened seeds of fall and winter are sure to attract songbirds. Provide American Gold Rush Rudbeckia with a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Add this easy to grow perennial to the garden and landscape but it is also compact and free-flowering enough to provide a summer long show as a container plant. Item# 12167

Ooh la la! Oh my my! As sexy as Hot Lips but in an all new shade! The spikes of two-lipped tubular bright white flowers are tipped with a broad band of amethyst, between violet and purple, at the tips of the petals creating a dark and mysterious contrast. Flowers may be solid amethyst when the weather is cool and dreary but quickly revert to their two-toned splendor with a little sunshine. Amethyst Lips Salvia begins flowering in late spring or early summer and continues until fall, all the while attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Amethyst Lips Salvia, a hybrid of the two native species S. greggii and S. microphyllai, a.k a S. x jamesonii, develops into a naturally rounded, shrub-like perennial that 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. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained, average moist, fertile soils for maximum flower power. Item# 12473

Azure blue, 4-6'' spikes are held above the Anise scented foliage in summer.An upright growing clump forming native perennial. This popular herb was used as a healing herb by American Indians and is great for making jellies, potpourris, and teas. An excellent plant for attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Item# 3022.

The rounded flower clusters open sunny yellow, fade to orange, and finally mature to a deep purplish pink to near purple all atop a neatly rounded mound forming plant growing to about 18-24"H x 24-36"W. Anne Marie Lantana's neat full rounded habit lend it to use as a medium-sized container specimen plant for sunny sites or add it to the garden and landscape for spring to fall color. This is a sport of Irene Lantana discovered and introduced by the Kearley family who own Robrick Nursery, Hawthorne, FL and was named in honor of their youngest daughter. The flowers of Lantana attract a myriad of pollinators including bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other garden beneficials. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Images courtesy of Robrick Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 12432

Frilly, rounded clusters of dainty white tubular flowers are borne in summer atop sturdy stems and are an excellent nectar source for a variety of smaller pollinators and garden beneficials. Savanna or Appalachian Mountainmint has nicely fragrant, medium green foliage and is considered to be one of the better Mountainmints for garden settings as it is not as prone to spreading by rhizomes. Item# 10765.

Apricot Sunrise produces an endless display of soft orange to soft golden yellow tubular flowers in spikes from summer and into fall well above the fragrant foliage. An excellent choice for hummingbird and butterfly gardens with a soft airy texture. Provide a full sun or near full sun location with average moist but well-drained soils. Item# 10210.

Apricot Sunrise produces an endless display of soft orange to soft golden yellow tubular flowers in spikes from summer and into fall well above the fragrant foliage. An excellent choice for hummingbird and butterfly gardens with a soft airy texture. Provide a full sun or near full sun location with average moist but well-drained soils. Item# 10210.

Light clear blue, 2" tubular blooms are borne on tall spikes from Spring to Fall on this vigorous perennial. Rich green glossy foliage and an easy and reliable perennial for full to mostly sunny sites in the garden. Argentine Skies Salvia, an Anise Sage, is excellent for hummingbirds and larger butterflies providing a near continuous procession of nectar rich flowers throughout the growing season. Item# 9948

Dancing Rabbit produces deep yellow buds that open to bright yellow azalea blossoms with a deep yellow blotch that sit in full, rounded clusters and absolutely cover up this plant in spring! Exceptionally vigorous as well. A gorgeous spring show, fragrant, and it attracts butterflies and other spring pollinators. In the garden, the Aromi Deciduous Azalea Hybrids have the look, feel, and fragrance of many of, or are improvements upon, our most beautiful, US native deciduous azaleas, sometimes called bush honeysuckles, and yet are easy and vigorous enough for the average gardener to be successful with. Item# 10719.

