Watching the rapid flutter of hummingbird wings and colorful butterflies landing on flowers is a beautiful sight to behold. It's especially pleasurable when you can enjoy the sight of the tiny birds and butterflies right in your own back and front yard.
By selecting the right perennials that's exactly what you can do. There are varieties and cultivars to grow as perennials in USDA planting zones 8 and higher. Even if you live in a colder planting zone – don’t let that stop you. Plant the perennials as outdoor annuals, or plant them in containers and bring them indoors when winter sets in.
Plant the Chinese Hibiscus Shrub to Attract Butterflies
The Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) has bright and bold flowers that are as attractive to humans as they are to butterflies and hummingbirds. This plant grows as a perennial shrub in zones 9 to 11. Although each flower will only bloom for a few days, you will hardly notice when blooms fade because the shrub continues to produce a steady and bountiful display of blooms from spring to fall, surrounded by glossy green leaves. Hibiscus is generally easy to care for as long as it receives frequent watering and fertilization. It can be trained to grow as an informal hedge if you give it frequent pruning.
Plant Chinese hibiscus near a pool or pond to give your butterfly and hummingbird garden a tropical look. An Asian theme is another great theme for your garden. Plant Chinese hibiscus at the border of a Koi pond, dry rock creek or fountain, and to decorate the grounds at the base of a Japanese-style garden bridge. You can watch for butterflies and hummingbirds from the bridge and take pictures of them as they search for nectar. And you can plant the hibiscus near a Buddha statue and rub his belly for good luck in attracting the butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden.
Bring Hummingbirds to Your Home with a Hummingbird Bush
The hummingbird bush (Hamelia patens) also goes by common names including Mexican fire bush and firecracker shrub, to correlate to the plant's bright red and orange colored blooms. Hummingbirds are attracted to the plant's vibrant color and sweet nectar. The plant will bloom from the beginning of summer straight through until the first frost in zones 8 to 11. It will grow as a hardy perennial in zones 10 and higher, where climates are closer in similarity to its native environments of Mexico, Central and South America. Plant the hummingbird bush in well-draining soil. Transfer to a container in zones where nighttime temperatures drop below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit to overwinter indoors.
Flowers Loved By Butterflies and Hummingbirds
Cinderella swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata "Cinderella") is a good choice to attract hummingbirds and the Monarch butterfly to your garden. The plant grows in a clump formation with very attractive clusters of rose-pink flowers. It is a perfect cutting plant to make floral arrangements. Flowers have a sweet vanilla scent. Be patient for blooms, as Cinderella will not display her petals until the late spring or summer. Flowers will continue to bloom through fall. Plant in a full sun location.
Attract Both with a Red or Pink Flowering Maple Tree
Plant Abutilon x hybridum "Nabob," commonly referred to as the red flowering maple to give hummingbirds and butterflies a "high rise" home in your landscape. The plant can reach a height of up to ten feet as long as you don’t overdo it when it comes to pruning. The tree is cold hardy and grows as a perennial in USDA zones 8 to 10. Abutilon is a very dramatic and showy plant with drooping crimson red flowers with a crepe paper like texture. Plant the red flowering maple in a location that receives morning sun and afternoon shade to keep the deep green leaves from wilting. Keep the soil moist, especially in summer. If you’re more interested in a pink palette, you can plant a pink flowering maple (Abutilon x hybridum ‘Roseus’) in to attract both butterflies and hummingbirds. This maple hybrid that can tolerate either a full or partial sun location, and thrives well in zones 8 to 12.
Resources for additional information:
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis
- Perennials That Attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds
- Pink Flowering Maple
Cheryl Munson - Writer/Creative Director, with over 20 years experience working on brands and services you know as well as your ABCs, including (but not ...
