Butterfly Nectar Sources

Large clusters of tubular buds open to show off the fragrant, widely flaring, white tubular flowers that mature through primrose to deep yellow. Honey Baby® Honeysuckle was selected for its compact and shrub-like habit as well as its ability to repeat flower in summer. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators including hummingbirds, butterflies, and larger bees and would most likely attract hummingbird moths as well. Small enough for containers and small trellises and short fences. Most fragrant honeysuckles are most intensely fragrant in the late afternoon and evening. Item# 11381

Clusters of red to red-orange, yellow to orange throated, tubular flowers are borne from spring to fall on established plants with the peak flowering season in early to mid spring and again in mid to late summer to fall. Honey Coral™Honeysuckle is a tame and manageable vine perfectly suited to fences and medium sized trellises and arbors. The flowers attract hummingbirds and occasional butterflies. Pollinated flowers develop into clusters of clear red berries that make summer and fall fruit for songbirds. Their tame habit and long blooming season make the native Coral Honeysuckles an easy choice for covering a fence, arbor or trellis. Item# 11491

1" long tubular red to deep pinkish red flowers tipped in yellow are produced from spring to frost on low compact plants whose semi-trailing stems seem to be weighed down by the profusion of flowers. Along with Vermillionaire™, Honeybells™ Cuphea or Cigar Plant is one of the most exciting Cuphea hybrids to emerge in recent years! Its compact semi-weeping habit make it a perfect hanging basket or container specimen or place it near the front of the border in gardens and landscapes where it is sure to shine throughout the growing season. Honeybells™ Cigar Plant earned the Award of Distinction and the Classic City Award in the 2019 University of Georgia trials and received very high marks, 4.84 out of 5, in 2019 trials at Penn State. Provide a full sun to partly shaded location in an average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soil. The red tubular flowers are sure to draw in hummingbirds and larger butterflies. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, all rights reserved. Item# 11997

Swollen clusters of bright yellow, fragrant flowers of borne from spring to fall on this vigorous growing Butterfly Bush. Honeycomb is probably our favorite yellow flowered Buddleja. Be sure to give it room it is a vigorous growing plant! Item # 968.

Beautiful light pink blooms on a low spreading bush with golden variegated leaves, a marvelous combination. Attracts butterflies. Item # 9006.

A sterile exceptionally free flowering Lantana with a compact well-branched habit and improved vigor over similar cultivars that has received high marks in trials across the US. Hot Blooded™ Red Lantana produces rounded clusters of flowers that open golden yellow, deepen to fiery orange and quickly darken to deep brilliant red. The compact habit lends this Lantana for use in containers as a specimen or in combinations as well as in formal and informal garden and landscape settings. Hot Blooded™ Red Lantana develops into a rounded mound of foliage covered in flowers from spring to fall and the flowers attract a wide variety of pollinators including hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other garden beneficials. Item# 12105

Spikes of red lipped, pure white or occasionally solid red, two-lipped tubular flowers are produced continuously from spring to fall on this durable drought and heat resistant perennial salvia. Hot Lips Salvia develops into a mounding upright to spreading plant that loves the heat and sun. It is considered a hybrid by some but most experts consider it to be a selection of Littleleaf Sage, S. microphylla. Its bicolor flowers attract a variety of pollinators including hummingbirds, butterflies, and larger bees. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile well-draining soil for optimum vigor and flower power. In areas that experience hard freezes plant this Salvia out between early spring to midsummer to ensure winter survival. Hot Lips Salvia was selected as a Royal Horticulture Society Award of Garden Merit Winner for 2015. Item# 3002

Considered by many to be one of the most fragrant Passionvines with a strong gardenia-like perfume emanating from the 2" white flowers that have a purple stripe centered on the frilly corona. May produce delicious passionfruit under good conditions and with cross-pollination. The beautiful silvery-green delicate trilobed foliage makes it a great contrast for darker colored trellises and backdrops. A vigorous growing vine that is adaptive to containers as well. Can be successfully grown indoors. A host plant for the Gulf Fritillary, Variegated Fritillary, Zebra Longwing, and other Heliconian butterflies. Item # 9229.

