Show your butterfly and hummingbird gardens/plants

[SpookyShoe]

The milkweed looked pretty chewed up. The sign says "National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. This property is recognized for it's commitment to sustainably provide essential elements of wildlife habitat: food, water, cover, and places to raise young."

Donna, Texas Gulf Coast

[Salsacharley]

Great pics!

[Gardenboy]

Being a neighbor to Marsha, I always have tropical milkweed seeds if anyone would like some. They bloom pretty much year round. Swallowtail and Monarch butterfly larvae love to eat the leaves.

[SpookyShoe]

Still no hummingbirds from the fall migration, but they should be here any minute now. I'm ready for them. Meanwhile, here's a bee on a dwarf pomegranate. The hummers like this also.

Donna, Texas Gulf Coast, zone 9

[SpookyShoe]

The internet says that butterflies and hummingbirds love these nectar-rich blooms (so it MUST be true ), but I have seen no evidence of it.

Donna, Texas Gulf Coast

[GrowingCoastal]

Interesting looking plants. What are they?

[SpookyShoe]

Originally Posted by GrowingCoastal

Interesting looking plants. What are they?

The ones with the yellow blooms are shrimp plant (Justicia). They also come in hot pink or orange blooms. The ones with the lavender stalks are liriope, probably liriope muscari. I've heard it called lilyturf and monkey grass.

Donna

[GrowingCoastal]

Are there hummingbirds around where you are now? They are reputed to like the Justicia. Thought that's what it was but couldn't quite see them clearly. Not familiar with them growing in the ground. They are sometimes found as potted plants here . I had an orange one once. Lovely plants.

[greenthumbomaha]

I heard the hummingbirds were here in Omaha last week. I saw a hummingbird moth go from plant to plant on my stand of Dames Rocket, exciting! I was just about to pull it out when I noticed movement. I learned/confirmed on here it was invasive but now it is a keeper, within reason. They did not visit my agastache which is an annual here most years.

- Lisa

[GrowingCoastal]

There are several Anna's males around here and they will stay all winter visiting feeders and singing their raspy song. I have been seeing one Rufous lately and am a bit surprised she has not yet flown south. Maybe she is waiting for the smoke to clear. I heard that the Rufous are in decline, sadly. That explains why I have not seen too many this year and last.

[Salsacharley]

Here's a web cam with a huge variety of hummers.

http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channe..._Hummingbirds/

[SpookyShoe]

I picked up this magazine at Home Depot. I was picking up some things for a bathroom remodel. I should have hummingbirds by now passing through on their fall migration, but I haven't seen nor heard any . I have two feeders out.

I wonder if the ring works?

Donna, Texas Gulf Coast

[GrowingCoastal]

They seem to have their own schedule and might be a little late or early by our standards but not theirs.

As per the mag, I always use sugar and water, no dyes or packaged stuff. The sugar is upped for cold winter months then reduced for summer. At present mine are not using feeders much but will as soon as it cools down. Feeders help them thrive rather than just survive our winters here. Otherwise, it is said that their diet consists of up to 80% insects.
With the bugs, feeders and flowers they have enough extra energy for chasing each other around the neighbourhood away from favourite flowers.

[GrowingCoastal]

Oh, yes, after seeing many videos online of hummingbirds feeding out of people's hands I think the rings might work if there are enough birds around and the wearer was still and patient enough.

[bower]

It hasn't been a big butterfly year for us. There were a few around in early spring and then we had that snow in June... since then I've hardly seen any. But today was a butterfly day. I saw a red admiral this morning, and this afternoon, a couple of commas on a sunny patch of oregano. Got this pic of the Comma on mallow.
And the Painted Lady is from last week, but didn't catch her on the flowers, only when she landed on the gravel!