The Butterfly, Hummingbird, Beneficial Insects Flowers

[John3]

After much searching I have put together a list of Butterfly, Hummingbird, Beneficial Insects Flowers and Plants. This basic list is of about 268 plants. There are a few trees listed. I am working on separating the flowers into perennials and annuals. If you see any flowers that you know to be perennial or an annual appreciate you posting them.

(Aesculus pavia) - Perennial [shrub]
Abelia - Perennial [shrub]
Alfalfa
Alpine cinquefoil
American Holly - Tree
andromeda (Pieris Japonica) bush - Perennial [shrub]
Angelica
apple - Tree
Arugula
aspen
Azalea
baby blue eyes
Basket of Gold - Perennial
Beard Tongue (and other penstemons)
Bee Balm (Monarda) - Perennial
Bird's Eye - Annual
Black-Eyed Susan - Annual
blanket flower
Bloodflower
Blue Berry Bush
Blue Cardinal Flower
Blue Mist
Bog Sage
Boneset
Borage
Brazilian Verbena
Broccoli - Annual
Buckeye
Buckwheat
Butter and eggs
Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Butterfly weed
cabbage (mustard family)
Califorina poppy
California Buckwheat
California Coffeeberry
California Lilac
Calliopsis
Canary Bird Bush
Canna
Cape Honeysuckle
Cape Mallow
Caraway
Cardinal Flower
Carlifornia Gilia
Carpet bugleweed
carrot
Catmint
Catnip
Cherry
Chinese Houses
chokecherry
Citrus
cleome
clovers
Coast Buckwheat
Collards
Columbine
Common Buckeye
Common Dandelion
Common Milkweed
Common Sage
Common yarrow
Coral Bells
Coral Honeysuckle
Coreopsis
Coriander
Cornflower
Cosmos
Cosmos white sensation
cottonwood
Coyote Mint
Crane's Bill
Creeping Wood Sorrel
Crimson thyme
Cypress Vine
Daisy Fleabane
Dame's Rocket
Dandelion
Day Lily
deerweed
Delphinium
Dill
Dogbane
Dusty Miller
Dwarf alpine aster
Edging lobelia
Elegant Clarkia
Elegant Madia
elm
English lavender
false indigo
false loosestrifes
false nettles
Fennel
Fern-leaf yarrow
Feverfew
Firespike
Flame Acanthus
Flowering Quince
Four O'Clocks
Four-wing saltbush
Foxglove
Fuchsia
Gaillardia
Garlic Chives
gerardias
Germander
Germander Sage
Globe Amaranth
Globe Gilia
Globe Thistle
Gloriosa daisy
Gold Coin
Golden Chamomile
Golden marguerite
Goldmarie
Grasses
Green ash
Ground Ivy
Gumplant
Gumweed
Hackberry
Hairy vetch
hawthorn
Heath Aster
Hedgenettle
Heliotrope
hollyhock
Hollyleafed
hops
Horehound
Hosta
Hummingbird Mint (Agastache)
Impatiens
Jacobiana
Jewelweed
Joe-Pye Weed
Korean Hummingbird Mint
Lamb's Ear
Lantana
Late-flowering Boneset
Lavender
Lavender globe lily
lead plant
Lemon balm
Liatris
Licorice Mint
Lindley Blazing Star
Little Cigar
locust
Lomatium
Lupine
Mallow
Many plants in mustard and cabbage family
Manzanita
Marigold
Marigold - lemon gem
Marjoram
marsh mallows
Masterwort
maximillian sunflower
Mexican Sunflower
Midnight Penstemon
Milkweed
Mimosa
Mint
Mist Flower
Monch
Morning Glory
Mountain Laurel
Mustard Greens
nasturtium
nettle
New England Aster
New York Ironweed
Nuttall's violet
oak - Tree
Orange stonecrop
Oregano
Oriental Lilies
Ornamental Cassia
pansy
Parsley
Pawpaw
pea
pellitory
Pennyroyal
Penstemon
Peter Pan goldenrod
Petunia
Phacelia
Phacelia Grandiflora
Phlox
Pincushion Flower
Pink Turtlehead
pink gas plant
plantains
Poached egg plant
Point Reyes Horkelia
poplar
prairie clover
Prairie sunflower
Privet
Purple Coneflower
Purple poppy mallow
Queen Anne's lace
Radishes
Red Buckeye
Red Clover
Redberry
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
rose mallows
Rosemary
Russian Sage
Salvia
Salvia "Blue Bedder"
San Miguel Island Buckwheat
sassafrass
Scarlet Runner Bean
Scented Geranium
Sea Holly
Sedum (Autumn Joy)
Sedum spurium & album Stonecrops
shasta daisy
Showy Coneflower
Shrimp Plant
Slender Sunflower
Small White Aster
Smooth Aster
snapdragons
Some may be annuals or
Spearmint
spice bush
Spike speedwell
Statice
Stiff Goldenrod
Sulfur cinquefoil
Sunflowers
Swamp Milkweed
Sweet alyssum - white
Sweet Fennel
Sweet Pepperbush
sycamore - Tree
Tall Goldenrod
Tansy
Tansy Phacelia
Thistle
Thyme
Tickseed Sunflower
Tithonia
Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower)
Toadflax
Tree Tobacco
Trumpet Creeper
Tumble mustard
Turk's Cap
Valerian
Various Salvia species
Verbena
vetch
Weigela
White Clover
Wild Bergamot
wild blue indigo
Wild cherry
Wild licorice
Willow
Wingstem
Winter Cress
Wood betony
Yarrow - Perennial
Yucca
Zinnia
Zinnia - liliput

