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Sources of nectar as food
Many plants have nectar for butterflies, other insects, and birds, but native plants are the best source.
This cardinal flower lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis), is a beautiful native plant - and a hummingbird favorite.
The hummingbird also loves these native honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) flowers. But be careful not to plant the non-native Japanese honeysuckles, which escape into our natural areas and become invasive!!
In the early spring and fall, I put out a hummingbird feeder. For hummingbirds' health, it's important to thoroughly clean hummingbird feeders every few days - which is why I try to provide natural sources of nectar instead of nectar feeders in the summer.
There's no need to buy nectar for these feeders. I make it by bringing to a boil one part sugar to four parts water. I find that 1/2 cup sugar and 2 cups water makes about the right amount - it's enough to change a few times, so it's used up before it gets moldy in the refrigerator. Make sure you clean the feeder and change the nectar every few days, especially if the weather is warm or if the feeder is in the sun.
I last spotted this hummer on November 5. Although it was thrilling to see, it's rather sad since it seems unlikely that it will be able to make it to its winter home in Central America. For those hummers who do make it, though, remember to purchase shade-grown coffee so that their winter home will still be there when they arrive!
These flowers are Lady in Red salvia, a cultivar of a native salvia (Salvia coccinea). It's actually native to the southwest, not the northeast, but it doesn't seem to present a problem. It was still blooming in late October since we hadn't yet had a killing frost, even though we had an early snow.
Here's Lady in Red salvia again - this time mixed in with the more common hybrid salvia bedding plant. I thought it was interesting that this butterfly (as well as bees etc.) chose to nectar at this variety and ignored the bedding salvia. Another case of hybrid plants not providing for wildlife as well as the native versions!
A red admiral drinking nectar from a coneflower
Yet another type of milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) known as butterfly weed. This is a good milkweed for normal soil, but also for dry conditions.
Here's a sphinx moth, sometimes called Hummingbird moth. Some even mistakenly think this is a hummingbird! He's getting nectar from the native beebalm (Monarda). This must be one of its favorite flowers since I see it here but nowhere else every year.
Here's another variety of monarda. The bees and hummingbirds really like this. It's also very easy to grow. It's a member of the mint family, so as you might expect, it spreads.
Clethra, often called summersweet or sweet pepperbush, attracts bees to drink its nectar. It also is quite fragrant.
Here's a stand of native Joe-pye weed. A great nectar plant, but also a good source of seed if you don't deadhead them. I think they're a handsome plant that look good at the back of the border like this. They're about 5-6 feet tall, but don't need staking. Monarch butterflies especially like this.
Here's a close-up of joe pye weed.
Here's Goldstrum - Rudbeckia hirta - a good nectar plant.
Here are a variety of nectar plants. I have pictures of the coneflowers and monarda elsewhere, but there's also catnip in flower in this picture. This picture illustrates two points: first, is that it shows how closely you can plant things, and second, you can plant a diversity of plants together. Not only is there more biomass, but by planting things this closely, I don't really have a weed problem. By planting a diversity of plants, there is less of a target for harmful insects to find their target.
Solidago (commonly known as goldenrod) provides much-needed nectar in the fall. And if you don't deadhead them, they're a good source of seeds as well. This stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) is one of my favorite goldenrods. It has velvety leaves and beautiful flat clusters of flowers at the top. The bees love it! Here are just a few, but they were always around this plant.
