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.