Plants for attracting Bees and Butterflies

Every gardener should do their part to encourage bees and butterflies to visit their garden. We have listed a few flowers below that are recognized as bee and butterfly favorites.:

BEES

IM127 Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate ( Polygonum orientale )
First grown in the US by Thomas Jefferson, Kiss-Me-Over-The-Garden-Gate is a spectacular, old-fashioned cottage garden favorite. Fast growing, the thick, sturdy stems rise to about 5 feet tall and bear flamboyant, arching, pendulous bright pink, bead like, flower clusters 3-4 feet long.
An old heirloom favorite, hard to find seeds for these anymore, we are very happy to be able to offer them again.
Lures beneficial pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Flowers from midsummer until frost. Direct seed or transplant.
Lush, heart-shaped leaves are very pretty. Makes an excellent cut flower too. Rich soil is best. Reseeds itself once established.

  250mg Package ( about 25 seeds ) $3.95

FB153 Korean Bee Tree Evodia danielli
Evodia is a little-grown tree 25 to 30 feet tall. It is a fast grower with no pests, adapted to sunny, well-drained sites. Small white flowers are produced in 4 to 6 inch wide corymbs from June through August which attracts a great number of bees and butterflies. These are followed by fruits which turn from red to black from August through November.
Provides flowers and attractive fruit in a period when few other woody plants are flowering. The plant fits well in smaller gardens and closed areas. Good for zones 4-9.

  45mg pack ( about 50 seeds ) $2.95

GO72 Mosquito Plant ( Agastache cana ) This hardy perennial will provide you with sweetly scented foliage and large 1" rosy- purple flowers. It attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. The crushed foliage rubbed on the skin is said to repel mosquitoes. Will flower first year if grown as an annual, but best flowering is in second year in zones 7-10.

  Package of 10 seeds $2.00

HR370 Borage ( Borage officinalis ) Cucumber flavored leaves used in salads and summer drinks. Good bee plant.

  Package of 50 seeds $1.75

FL110 Purple Headed Gomphrena ( Gomphrena ) Easy to grow plants that tolerate almost all types of weather. Beautiful ball shaped plants that bear large heads of purple flowers all season. A favorite of bees and butterflies. . Globe amaranth will survive drought, but performs best with regular watering, especially during hot weather.
Hardiness: Globe amaranth is an annual grown as a summer bedding plant. It cannot tolerate frost, but it is quite tolerant of summer heat.

  Package of 20 seeds $1.95

HR105 Lemon Balm ( Melissa officinalis ) Lemon scented leaves and sprigs used to make teas and cool drinks. Good for potpourri and the flowers attract bees.

  Package of 25 seeds $1.75

1A009 Medico Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) Alfalfa produces a large amount of nectar, which is highly attractive to many species of bees, and from which honey bees produce excellent crops of high quality honey. This strain of alfalfa can be made into a tea by placing two teaspoons of dried leaves in a cup of boiling water and soaking for 15 minutes. This tea is used to treat arthritis, boils, digestive disorders, urinary tract infections and bowel disorders. The chlorophyll in this brew will also dispatch of bad breath. Eating the sprouts in salads is also very beneficial.

  Small pack. $1.95

1A008 Red Clover ( Trifolium pratense ) Clover is highly attractive to bees, which visit it avidly for nectar and pollen. Red Clover has long had a reputation as a cancer fighter. The plant contains large amounts of tocopherol, a potent antioxidant form of vitamin E that has been shown to prevent tumor formation in animal studies. It may also provide effective relief for menopausal symptoms as elements of the plant behave like estrogen. A tea can be made by boiling three teaspoons of dried flower tops per cup of water and steeping 15 minutes. Drink 3 cups a day.

  Small Pack $1.95

HR229 English Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris ) Seasoning for poultry chowders, stews, sauces and pickles. Good honey plant for bees.

  Package of 50-75 seeds $1.75

H883 Vitex ( Vitex negundo ) A magnificent garden plant, it blooms profusely all summer attracting bees and butterflies. The plants can achieve a height of 10 ft. or more. Plants are used medicinally to relieve headaches, dizziness, colds and mental problems

  Package of 10 seeds $2.00

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BUTTERFLIES

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NP630 Butterfly Weed ( Asclepias tuberosa ) A hardy perennial growing to about 2 ft. tall with a profusion of flowers that attracts butterflies of all types. At any given time you may see species of Monarch, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Cabbage White, Gray Hairstreak, Western Swallowtail, and many others feeding on this plant. Cannot ship to HI

  Package of 40 seeds $3.50

D8524 Purple Passion Flower ( Passiflora ) Seems to be a favorite nectar source of the Gulf Fritillary, but draws many others also. A vigorous growing vine to 20 ft. or more bearing the famous "Passion Flower" known worldwide. Easy to grow.

  Package of 5 seeds $2.00

D2208CD Long Stemmed Black-Eyed-Susans ( Rudbeckia asteraceae ) Black Eyed Susans seem to attract the Great Spangled Fritillary better than any other flower. This is just an observation, not a documented fact. They are a good nectar source for many species. This variety of Black Eyed Susans is particularly well suited for cut flowers. Vase life is 6-10 days.

  Package of 25 seeds $1.75

BB100 Butterfly/Hummingbird Mix An excellent mixture of flowers for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. Contains Purple Coneflower, Tickseed, Cornflower, Rocket Larkspur, Blanketflower, Indian Blanket, Drummond Phlox, Scarlet Sage, Candytuft, Yellow Cosmos, Sweet William, Cosmos, Wallflower, Lemon Mint, Tuber Vervain, Standing Cypress, Black-Eyed Susan, Shasta Daisy, Plains Coreopsis, Butterfly Weed, Sweet Alyssum, and Toadflax.
Sow seeds in February in South, April in the North.
3 ounce package of seeds will cover 450 square ft.

  3 oz. Package $11.95

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