The birds and the bees

main_hummingbird

Frankly speaking, your spring garden is Match.com when it comes to attracting pollinators. Birds and beneficial insects are the most common pollinators, but when it comes to doing the heavy lifting, the honeybee reigns for her ability to handle the elaborate mechanisms required for plants to propagate. There’s a reason she’s called a Queen.

Different pollinators seek different characteristics in flowering plants. Hummingbirds like brightly colored tubular flowers and nectar. Bees like flowers with a landing platform.
To attract pollinators in your garden and enjoy the company of birds and beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies and other good bugs for your garden, Lambert’s recommends the following plants and flowers – orga

nically

cared for, of course:

Selected plants to attract Hummingbirds to the home garden:
Texas Sage- Salvia greggii
Mexican Bush Sage- Salvia leucanthaBlue Sage- Salvia guaranitica
Trumpet Creeper- Campsis radicans
Coral Honeysuckle- Lonicera sempervirens
Cross Vine- Bignonia capreolataStar Hibiscus- Hibiscus coccineusFlame Acanthus- Anisacanthus quadrifidus
Red Yucca- Hesperaloe parviflora
Turks Cap- Malvaviscus drummondii

Selected plants to attract Butterflies to the home garden: plants listed for Hummingbirds above, plus:
Abelia- Abelia grandifloraLantana- Lantana camara
Butterfly Bush- Buddleia davidii
Purple Coneflower- Echinacea purpurea
Summer Phlox- Phlox paniculata
Duranta- Duranta erecta
Pentas- Pentas lanceolata

Selected food plants for Butterfly larvae:
Butterfly Weed/ Milkweeds –Asclepias species- Monarch
Passion Vine/ Passiflora incarnata- Gulf Frittillary
Parsley / Dill / Fennel- Black Swallowtail
American Elm- Mourning Cloak and Painted Lady
Citrus Plants- Giant Swallowtail

This entry was posted in Cuttings. Bookmark the permalink.