Butterfly Nectar Sources

Nearly 1/2" wide deep orange flowers are produced on narrow elongating spikes on this full-sized Porterweed from spring to frost attracting a wide array of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Aerial Elixirs™ Allen's Envy Porterweed, a selection of Stachytarpheta mutabilis, is part of our new line of pollinator plants. If you are not familiar with Porterweeds, members of the genus Stachytarpheta, these are shrubby tropicals with exceptional flower power, excellent nectar production, AND these are the plants that many hummingbirds feed on in their winter resting grounds in Central and South America. We can tell you from personal experience, these tiny aerial acrobats will even try to face down a human over thier prized plants with a series of strong and forceful "Cheeps!". Expect Aerial Elixirs™ Allen's Envy Porterweed to grow to about 4-5' high and 3-4' wide by the end of the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13533

The fickle flower colors range from orange, to deep watermelon nearing plum, to coral tones, to pale pink and are produced on narrow elongating spikes on this large growing Porterweed from spring to frost attracting a wide array of pollinators. Aerial Elixirs™ American Lady Porterweed is the first in this series named in honor of a butterfly which sports similar colors on its upper and lower wing surfaces.  We think this is a hybrid Stachtarpheta with obvious S. mutabilis in its parentage and potentially a tetraploid due to everything about the parent plant being larger than normal including slightly larger flowers, thicker and taller flowering spikes, thicker stems, and larger foliage. This is definitely one of the more vigorous plants in this series growing to about 5-6' high and wide by the end of the growing season and potentially larger. If you are not familiar with Porterweeds, members of the genus Stachytarpheta, these are shrubby tropicals with exceptional flower power, excellent nectar production, AND these are the plants that many hummingbirds feed on in their winter resting grounds in Central and South America. They also attract a variety of butterflies, large and small, as well as larger bees. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, moderately fertile, average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Flower color seems to be most strongly affected by rain that appears to literally wash the color out and since the flowers last for about 2 days it is not uncommon to have two colors on the same spike in the same day. On cloudier days, the flowers seem to lean more into the orange tones and on sunnier days more toward watermelon and nearing plum. Item# 13538

Nearly 1/2" wide fuchsia pink flowers that can lighten to pink as they age are produced on narrow elongating spikes on this medium-sized Porterweed from spring to frost attracting a wide array of pollinators. Aerial Elixirs™ Anna's Obsession Porterweed is the first in our new pollinator plant series and is named in honor of the Anna's Hummingbird whose males sport bright magenta feathers on their head and gorget - the brightly colored portion of their throat. This is a moderately vigorous plant growing to about 3-4' high and wide by the end of the growing season. If you are not familiar with Porterweeds, members of the genus Stachytarpheta, these are shrubby tropicals with exceptional flower power, excellent nectar production, AND these are the plants that many hummingbirds feed on in their winter resting grounds in Central and South America. We can tell you from personal experience, these tiny aerial acrobats will even try to face down a human over their prized plants with a series of strong and forceful "Cheeps!". Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, moderately fertile, average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13399

Exceptionally dark purple flowers adorn the narrow elongating spikes from spring to fall attracting a variety of bees, butterflies, low flying hummingbirds, and pollinating moths. Aerial Elixirs™ Black-Chinned Bliss Porterweed is a dwarf and compact selection with a densely branching bushy habit growing to 2-3' high and 2' wide by the end of the growing season making it an excellent choice for sunny containers whether as a specimen or in mixed company. Unlike the common Blue or Nettleleaf Porterweed, S. cayennensis, and our selection Midnight Moon, Aerial Elixirs™ Black-Chinned Bliss tends to retain its flowers after a normal rain and often until sunrise the following day. This is also the most compact growing Porterweed in this series and could easily fit it into a formal setting with its nice even growth habit. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Coming in limited quantities later this summer. Item# 13532

Nearly 1/2" wide, bright pink to fuchsia flowers are produced on narrow elongating spikes on this full-sized Porterweed from spring to frost attracting a wide array of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Aerial Elixirs™ Broad-Tailed Buffet Porterweed, a hybrid Stachytarpheta, is one of our latest introductions and is part of our new line of pollinator plant selections. If you are not familiar with Porterweeds, members of the genus Stachytarpheta, these are shrubby tropicals with exceptional flower power, excellent nectar production, AND these are the plants that many hummingbirds feed on in their winter resting grounds in Central and South America. We can tell you from personal experience, these tiny aerial acrobats will even try to face down a human over thier prized plants with a series of strong and forceful "Cheeps!". Expect Aerial Elixirs™ Broad-Tailed Buffet Porterweed to grow to about 4-5' high and 3-4' wide by the end of the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13535

