Landscaping for Bird and Butterfly Lovers

by Kevin Smith Author

Spring is in the air, and your favorite birds and butterflies have returned to forage. How do you make your landscaping in Suwanee more appetizing? Attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your property with these beautiful flowering plants and shrubs.

Butterfly Bush

Appropriately named, butterflies love this flowering shrub. The butterfly bush blooms with pink, lavender, and deep purple shades depending on the variety. Varieties like Blue Chip and Pink Micro only grow to about 2-3 feet high making them perfect for mid-level landscaping. Other butterfly bushes like Miss Molly and Black Knight can grow up to 8 feet tall, so plan your garden accordingly.

Daisy

Daisies are an easy way to add beauty to your property and attract butterflies. They provide excellent low-level coverage, making them perfect for outlining your flower beds and walkways. They come in a variety of colors, the most popular being white, a symbol of new beginnings. Daisy leaves are also edible. Add them to your salad with almond, cranberries, and arugula.

Herbs

There are several different types of herbs that you can add to your garden to attract butterflies like rosemary, mint, and dill. Sage and lavender attract both butterflies and hummingbirds with their stalks of purple flowers. Lavender also comes in white and pink variety, but it will take over your flower beds without careful pruning.

Jasmine

If you want to add a pergola or archway to your garden, flowering vines like jasmine are guaranteed to attached butterflies. It’s tiny white flowers also give off a sharp but pleasing fragrance. Jasmines love full-sun and slightly acidic soil. Jasmine will thrive with minimal maintenance; prune it back at the start of spring to encourage new growth.

Bottlebrush Tree

This evergreen tree provides both shade and beauty to your yard year around. Their bristling red flowers are rich with nectar that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, and deer. This fast-growing tree prefers warmer climates and full sun. Plant this tree in the middle of your butterfly garden to create a focal point.

Unwanted Attention

Keep in mind, that most of the plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds will also attract bees. Once they’ve discovered a nectar-rich food supply, a colony will build their homes in nearby trees. If you're worried about attracting bees and wasps to your landscaping in Suwanee, don’t plant around walkways or patios where human traffic is heavier. Move your butterfly garden away from the house where you can observe from a safe distance.