::Butterflies and Hummingbirds::
Each species of
butterfly has its own favorite flower, thereby making it possible
to attract your favorites to your garden just by planting
specific plants. Butterflies can identify their favorite plants
from miles away, so if you keep your garden blooming, the
butterflies will not only come, but they will stay. You can also
attract butterflies to a window box just by providing their
favorite blooms. To create a sanctuary for butterflies in your
backyard, you need to include food plants for both the adult
butterflies and their young. Each butterfly species seeks out its
own favorite plant on which to lay eggs. Butterflies start out in
a larval stage as caterpillars. While in this stage, they will
spend their day eating your plants. But remember, if you want
butterflies in your garden, the larvae need to mature. So don't
eliminate the caterpillars; first find a good reference manual to
learn which caterpillars are the butterfly larvae. Then you can
determine whether or not your caterpillars are the butterfly
larvae that you want in your garden. It's a good idea to plant
extras so you won't miss the plants that the caterpillars have
eaten. Once the caterpillars in your garden turn into
butterflies, they'll need a sweet treat, water, and sunning
spots. Set a shallow dish of wet sand in an open, sunny area in
your garden for butterflies to drink from. Large, flat rocks that
will absorb the sun's rays, will also attract butterflies who
will land here to warm themselves. Plant your butterfly garden
away from the windy areas.
Butterflies Favorite Plants:
| Monarch: milkweed |
Black Swallowtail: parsley family, phlox |
Comma: elm, willow |
| Buckeye: aster, chicory |
Sulphur: clover, goldenrod |
Red Admiral: nettle |
| Mourning Cloak: poplar, elm, willow |
White Admiral: poplar |
Viceroy: poplar, willow |
| Painted Lady: thistle, aster |
Fritillary: violet |
Fiery Skipper: aster, lantana, marigold |
| Gray Hairstreak: goldenrod, milkweed, clover |
Sleepy Orange: shepherd's needle |
Tiger Swallowtail: lilac, honeysuckle, butterfly weed |
Hummingbirds have specific feeding needs as their diet is
almost completely made up of nectar. Bright-colored,
trumpet-shaped flowers in red, orange, and pink are mostly likely
to entice the hummingbirds. The trumpet-shaped blooms allow them
to dip their long beaks in for a sip of nectar. Hummingbirds are
not shy and will also visit window boxes and hanging planters.
Place a window box filled with red trumpet plants outside your
window to view hummingbirds up close. In addition to flowers,
hummingbirds love the sweet, sugar-water treat from a hummingbird
feeder. You can buy commercially-prepared hummingbird
"nectar," or mix up a batch of your own using the
recipe below. Since hummingbirds like the color red, most mixes
are red. If you mix your own, make sure your feeder has red on it
to attract the hummers. Don't fill the feeder more than half
full. Make sure your hummingbird feeder is high enough off the
ground to protect it from the animals and place it in a shaded
area, amid shrubs or trees to help keep the nectar from
fermenting when it gets warm. You should clean your feeder and
add new nectar every couple days. After setting up your feeder,
be patient; it will take a few days for hummingbirds to find you.
NECTAR RECIPE
1 part sugar
4 parts water
Boil for about 2 minutes, let cool and store in refrigerator.
Never use honey or artificial sweeteners. Honey will ferment
easily, and is not healthy for the hummers. Artificial sweeteners
have no food value. Feeder Care: Clean and change the nectar every 2-3 days, and
check for mold every day. If you find mold (black spots) you will
need to scrub the feeder with a good bottle brush, or add some
sand and water and shake the feeder to remove the mold. Never use
harsh detergent to clean your feeder. Rinse well with hot water
each time you change your nectar. Clean the feeder on a regular
basis and you should not have a problem with mold.
Hummingbirds Favorite Plants
Plant as many varieties of the following to
attract hummingbirds to your yard:
Flowers:
| Cardinal Flower |
Lantana |
Columbine |
Fuchsias |
| Impatiens |
Coral-Bells |
Hollyhocks |
Penstemen |
| Petunia |
Nicotania |
Geranium |
Begonia |
Shrubs:
| Azaleas |
Butterfly Bush |
Flowering Quince |
Honeysuckle |
Weigela |
Trees:
| Flowering Crab |
Tulip Poplar |
Locust |
Eucalyptus |
Vines:
| Honeysuckle |
Morning Glory |
Trumpet Creeper |
Trumpet Honeysuckle |
Please visit my others:
My Faerie pages:
And still more:
Skye's Realm 1999-2008
| |