Dense spikes of fragrant white flowers nearly cover up this dense and compact selection of our native Summersweet and contrast nicely with its deep green foliage. The fragrant flowers attract loads of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. Hummingbird Clethra was selected for its exceptional flower power, as compared to other Clethras, as well as for its dense, compact, naturally rounded habit. Provide Clethras with a well-drained, wet to moist soil. The more direct sunlight you can provide the better the flower show tends to be. In hot summer climates provide shade to filtered shade during the hottest part of the day. Item# 11900

Clusters of 2" deep reddish orange upward facing tubular blooms are born from summer to fall, making this a choice plant for fall migrating Hummingbirds. The bright nectar rich flowers are held on sturdy stems above the beautiful bluish gray velvety foliage on this tough little heat and sun loving perennial. Typically freezes to the ground in winter but readily returns in spring. Drought tolerant once well established and does best in well drained soils. Item# 9563.

This plant covers up in 1" bright cherry red tubular flowers that are tipped in nicely contrasting sunny yellow and are sure to provide a feast of nectar for hummingbirds and other long-tongued pollinators. Hummingbird's Lunch Cuphea is a well-branched, naturally mounding plant to 24"H x 36"W that revels in the heat and sun of summer offering up a riot of continuous color for hanging baskets, window boxes, container specimens, in mixed container gardens as well as in the garden and landscape. This exciting new hybrid Cuphea has received top marks in trials across the US! Provide a full sun to part shade site in a well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of PlantHaven International, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12407

The bluest of the blues! Blue Arrowleaf Sage produces large branching clusters composed of dense spikes of 1" vivid cobalt blue tubular flowers that may be produced nearly throughout the year on this hybrid Salvia. Blue Arrowleaf Sage has large velvety arrowhead shaped aromatic foliage that seems to retain its tidiness throughout the growing season. The nectar rich flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies alike. Grow it in the garden or as as a medium-sized container plant. These amazing images were kindly taken and shared with us by Susan Whitney. Can you spot the Ruby Throat nectaring in the lower left corner? Item# 9949

5" wide rounded clusters of pure white trumpet shaped flowers are held above the dark green mounds of strap-like foliage on short sturdy 24-30" high stems beginning in spring to early summer and continuing into early fall. Ice Angel™ Lily of the Nile or Agapanthus is a newly introduced vigorous hybrid with a medium sized vigorous habit with excellent flower power. It's still compact enough for colorful low-maintenance container specimens as well as adding a tropical feel to the garden and landscape. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds and the plants are deer and rabbit resistant. Provide a full sun to part sun site in an average moist, fertile, well-draining soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of CND Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 12297

Large pure white rounded clusters of white flowers are produced over a long period beginning in late spring to early summer. Ice Ballet Swamp Milkweed, a slightly more compact white flowered selection of the native Asclepias incarnata, is an upright growing, herbaceous perennial that slowly spreads via rhizomes but still plays well with other garden perennials. The species is native to moist habitats and is quite happy in low areas of the garden, as part of the rain garden complex as well as in more naturalistic moist prairies and meadows. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators and the plant is utilized as a host to the Monarch butterfly. Provide a full to mostly sunny site and beyond its preference for moisture it is fairly adaptable. Images courtesy of North Creek Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 12582

1/2"-3/4" wide, white to greenish white, mimosa-like flowers sit atop short stalks that emerge from the leaf axils. The flowers are often followed by an unusual and decorative curling cluster of brown to black seedpods that are excellent for wildlife. The fine, fern-like foliage and stems may also be browsed by wildlife and also serve as the host plant for the Northern and Southern Cloudywing Skipper butterflies. Attracts pollinators. Item# 10459.