The spring to frost display of 3/8" wide lilac flowers adorn the narrow elongating spikes of this Porterweed attracting a wide array of pollinators, especially our native bumbleebees. Aerial Elixirs™ Bumblicious™ Lilac Porterweed is an unusually colored selection or hybrid of the Blue Porterweed, Stachytarpheta cayennensis, and is expected to have similar habit growing to about 3' high and 2' wide by the end of the growing season. This is a well-branched plant with glossy, deep green foliage whose smaller size makes it a good candidate for containers where you can draw the pollinators in close. Aerial Elixirs™ Bumblicious™ Lilac's flower power also makes it a colorful addition to a sunny garden or landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist soil with average or better drainage to keep the flowers coming all summer long! Item# 13543

Like a good glass of a nice red wine on a summer afternoon but for hummingbirds! The reddish purple to deep purple flowers are produced on narrow elongating spikes on this medium-sized Porterweed from spring to frost attracting a wide array of pollinators. Aerial Elixirs™ Calliope Cabernet Porterweed is a medium-sized plant growing to 3-4' high and 2-3' wide by the end of the growing season. If you are not familiar with Porterweeds, members of the genus Stachytarpheta, these are shrubby tropicals with exceptional flower power, excellent nectar production, AND these are the plants that many hummingbirds feed on in their winter resting grounds in Central and South America. We can tell you from personal experience, these tiny aerial acrobats will even try to face down a human over thier prized plants with a series of strong and forceful "Cheeps!". Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Coming in limited quantities later this summer. Item# 13397

Large, deep purple, nectar rich flowers with a contrasting white eye are produced on narrow elongating spikes on this large sized Porterweed and are produced from spring to frost attracting a wide array of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Aerial Elixirs™ Costa Cravings Porterweed, a Stachytarpheta hybrid and Almost Eden exclusive introduction, is a an extra large and very vigorous Porterweed that you can expect to grow to about 4-6' high and 3-4' wide by the end of the growing season. Porterweeds are shrubby tropicals with exceptional flower power, excellent nectar production, AND these are the plants that many hummingbirds feed on in their winter resting grounds in Central and South America. We can tell you from personal experience, these tiny aerial acrobats will even try to face down a human over thier prized plants with a series of strong and forceful "Cheeps!". Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13530

An Almost Eden exclusive introduction for 2026! The unique, 4" wide, deep cranberry colored, single flowers are heavily edged in a contrasting orchid purple at the ends of the petals and are centered by a contrasting cream colored staminal column. The nectar rich flowers are produced from mid to late spring to fall and attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Aerial Elixirs™ Cranberry Eclipse™ Althea or Rose of Sharon, a selection of Hibiscus syriacus developed by J. Curran, is a large growing, long flowering, deciduous shrub with a moderate to fast rate of growth. This Rose of Sharon tends to have an upright habit when young, rounding out slightly at maturity to about 8-10' high and about 4-6' wide. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, average to well-drained, moderately fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Item# 13581

Large, to 1/2" wide, deep purple, nectar rich flowers with a contrasting white eye are produced on narrow elongating spikes on this smaller growing Porterweed and are produced from spring to frost attracting a wide array of smaller pollinators, especially native bees, butterflies, pollinating moths, and potentially hummingbirds. Aerial Elixirs™ Lusty Lucifer Porterweed, either a hybrid or a dwarf selection of the Purple Porterweed, Stachytarpheta indica, is a densely branching and compact Porterweed cloaked in deep green foliage that you can expect to grow to about 2-3' high and 2' wide by the end of the growing season. Its smaller stature lends it to use in containers either as a specimen or in mixed company as well as in the garden and landscape. This plant also tends to retain its flowers after a rain and overnight, unlike the common Nettleleaf or Blue Porterweed, Stachytarpheta cayennensis. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor and flowering. Coming in limited quantities later this summer. Item# 13534

