Our top 9 plants for butterflies, bees, & hummingbirds
It is always exciting to watch visitors, like birds, butterflies and bees, enjoying our gardens! Besides being fun to watch, they are also pollinators that are essential for the health of our gardens – especially our food producing plants and trees.
Milkweed (Asclepias)
Though this meadow-like flower attracts both bees and butterflies, milkweed is also well known for being the only plant to sustain the monarch butterfly. Attracts: Bees & butterflies
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
The butterfly bush is sure to attract the winged visitors of its namesake with its large conical flower clusters that last all summer long. New varieties of butterfly bush do not seed themselves and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Attracts: Butterflies & bees
Yarrow (Achillea)
These leggy flowers add a touch of whimsy and a pop of colour to your garden. Attracts: Bees & butterflies
Catmint (Nepeta)
Catmint is related to catnip, but much more showy, your feline friends will thank you for adding this drought resistant plant to your garden, and so will the butterflies and bees. Catmint blooms are purple-blue and long lasting. Attracts: Bees & butterflies
Skimmia
This all-time-favourite flowering shade plant has glossy green leaves year round. In the spring skimmia has large conical bunches of tiny flowers that give a sweet and sophisticated fragrance.
Attracts: Bees
Lavender (Lavandula)
Lavender is the classic Mediterranean beauty whose flowers and foliage also smell fresh and fragrant. Attracts: Butterflies & bees.
Find out how to choose your favourite lavender variety in our blog post here.
Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
Hummingbirds show a preference for trumpet shaped flowers and they love calibrachoa - a colourful annual for the sun. Next time you are in the store, look up, and you’ll probably see them zooming overhead from basket to basket. Attracts: Hummingbirds
Find more hummingbird friendly plants in our fun blog post over here.
Honeysuckle Vines (Lonicera)
The honeysuckle is a sweet smelling vine that is known to be a quick and easy grower. Attracts: Bees, hummingbirds and songbirds.
Coppertips (Crocosmia)
Add a little bit of drama to your garden with coppertips. They are hummingbird magnets and have been known to cause these passionate and territorial birds to get quite feisty in the garden.
Attracts: Hummingbirds
Looking for more tips on making your yard friendly for pollinators? Check out our helpful blog post on keeping your garden attractive for bees over here!