Butterflies are attracted by certain, specific plants. Two kinds of plants… host plants that they lay eggs on, and nectar-producing plants that the adult butterflies need for food.
To attract butterflies to your garden you must begin, however, with the host plants they need. These are the only plant species that the mother lays eggs on, since the larvae (caterpillars) can only eat these specific plants. An example is the Monarch butterfly and their host plant – milkweed (including butterfly weed). Milkweed contains a mild toxin to which the young caterpillar is immune. He ingests it, however; and so does…
As the name suggests, these plants are the ones that attract mature butterflies to feed on nectar, which is their primary source of food in this last stage of their life.
| Abelia | Coneflower | Heuchera (Coral Bells) | Penstemon | Sunflower |
| Agastache | Coreopsis | Honeysuckle | Pentas | Turk's Cap |
| Autumn Sage ( Salvia greggii) | Daylily | Lantana | Phlox | Verbena |
| Bee Balm | Desert Willow | Lavender | Pincushion Flower | Vitex |
| Black-eyed Susan | Dianthus |
Deer Resistant Plants
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are few, if any, plants that can be called truly deer proof. The following are some plants deer often avoid, but if deer are hungry enough, they’ll eat just about anything.
Annuals and Perennials
| Ageratum | Dusty Miller | Mexican Mint Marigold |
| Angel Trumpet | Ferns (most) | Mexican Oregano |
| Artemisia | Four Nerve Daisy | Mums |
| Autumn Sage | Gomphrena | Rock Rose |
| Bearded Iris | Hummingbird Bush | …
Flowers are a beautiful and natural way to attract hummingbirds. Here are some plants (listed by common name) you can plant to get the hummingbirds coming to your garden.
| Agastache | Desert Willow | Pincushion Flower |
| Aloe Vera | Esperanza | Pineapple Sage |
| Althea-Rose of Sharon | Firebush | Plumbago |
| Autumn Sage (Salvia Greggii) | Flame Acanthus | Pomegranate |
| Azalea | Foxglove | Pride of Barbados |
| Beard Tongue | Fuchsia | Red Hot Poker |
| Bee Balm… |
HERBS
Citronella (Geranium) – Sun
Lemon Grass – Sun to Part-Shade
Rosemary – Sun
Lavender – Sun
Lemon Thyme – Sun
Catnip – Sun to Part-Shade
Catmint – Sun to Part-Shade
Lemon Balm – Sun to Part-Shade
Basil – Sun to Part-Shade
Mint – Sun to Part-Shade
Bee Balm (Monarda) – Sun
Lemon Verbena – Sun
Eucalyptus (Lemon or Silver) – Sun
Garlic – Sun
Mexican Mint Marigold – Sun to Part-Shade
Nasturtium – Sun to Part-Shade
FLOWERS
Marigolds…
