Great Garden Combo: Fiery Colors for Hummingbirds and Butterflies

Butterflies dance on warm breezes; hummingbirds dart like feisty fighter pilots. Both are vital pollinators worth courting with a succession of nectar-rich blooms set within a bold foliage framework that holds the design together all season.

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This combination delivers months of nectar: tall verbena (late June), Flasher daylily (vivid orange, nearly 2 months), Lochinch butterfly bush (fragrant lavender panicles, silvery foliage backdrop), Lucifer crocosmia (arching scarlet stems), then Joe Pye weed (burgundy stems, rose flat heads) with verbena until frost. Golden locust and Grace smoke bush provide structural foliage color. A nearby bench completes the viewing experience.

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How to Get the Look

1. Choose Nectar-Rich Plants

Flasher daylily (Hemerocallis 'Flasher') — flowers held high on sturdy stems, bloom >1 month, clean foliage. Burnt-orange resists fading, stunning against dark foliage. Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, bees. Zones 3a–9b, avg-low water, full-part sun, 2 ft tall x 4 ft wide. Summer interest. Plant spring/fall. Caution: toxic to cats.

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Tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis) — airy, drought-tolerant, self-seeds. Filters view without obscuring. Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, bees. Zones 7–10, low water, full-part sun, 6 ft tall x 3 ft wide. Summer-fall. Plant spring. Caution: invasive in some areas.

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Lucifer crocosmia (Crocosmia 'Lucifer') — arching brilliant red flowers explode from swordlike foliage; hummingbirds swarm. Zones 5–9, low water, full-part sun, 4 ft tall/wide. Summer. Plant bulbs spring; plants spring/fall.

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Lochinch butterfly bush (Buddleia 'Lochinch') — silvery felted foliage outstanding even without blooms; fragrant lavender flowers with orange eyes attract pollinators by dozens. Cut to half size spring for shape. Zones 3a–9b, avg-low water, full-part sun, 6–8 ft tall/wide. Spring-fall. Plant spring. Caution: B. davidii invasive in some areas; check locally.

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2. Extend the Show With Great Foliage

Golden locust (Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia') — foliage spotlight spring-fall. Zones 4–9, low water once established, full sun for best color, 30–50 ft tall x 20 ft wide. Plant in well-drained soil spring/fall. Caution: may produce suckers.

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Grace smoke bush (Cotinus 'Grace') — rich burgundy leaves. Zones 4–9, avg-low water, full sun, 10–15 ft tall/wide (6 ft with annual pruning). Spring-fall. Plant spring/fall. Caution: invasive in some areas.

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