Plants that attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees

It is one of the most rewarding things you can do on a Buenos Aires balcony, and it works even on a third floor: hummingbirds and butterflies roam the city looking for nectar and find whatever is there.

For hummingbirds

They look for tubular flowers, usually red or orange, with plenty of nectar. In Buenos Aires the most common species is the one locals call the picaflor común or bronceado.

• Salvia (scarlet sage, anise-scented sage or other varieties). It is number one, no contest.
• Lantana. Hardy, blooms for months and attracts both.
• Abutilon (flowering maple, or Chinese lantern). Hanging tubular flowers, ideal for partial shade.
• Fuchsia. Gorgeous, though it struggles in the heat.
• Aloe and agapanthus. Surprisingly effective.
• Honeysuckle and gardenia.

For butterflies

Here there is a distinction almost nobody makes, and it changes everything: nectar plants feed the adult butterfly; host plants feed the caterpillar. If you only plant nectar sources, butterflies visit and leave. If you plant host plants, they stay to lay eggs.

Nectar (for the butterfly):

• Lantana, buddleia (butterfly bush), verbena, cosmos, zinnia, calendula, salvia, herbs in bloom.

Host plants (for the caterpillar):

• Asclepias (milkweed): the monarch butterfly's plant. It is the most important of all.
• Rue and citrus: for the swallowtail known locally as the lemon-tree butterfly.
• Parsley, fennel, dill: for several species.
• Nettle and passion fruit vine for others.

A heads-up: if you plant host plants, the caterpillars are going to eat the leaves. That is the goal, not a pest problem. The rue gets stripped bare and grows back.

For bees

Lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, borage, sunflower, cosmos and practically any herb you let flower. Bees prefer simple, open flowers, not the double varieties with many petals, where they cannot reach the nectar.

How to set up the balcony

1. Group plants in clusters of the same species. A single plant is invisible; five together can be seen from the air.
2. Stagger the bloom times to have flowers from October to March (spring through summer in Argentina).
3. Add water: a shallow dish with pebbles where they can land without drowning.
4. No insecticides. They are incompatible: they kill exactly what you are trying to attract.
5. Sun. Most of these plants need at least four hours of direct sun.

How long it takes

Less than you would think. A balcony with salvia and lantana in bloom usually gets its first hummingbird visit within a few weeks. Butterflies take a little longer, especially if you want them to lay eggs.

Availability of each flower changes with the season. If you are looking for a specific flower, ask us before ordering and we will confirm whether we have it.