Attracting Birds and Butterflies

You don’t need to be Snow White to attract birds and butterflies to your home — the right plant material will do the trick. Both birds and butterflies seek out trees and shrubs for shelter, so having a mix of trees and dense bushes to suit both high and low nesting habits is a great start. However, providing the right food is what will really set your landscape apart.

Butterfly Bush

For butterflies, choosing the right plants for food is a twofold process. After all, butterflies start out as caterpillars, and the two can have very different appetites. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars, for instance, eat the leaves of a variety of trees and shrubs, including Ironwood and Tulip trees. However, the butterflies of this beautiful species eat the nectar from wildflowers, like Butterfly Weed (which contrary to its name is noninvasive and has beautiful flowers).

Monarch caterpillars, on the other hand, will eat only Milkweed species, while the butterflies themselves are happy with a variety of nectars including those from Milkweed plants. These include Butterfly Bush (available in a variety of vibrant colors), Marigolds (which double as a natural mosquito repellent), and Lilacs, among many others.

Cedar Waxwing

For birds, a balanced diet doesn’t begin and end at the bird feeder. Berries, for instance, are a wonderful lure for birds. It’s best to choose plant material that is native so that the bird species native to this area are sure to stop by for a snack. There are many ornamentals to choose from that serve up native berries, including Viburnums (with beautiful clusters of fruit), Serviceberries (small multi-stemmed trees with a beautiful open form), and American Holly (which provides much-needed food in winter months).

Viburnum

Another very important food source for birds is insects. Now, we aren’t recommending that you drop handfuls of bugs into your yard. Rather, native trees and shrubs host native insects, which in turn feed native birds. Some plants host a greater diversity of insect species than others, and these will attract a wider variety of birds. Oaks are great examples of trees that host a lot of different insects. They also grow to be majestic mature trees, enhancing your landscape value in more ways than one. Other trees to consider are Ironwoods (which we already know also attract some butterflies), Birches, Cherries, and Maples.

Blue Jay

Chickadee

These are just a few examples of how you might attract wildlife to your property. The basic guidelines, though, are to choose native plant material, increase the diversity of your plantings, and make colorful flowers and fruits a regular sight from your windows!