Plants Attractive to Butterflies and Humming Birds 

General information for attracting and hosting birds and butterflies to your garden.

Other steps can be taken to make a yard or garden more hospitable to butterflies, moths and hummingbirds. To supplement flower nectar, cover a shallow pan with plastic scouring pads then fill the pan with a solution of hummingbird food. Butterflies will light on the pads and drink the solution. Overripe fruit also may attract birds and butterflies but will also attract bees and wasps. Do not allow children to loiter around fruit that is placed outside for the purposes of attracting wildlife.

Water is essential to attracting animal life. An abundant and reliable source of water will condition animals to visit your yard. Birdbaths, water dispensers and pools are ideal. The sound of running or dripping water also will attract birds and other wildlife.

Many birds regularly dust themselves in shallow depressions with loose soil (dust) the birds lie in the dust, roll and ruffle their feathers the ensure the dust coats them down to the skin. The dust mixes with dander, loose feathers, oils from the skin, and parasites. When the bird stands and shakes it is removing these things from its body. You can dedicate a small portion of your garden for a dust bath. Do it in a raised area of 2-4 square feet. Block it off with rock, blocks or some other low, decorative material. Plain dry loose dirt is fine, but you may mix sand, ash and loam in equal parts if you wish. Be sure to place your dust box away from cover so that cats or other predators can not ambush the birds while they are dust bathing.

Many butterfly and moth species pupate in sheltered crevices. You may stack small logs (3”-5” in diameter) in a crosswise fashion then cover the stack with sheet metal or some other material to keep the wood dry. A word of caution: many species of spider and insect also are attracted to woodpiles so do not place too near your home your butterfly nursery. Rock walls and aging wood with loose bark also provide save and attractive shelters for pupating moths and butterflies.

Many birds, including orioles, are attracted to fruits. Make berries, raises, dehydrated fruit, apple or orange halves available to encourage visits from these birds. Nuts also provide a good source of fat and protein particularly in the winter. Other supplemental foods such as suet and seeds are important particularly in winter when plants are dormant.

Groundcovers, evergreens, vines, shrubs and trees in a range of sizes provide cover, perches, roosts, shelter and nesting sites for birds. A variety of plant-life also encourages a diverse insect population that will support a variety of birds.

Finally, hummingbirds get most of their fat and protein from small insects such as spiders and ants. The availability of these food items will encourage hummingbirds to frequent your garden. For the safety of butterflies, moths, hummingbirds and their prey species, minimize or avoid the use of chemical pesticides near your garden.

Recommended plants for attracting birds and butterflies in regions west and south of the Midwest. Many of the suggestions for the west and some for the south are hardy in zones 5 and 6 and could reasonably be expected to survive in the St. Louis area.