[jennifer28]

John
Excellent list. As an amateur beekeeper, I have these to add:

andromeda (Pieris Japonica) bush
nasturtium
blanket flower
cosmos
pink gas plant
shasta daisy
baby blue eyes
wild blue indigo
maximillian sunflower
cleome

I very much dislike vetch. I find it too agressive. But there is some on my property.

Oh and I want to just add that I personally love pink daffodils, especially because I took a picture of one today for my avatar.

[John3]

Originally Posted by jennifer28

I very much dislike vetch. I find it too agressive. But there is some on my property.

Aggressive does that also mean evasive?

Thanks for the bee attracting plants I'll add to the list

That is one pretty daffodil.

ok the plants you listed have been added to the list - Thanks

[jennifer28]

Thank you for the compliment on my daffodil avatar. It is a daffodil replete, very easy to find at any big online garden web site. By agressive I do mean invasive, yes. The vetch just takes over any area and it grows in any mineral/nutrient-poor soil. It doesn't need much water. I inherited it with my property and it would take over if I let it.

[John3]

jennifer28 I was thinking about building some of the bee home shown in the image. Framed (or and old wooden drawer) filled with 2" bamboo cuts. Do you think that would be a good ideal?

[jennifer28]

Hey John-
You can call me Jen or Jennifer. Just not "Jenny," please.
If you want to increase the mason bee population, then that would be a great structure to build. Gardeners.com actually has a smaller version of that and they charge 16.95 for it plus shipping and it is much smaller than what you are considering building. There is another mason bee home they offer, and that one goes for 59.95 plus shipping.

I love mason bees. They are just so cute to me, kind of the way little box spiders are cute to me. They don't sting.

Here is a link about mason bees:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_bee

I would love to have more mason bees and if you can build that shelter for them, I would highly recommend it.

