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

Large 8"+ wide pink flowers with overlapping petals 'airbrushed' with white extending to near the middle of the flowers and with a deep red eye are produced over an extended period beginning in late spring to summer (depending on your zone) and flowering into fall. Airbrush Effect Perennial or Hardy Hibiscus is an 'indeterminate' flowering selection meaning that it flowers over a longer period than older cultivars. This is a compact 3-4'H x 4-5'W plant with rich green foliage well suited to moist sunny sites in the garden and landscape. Provide a moderately fertile soil to help encourage vigorous growth and flowering. Image courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 11710

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.

Dense azure blue, 4-6" high spikes composed of azure blue, tubular flowers are produced in summer and are held above the licorice or anise scented-foliage in summer and are especially attractive to bees but are also utilized by occassional hummingbirds and butterflies. Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, is a clump forming native perennial found mainly in the northern half of the US and into Canada but seems to do just fine in our hot southern summers. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, fertilie soil for optimum flowering and vigor. 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.

Spikes of soft golden orange to yellowish 1" long tubular nectar-rich flowers are produced beginning in late spring and continue into fall atop the grayish-green fragrant foliage attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. Apricot Sunrise Agastache, considered to be a hybrid of A. coccinea and A. coccinea, is a vigorous, herbaceous perennial growing to about 3' x 3' tois considered hardy to zone 6. Like all Agastache, it will do best in a full to mostly sunny site, in a fertile, average moist to periodically dry soil, with excellent drainage, and good air circulation (i,e don't crowd it). Apricot Sunrise Agastache has somewhat of a soft airy texture and the fragrant foliage helps to ensure the deer avoid it. An older cultivar but still one of the most reliable. Item# 10210

Spikes of light clear blue, 2" long, nectar-rich, tubular flowers are held against a foil of medium to deep green quilted, anise-scented foliage and are produced from spring into fall attracting hummingbirds and other pollinators. Argentina Skies Salvia or Anise Sage, a selection of Salvia guaranitica or now S. coerulea, is a vigorous rhizomatous and tuberous perennial Salvia slowly developing into a tall groundcover-like mass of upright stems, foliage, and flowers. Provide a full sun to partially shaded site in a rich, moist to average moist, fertile soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 9948

Masses of 1" wide, bluish purple daisies with a yellow-eye absolutely cover these plants for weeks in late summer and fall attracting bees and other smaller pollinators. The Aromatic Aster, Symphyotrichum oblongifolius, is a low mounding perennial that develops into a compact shrub-like plant by flowering time. Excellent fall color for the garden as well as drought tolerance and pest and disease resistance make this an excellent addition to the perennial or wildflower border as well as for additions to low maintenance landscapes. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained soil. Item# 10075

From nearly red buds open large rich pink flowers that lighten toward the center of the flower and have a yellow-orange blotch. A wonderful pink Aromi hybrid deciduous azalea, Country Cousin is suited to the heat and humidity of southern summers. Early to mid-spring flowering and attracts spring butterflies.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# 10439.

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

The out of this world very large, up to 5" across, funnel shaped flowers can range from solid salmon, to randomly flecked and streaked with salmon and pink, to white with randomly flecked with pink and are produced in late spring. Astronaut Azalea, a.k.a. Holly Springs Astronaut, is a Satsuki hybrid developing into a 3' high mound of deep green, medium textured, evergreen foliage. It lends itself to bonsai culture but is sure to be a low-maintenance conversation piece in the garden and landscape. Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Azalea flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Item# 12796

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