Award winning flower power! Tall dense spikes of fuchsia to red foxglove flowers with contrasting orange, pale yellow, to cream colored throats that are overlaid with dark flecking and are produced from mid to late spring until fall attracting hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators. Illumination™ Flame Digiplexis was the first of these now highly popular cross-generic hybrids between the tropical Canary Island Isoplexis (now classified as a Digitalis) and Digitalis purpurea producing a vigorous exceptionally free flowering hybrid. This is a rosette forming perennial with large medium-green quilted foliage that is resistant to rust and other foliar diseases common to typical Foxgloves. These new longer flowering hybrids can be added to the garden and landscape but also make showy container specimens. Illumination™ Flame Digiplexis is considered hardy in zone 8B-10, in colder climates it makes a worthy annual or it can be overwintered in a cool, brightly lit area preferably with direct sunlight. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12570

Large clusters of light apricot, white, and soft yellow flowers with contrasting dark flecks on the three inner petals sit atop sturdy stems and are produced from late spring or early summer into fall attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The Inca Ice^™ Alstroemeria or Peruvian Lilies were developed for the garden and have proven to be vigorous and reliable perennials even into zone 5. This is a rhizomatous slowly spreading, sun to part shade tolerant perennial that can be utilized for summer to fall color in the garden and landscape as well as for showy, low-maintenance container specimens. Alstroemerias prefer an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil and tend to be sturdiest in sun to part shade locations. Where summers are hot consider providing shade or filtered shade during the hottest part of the day. These also serve as long-lasting and popular fresh cut flowers. Images courtesy of Könst Alstroemeria B.V., all rights reserved. Item# 12565

Large clusters of deep purple flowers, with dark flecking and contrasting white on the lower half of the inner most petals, sit atop sturdy stems and are produced from late spring or early summer into fall attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The Inca Noble™ Alstroemeria or Peruvian Lilies were developed for the garden and have proven to be vigorous and reliable perennials even into zone 5. This is a rhizomatous slowly spreading, sun to part shade tolerant perennial that can be utilized for summer to fall color in the garden and landscape as well as for showy, low-maintenance container specimens. Alstroemerias prefer an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil and tend to be sturdiest where they receive at least 4 hours of direct sunlight. *In hot summer climates consider providing shade or filtered shade during the hottest part of the day. These also serve as long-lasting and popular fresh cut flowers. Images courtesy of Könst Alstroemeria B.V., all rights reserved. Item# 12564

Long spikes of deep indigo, tubular flowers are borne continuously from spring to frost on this vigorous perennial Salvia. Indigo Spires has long been one of our favorites and is a reliable performer in the landscape producing a 2-4 high plant with medium green foliage. The nectar rich flowers provide fodder for a variety of pollinators including hummingbirds, butterflies, and a variety of bees but especially bumblebees in our gardens. The flower color may appear more purple or more blue to different people, in this case it is all in the eye of the beholder. Item# 909.

In mid to late summer large clusters of frilly deep purple flowers sit atop short sturdy stems that are covered in fine dark green narrow foliage giving this tough as nails perennial as soft pleasing texture even when not in flower. Iron Butterfly Ironweed is as tough as its name implies, even though this is a selection of a rare species, it can tolerate short periods of drought or periodic inundation with ease. A nice tightly clump forming perennial from the works of Dr. Allen Armitage and the UGA horticulture program. The flowers provide much needed late summer fodder for bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. Item# 10929.

Jacob Cline is one of the more reliable selections of Scarlet Bee Balm producing large clusters of brilliant red tubular flowers atop sturdy 3-4' stems in summer. Considered to be one of the most vigorous and disease resistant cultivars available. A clump-forming, slowly spreading winter deciduous perennial that enjoys moist but well-drained soils and ample sunlight. A hummingbird magnet! Item# 10541.

A summer long display of upward facing nearly 2" wide sunny yellow daisies with an orange eye are held on short sturdy stems atop the medium green foliage. JEWEL™ Citrine Coreopsis is a clump forming perennial that is a hybrid of US native species and was developed for its low compact habit, excellent flower power, and excellent disease resistance. It is suitable for formal or informal cottage garden settings and perennial borders and is especially showy when planted in mass as well as an easy a rewarding container specimen. JEWEL™ Citrine Coreopsis is a heat and sunloving plant whose flowers are sure to attract bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. Provide an average to well-drained, fertile soil and average moisture for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Images courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12209