[Tracydr]

I would add alliums. I've never sen so much activity as on my leek and elephant garlic flowers. Hummingbirds and bees. As many bees as on my avenger and my lavender is a blanket of honeybees!
Also, runner beans. I haven't ride hyacinth beans yet, I'm going to add them this summer.
And, citrus. They attract bees and giant+ citrus swallowtails. Prettiest butterflies, IMO.
Long beans and southern peas attract quite a few beneficials, although I did turn my PEPHs and Red Rippers into an aphid trap crop last year. I had everything from mantis to predatory wasp, syrphid flies and a rare, tiny desert lady bug on them last summer. Plus all the larvae that come with them. Great science experiment!
My radishes, cilantro, spinach and lettuce are attracting ladybugs by the hundreds right now. I've let the radishes, spinach and cilantro flower, there are a few aphids on the lettuce, a perfect home for ladybugs. I'm seeing lots of ladybug larvae, too.
I always let some parsley, cilantro and radishes go to seed. Arugula, too.
Basil also seems to be a bee and bug magnet.
Finally, I find so many bees in my cukes and squash, I have to check before I pick squash blossoms!

[MissS]

Blue Cardinal Flower - perennial
Butter and eggs - annual
Butterfly Bush - perennial
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) perennial
Butterfly weed - perennial and annual varieties
Califorina poppy - annual
Cardinal Flower - perennial
Catmint - perennial
Catnip - perennial
cleome - annual
Columbine - perennial
Common Buckeye - tree
Common Milkweed - perennial
Common Sage - perennial
Common yarrow - perennial
Coral Bells - perennial
Coral Honeysuckle - perennial vine
Coreopsis - perennial
Cornflower - Perennial
Cosmos - annual
cottonwood - tree
Crane's Bill - perennial
Cypress Vine - annual
Dame's Rocket - bi annual
Day Lily - perennial

This is a start for you. Some of the common names that you use apply to more than one plant. If you used the latin names, I could be of much more help. It would also be great to post which plants attract which bees, bugs or birds.

[Dak]

I have seen a lot of hummingbird activity around:

Hummingbird Sage, salvia spathecea
Chuparosa, Beleperone californica
Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis
California fuchsia, Epilobium

[ireilly]

Don't forget the pepper varieties when it comes to bees, unless I missed them in the list.

Walter

[roper2008]

Do you have vitex on the list. Bee's are going crazy over mine right now. Lots of
honeybee's too.

[roper2008]

This is first time I uploaded a video to youtube. So this is an
experiment to see how it comes out and to show my vitex/chaste
tree. It's very humid and humid today!!! Sorry if I made the
video too long.

http://yt.cl.nr/1yeEFHe3xXg

[Ispahan]

I have planted a lot of different things this year specifically to attract bees (both native and honey) and other pollinators. These have been my most successful so far:

Veronicastrum 'Fascination'
Borage
African Blue basil
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
Alliums (all types that flower)
Common oregano
Hardy geraniums
Agastaches (Blue Fortune, Purple Haze and Golden Jubilee)

I have asters, sedums and solidago planted for late summer blooms.

Early spring is a time that is often neglected for pollinator flowers. I recommend Scilla siberica, crocus and the multi-flowering Festival hyacinths to provide food for the roving queens who have just risen from their long winter nap.

One plant that is often recommended for bees but that has highly disappointed me is Phacelia tanacetifolia, the so-called bee's friend. It is lanky, brittle and unattractive even in full bloom and, more importantly, the majority of bees and pollinators will skip over it in favor of the much more appealing (for human gardeners and bees alike) borage and alliums.

Even in my small inner city garden, I have counted quite a few species of bumble bees, sweat bees, carpenter bees, solitary bees, syrphid flies, etc. I feel very satisfied when on sunny warm days like today my back garden is awash with dozens and dozens of pollinators buzzing around.

Chicago has a very active beekeepers association, and I am very pleased to see many roving honey bees throughout my garden as well.

[Alfredo]

Hmm no one has posted anything to this thread in a few months but I think the following are good to add to this list for "Butterfly, Hummingbird, Beneficial Insects Flowers" :

Chinese Forget Me Not
Moonflower (Good for Beneficial Insects that pollinate at night, e.g. Moths)
Rose of Sharon (both Hummingbirds and bees are attracted to the flower)
Hostas (Hummingbirds love the flowers of the hosta plant)

~Alfredo