Attract Butterflies & Hummingbirds

My grandparents had an extremely large property in northern Utah with tons of fruit trees, a vegetable garden and various crops. As a kid I a wealth of landscape loved gorging myself on the knowledge and experience. Connect with Nick at 435-773-6456 or raspberries, strawberries, cherry tomatoes and other fruits and landscape@swmlife.com vegetables. But I especially remember laying on the grass near some large honeysuckle bushes, pulling the flowers of the bush and sucking the sweet nectar off the back of the flower. I was regularly joined by beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds that would come and spend time eating along with me. Attracting hummingbirds and butterflies is something a lot of people try to do, and can make your yard even more enjoyable. How can you attract more butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard? Butterflies need nectar-rich plants so they have food. They prefer flowers with flat to round umbels, where they can rest and warm their wings and find a meal. Butterflies are very nearsighted so colors such as violet, blue, green and red will help attract them to your yard. A vibrant plant here and there is not going to hack it. It will have to be a lot of color to make them want to stop and stay. You will also need puddles of water for drinking and cooling off (they prefer muddy water), and small open logs for shelter. Be aware that butterflies are also on the lookout for a safe place for their offspring, so be sure to include some plants you don’t mind being eaten by feeding caterpillars. Dill and parsley are good choices, and be sure to include some milkweed if you’re trying to attract monarch butterflies.

Hummingbirds need nectar-rich plants; because of their long bill and tongue they are attracted toward tubular-shaped flowers. Just as butterflies, they have a preference for colors and they lean towards red flowers, although other flowers with a strong color will attract them too. For water, hummingbirds like a soft mist from a fountain or waterfall. Placing water near your plants is sure to engage them. Hummingbirds use a lot of energy to move their wings, so they are always hungry; as with butterflies, hummingbirds tend to lean towards large clusters of nectar-rich plants so that they can move from one to another quickly. Another way to draw them in is to use a hummingbird feeder.

Nectar filled favorites

Butterflies: Butterfly bush Daisy Coneflower Goldenrod Aster

Hummingbirds Bee Balm Morning Glory Trumpet Creeper Columbine Penstemon