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How to Attract Birds and Butterflies

Attracting native birds, butterflies, and pollinating insects is easy provided you choose the plants they want and need. All native plants are extremely important to insects and birds, whether providing nectar to pollinating bees and butterflies, food to caterpillars or nutrition for birds. The species highlighted here are particularly popular with wildlife.
Look for species in our catalogs marked with

Butterfly/Insect Favorites
Agastache species – Hyssops
Allium species – Onions
Amorpha species – Lead Plant, et.al.
Aquilegia canadensis – Columbine
Asclepias species – Milkweeds
Aster species – Asters
Baptisia species – Indigos
Campanula americana – Tall Bellflower
Cassia hebecarpa – Wild Senna
Ceanothus americanus – New Jersey Tea
Coreopsis species – Coreopsis
Delphinium species – Larkspurs
Echinacea species – Coneflowers
Eupatorium species – Joe Pye Weed, et.al.
Helianthus/Heliopsis species- Sunflowers
Liatris species – Blazing Stars
Lobelia cardinalis, L. siphilitica – Cardinal Flower, Great Blue Lobelia
Monarda species – Wild Bergamot, Bradbury’s Monarda (Bee Balms)
Penstemon species – Beardtongues
Petalostemum (Dalea) species – Prairie Clovers
Phlox species – Phlox
Pycnanthemum species – Mountain Mints
Ratibida species – Coneflowers
Rudbeckia species – Black-eyed Susans
Silphium species – Compass Plant, et. al.
Solidago species – Goldenrods
Tradescantia species – Spiderworts
Verbena species – Vervains
Vernonia species – Ironweeds
Viola species – Violets
Zizia species – Golden Alexanders
Hummingbird Favorites
Aquilegia canadensis – Columbine
Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly Weed
Astragalus canadensis – Canada Milk Vetch
Campanula rotundifolia – Harebell
Chelone glabra – Turtlehead
Delphinium species – Larkspurs
Echinacea species – Coneflowers
Lilium michiganense – Michigan Lily
Lobelia cardinalis, L. siphilitica – Cardinal Flower, Great Blue Lobelia
Monarda species – Wild Bergamot (Bee Balms)
Penstemon species – Beardtongues
Physostegia virginiana – Obedient Plant
Silene regia – Royal Catchfly

Starter potted plant ‘kits’ are available in 38-pot trays to cover approximately 50 sq. ft. Our Butterfly and Hummingbird Kit for Dry or Moist soils are specially designed with numerous native wildflowers and grasses with varying bloom times to attract and sustain native insects and birds.

For further study, consider starting by reading ‘Bringing Nature Home’ by Doug Tallamy.