Coming for spring of 2026! The nearly 1/2" wide, nectar rich, widely flaring, deep purple flowers with red overtones and a contrasting white eye are held on long tubes adorning the narrow elongating spikes attracting hordes of pollinators, especially larger bees, both large and small butterflies, and of course hummingbirds. Aerial Elixirs™ Rivoli's Rhapsody Porterweed, a hybrid Stachytarpheta, is medium sized plant with rich green foliage and a moderate branching habit growing to about 3-4' high and wide by the end of the growing season. Small enough to enjoy as a specimen in medium-sized containers or as a splash of summer color and continuous aerial action in a sunny garden and landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13554

The large flowers open a deep red-orange, that may fade into a light coral pink due to rain, and are produced on narrow elongating spikes on this full-sized Porterweed from spring to frost attracting a wide array of pollinators especially hummingbirds. Aerial Elixirs™ Rowdy Rufous Porterweed, a selection or hybrid of Stachytarpheta mutabilis first noticed by our Jennifer, is one of our latest introductions and is part of our new line of pollinator plants. If you are not familiar with Porterweeds, members of the genus Stachytarpheta, these are shrubby tropicals with exceptional flower power, excellent nectar production, AND these are the plants that many hummingbirds feed on in their winter resting grounds in Central and South America. We can tell you from personal experience, these tiny aerial acrobats will even try to face down a human over thier prized plants with a series of strong and forceful "Cheeps!". Expect Rowdy Rufous Porterweed to grow to about 4-5' high and 4-5' wide by the end of the growing season. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13529

The nearly 1/2" wide ruby red flowers adorn the narrow elongating spikes of this large growing Porterweed from spring to frost. We are excited to be able to finally offer this true red flowering form of the ever popular Coral Porterweed! Ruby Throat Red II Porterweed is a vigorous large type Porterweed that can easily exceed 3' high. The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds along with a host of butterflies are sure to search this beauty out and enjoy its rich near continuous supply of nectar. These are heat and sun loving tropical plants that have excellent flower power and will show off in a non-stop fashion throughout the growing season! Item# 13494

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. Caterpillar host: Gray Hairstreak. Image courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 11710

Up to 2" wide, deep rosy pink daisies with a complimentary bright yellow eye are produced in abundance over an extended period beginning in late summer and into fall attracting a variety of mainly smaller pollinators but migrating Monarchs may seek these as well. Alma Pötschke New England Aster, a selection of our native Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, is a medium to tall, clump forming, herbaceous perennial growing to about 3-4' high. Its actual full name is Andenken an Alma Pötschke, which translates from the German to Souvenir of Alma Pötschke. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner, Alma Pötschke is an older German cultivar but it is still one of the best of the larger growing pink flowered forms. Provide a full sun to mostly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil with average moisture for optimum vigor and flowering. Staking may be needed if plants are grown in overly rich fertile soils. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13328

In spring, dense clusters of small light pink flowers encircle the stems and are followed by rich purple, rarely white, 1/8" diameter berries that are most noticeable on the bare winter stems. The flowers attract a variety of smaller pollinators, especially bees, and the fruit are prized by songbirds, deer, and small mammals. The American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, is a medium-sized, native, deciduous shrub with a moderate branching habit, a relatively fast rate of growth to 4-8' high and 5-8' wide. The plants are cloaked in large, medium green, coarse textured foliage. This easy and reliable native makes an easy addition to the garden or landscape providing weeks of color in late fall and winter. Plants are tolerant of full sun to light shade, but will likely fruit the best with more sun. Provide an average to well-drained, fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 10688

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

In late spring and summmer, the 4-5" wide, fragrant, white, cupped flowers with contrasting yellow stamens float on the surface of the pond from early morning to noon attracting bees, potentially butterflies, and very likely the hummingbird-like pollinating moths. The American White Waterlily, Nymphaea odorata var. odorata, is a rhizomatous, herbaceous, native, aquatic perennial that produces deep glossy green, round, and up to 10" wide lily pads with a purplish to reddish reverse from a thick woody, branching rhizome. It is easy to establish in any still water like a pond, lake, bayou, or marsh and is found throughout the southcentral and southeastern US, into Canada, and Central America and has also been introduced in the western US. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in still, 1-5' deep water for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13562

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