Although it seems pollinators prefer foraging in the sunshine, a shade garden can provide a number of opportunities for wildlife. To encourage them to visit your garden at any time of the year, and perhaps even nest, consider planting flowers that provide maximum nectar that they can convert into energy.
Not sure how to get started? Here are wonderful shade plants for hummingbirds and butterflies that will thrive with just a few rays of sunshine (or less).
Hummingbird Plants
1. Fuchsia Plants
Did you know that there are more than 100 species of fuchsia? Most amazingly, each Fuchsia variety is pollinated by a very specific hummingbird.
The hummingbird feeds on nectar and prefers orange and red flowers, precisely because these colors are the easiest to spot. In addition, for the hummingbird, the color is more important than the flower’s scent.
Care of fuchsias is not necessarily low maintenance, but with a little of your love and attention, its dangling, tubular flowers can bloom until the first frost.
GROWING GUIDE: Plant densely in a coco-lined basket, with plenty of fertilizer, and hang on location with a little morning sunlight. Keep in mind that it won’t last long in the direct afternoon sun or high temperatures.
2. Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis or Cardinal flower is another shade flower that attracts hummingbirds. This nectar-rich plant with spikes of intensely red flowers provides sustenance to hummingbirds late in the season when most flowers have peaked.
The relationship between them is of unique importance for both species. Namely, Lobelia species relies solely on pollination by the hummingbird. So for example bees just aren’t the right size and shape to come into contact with the flower’s reproductive parts, and butterflies prefer flowers that have a landing pad for them to rest on while they nectar.
GROWING GUIDE: Cardinal flowers grow best in a location with morning sun and afternoon shade. Make sure to provide it with moist, rich, light, and slightly acidic soil.
Butterfly Plants
1. Butterfly Bush
Buddleia davidii or the Butterfly Bush is a beautiful, fast-growing, deciduous shrub with masses of blossoms that bloom from summer to autumn. It grows up to ten feet tall, depending on cultivar, and blooms in pink, red, purple, white, and yellow.
Most importantly, it’s true; its multicolored blossoms attract a large number of butterflies to your garden. The main reason why they draw butterflies is because the flowers are high in nectar. The flowers are regularly massed together so that the flower’s shape can provide a landing strip and shallow nectaries to accommodate the butterfly’s short tongue.
GROWING GUIDE: Choose a sunny or partly shaded area where the soil is well-drained. When planted in good quality garden soil, a butterfly bush rarely needs fertilizer. Keep in mind that they’re invasive in some areas. Therefore look for sterile cultivars that don’t set seeds in the rest of your garden.
Conclusion- Shade Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds
Aside from their botanical benefits, there are many reasons to make your yard and garden attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. Add a few extra trees, shrubs, and shade-tolerant herbaceous plants to feed the indigenous pollinators, and then relax, grab a glass of your favorite wine, and enjoy all the new visitors.
Keep in mind, when it comes to creativity, only the sky’s the limit!
Do you have any questions? Let us know below! Read more about Why Do Hummingbirds Hover In Your Face