Large rounded flower clusters are composed of large, nicely fragrant, golden yellow touched with bright red and have a darker orange blotch. Aromi's King's Wizard Deciduous Azalea flowers just before and as the new foliage is emerging in early spring and the nectar rich flowers attract butterfly pollinators. In the garden, Aromi Hybrid Deciduous Azaleas have the look, feel, and fragrance of many of our US native deciduous azaleas, sometimes called Bush Honeysuckles, and yet are easy enough for the average gardener to be successful with. Item# 11104

Large, full, rounded clusters of soft pink, fragrant flowers are borne in late spring on this deciduous hybrid azalea. Spring Sensation was bred and selected for heat and humidity tolerance for southern gardens by Dr. Eugene Aromi of Mobile, Alabama as well as for its ability to load up with exceptionally large flower clusters.In the garden, Aromi Hybrid Deciduous Azaleas have the look, feel, and fragrance of many of our US native deciduous azaleas, sometimes called Bush Honeysuckles, and yet are easy enough for the average gardener to be successful with.Item# 10150.

Large clusters of white late spring flowers produce green berries that ripen to a blue-black. The flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators and the edible fruits attract a variety of wildlife, especially birds. Arrowwood Viburnum is a vigorous growing, naturally rounded, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with rich green foliage and is tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions. Fall color includes yellows, orange, reds, and near purple. Arrowwood Viburnum makes an easy hedge, background specimen, or screen. Easy and reliable. Item# 10922

Clusters of button-like purple-blue buds open to frilly blue mistflower-like blossoms flowering from spring to fall on this new heat tolerant Ageratum. Artist^® Blue is a new line that doesn't fade out once the heat of summer arrives and once a flower cluster has begun to fade a new set of buds are already growing to to take its place slowly building into a mass of foliage and flowers that attract smaller pollinators throughout the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist well-drained fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Use Artist^® Blue Ageratum as specimen container plants as well as in mixed container gardens or in the garden and landscape. These Ageratums have been a standout in trials as the Dallas Arboretum, flowering continuously from early spring to early fall, as well as being a top performer in trials at Ohio State and Mississippi State. Item# 12193

The clusters of fragrant starry white flowers with a touch of contrasting red to burgundy at the base of the corona may be produced throughout the year under warm tropical conditions. The sweet and almost honey-like, spicily fragrant flowers attract butterflies, hummingbird moths, and other pollinators. The Australian Waxflower, Hoya australis, is an exceptionally vigorous growing, twining, evergreen, tropical vine with glossy rounded ovate foliage and burgundy new growth. It naturally wants to climb and the vines can reach 30' long if offered support but it can also easily be trained to a small 3' high trellis or as a hanging basket specimen. This appears to be one of the easier to grow species and is reported to tolerate some cool sunlight although the leaves may become more olive or yellowish green than the typical deep green coloration under high light conditions. Item# 12343

An unusual bicolored Mexican Petunia, Aztec Pink and White™ Ruellia produces pure white trumpets with contrasting magenta throats that are born freely from late spring or early summer until first frost to year round under warm tropical conditions atop medium-sized sturdy stems. This Mexican Petunia is a relatively new, compact, seed and pollen sterile selection that can spend more energy on flowering instead of adding unwanted seedlings to the garden. It is a naturally evergreen, rhizomatous or spreading, tropical perennial that is grown as a die-back perennial in zones 8-9. It can be grown as a low maintenance container specimen plant, in mixed container gardens, as well as in the garden and landscape. It can also be used as a medium-sized groundcover in difficult sites. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Provide Mexican Petunias with a full to part sun site in an average moist to wet, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12599

Large spikes of deep blue, tubular flowers are born in summer, late summer, and sometimes into fall on this clump forming native perennial wildflower. Under natural conditions Azure Blue Sage produces tall arching stems that terminate into large, often branching, spikes of flowers that are quite suited to use by Hummingbirds and butterflies. Great at the back of the garden or in natural settings. Item# 10460.

4-5" wide flowers with white petals and sepals are topped by a crown of white filaments with a light purple halo surrounding the central portion of these exotic looking flowers. Bahama Blue Passion Flower is a beautiful and vigorous free flowering selection of the Blue Crown Passion Flower, Passiflora caerulea, with all its hardiness and reliability. The nectar rich flowers are adored by larger bees and the foliage is a host to a variety of butterflies. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a moderately fertile, average moist, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Click on "More Details and Growing Info" or the image to learn more about growing Passionvines as perennials in containers or in the garden and landscape. Item# 11222