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Botany

(70,281 posts)
16. I plant and plan butterfly/humming birds gardens for a living
Sat Jan 19, 2013, 01:10 AM
Jan 2013

Do not plant a butterfly bush .... non native and invasive use Itea viginica
(sweet spire) instead ...... the white flowers are butterfly magnates and it is a native
shrub .... it likes wet feet

how many hours per day of sunlight do you get in the area you want to
plant? and at what time of day do you get the sun? can you prune or
cut down some brush in order to get more sunlight?

If you have room a Hop tree is nice because it helps the swallowtail butterflies

new england aster is a hit w/monarch butterflies

swamp milkweed (wet feet ..... like by a down spout) and w/ enough sun
it is a host for the monarch butterfly

although not native a hanging basket w/ lantana will bring in humming birds

trumpet vine .... if you have the room is a great native

beardtongue penstemon and false indigo rock too

purple coneflower is a good one too.

some of the native goldenrods are good too

http://www.vnps.org/ contact this group for more info






Your state, like most states, has a Master Gardener program The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2013 #1
+1 for the Master Gardners! Scuba Jan 2013 #3
thanks. I'm not 20 miles from our state arboretum, but I just have no spare time to Flaxbee Jan 2013 #5
You definitely should have a butterfly bush. Curmudgeoness Jan 2013 #2
Grow plants from the milkweed family (Asclepias). The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2013 #4
OK - same question as above? Do I seek out already-grown/mature plants? Flaxbee Jan 2013 #7
thanks. Definitely will seek them out Flaxbee Jan 2013 #6
Buy a bush. Curmudgeoness Jan 2013 #8
good to know. Flaxbee Jan 2013 #11
You really only need one, and they grow well. Curmudgeoness Jan 2013 #15
I usually buy plants rather than seeds. The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2013 #9
Because of where you live kurtzapril4 Jan 2013 #10
thanks very much. I am a huge fan of xeriscaping (coming from Palm Springs, CA where Flaxbee Jan 2013 #12
i am trying to find time to look into a bee hotel. mopinko Jan 2013 #13
Milkweed and Bee Balm ginnyinWI Jan 2013 #14
I plant and plan butterfly/humming birds gardens for a living Botany Jan 2013 #16
what a wonderful way to make a living. Flaxbee Mar 2013 #20
Hi. bvar22 Jan 2013 #17
hey bvar22, how are things? Flaxbee Mar 2013 #21
I'm a novice too Trascoli Mar 2013 #18
Flaxbee, I grew up in West Virginia and we had several Tanuki Mar 2013 #19
under my picture window is a perennial that looks like BIG forget-me-nots grasswire Mar 2013 #22
Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Gardening»I'd like to create a bee/...»Reply #16