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Perennials
What is the Best Plant for Pollinators
Best Pollinator Plants to Attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds to Your Garden
Butterfly plants are a fantastic addition to your garden, offering both aesthetic beauty and ecological benefits. These plants attract butterflies, adding life and movement to your outdoor space. Many butterfly plants are perennial, returning each year to grace your garden with their vibrant colors.
As they mature, butterfly plants often spread, filling your garden naturally without needing frequent replanting. However, be patient as these plants establish themselves; they may take a season or two to reach their full potential. Ensuring you select varieties suited to your USDA Hardiness zone and provide the appropriate sunlight will help these plants thrive, creating a sustainable and lively garden environment.
Shop AllCreeping Phlox
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Picture your garden floor blanketed in vibrant star-shaped flowers. Creeping Phlox is perfect for adding pops of pink, purple, and white to rock gardens and borders. This plant blooms beautifully year after year, creating a lush and colorful display. Its spreading habit ensures it will gradually cover your garden with vibrant colors every season. |
Milkweed Plant
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Transform your garden into a butterfly haven with the Milkweed Plant. This resilient, easy-to-grow plant features clusters of fragrant flowers in pink, orange, or white, providing essential nourishment for monarch butterflies and enhancing the beauty of your outdoor space. Its hardy nature makes it a favorite for gardeners aiming to create a thriving ecosystem. |
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Virginia Bluebell
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Welcome spring with the enchanting Virginia Bluebells. Their delicate clusters of blue, bell-shaped flowers add a touch of woodland charm to shaded areas, turning your garden into a tranquil retreat. These plants thrive in cooler, shady areas, making them ideal for creating serene garden corners. |
Trumpet Vine
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Make a bold statement in your garden with the Trumpet Vine. Known for its vibrant orange-red, trumpet-shaped blooms, this vigorous climber attracts hummingbirds and adds striking vertical interest to your landscape. Perfect for creating natural screens or covering unsightly fences with a burst of color. |
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Coneflower Plant
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Enhance your pollinator-friendly garden with the enduring beauty of Coneflower. Featuring daisy-like petals in pink, purple, or white, this plant is a reliable favorite for attracting bees and butterflies while offering long-lasting color throughout the season. Its hardy nature and vibrant colors make it a staple in any butterfly garden. |
Monarda Bee Balm
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Add some flair to your garden with Monarda, also known as Bee Balm. This plant boasts eye-catching tubular flowers in shades of red, pink, or purple, along with aromatic leaves that are perfect for making teas. It’s a magnet for pollinators and a must-have for herbalists. Bee Balm is not only beautiful but also serves multiple purposes, including attracting bees and making herbal tea. |
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Cardinal Flower
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Bring a splash of bold color to your garden with the Cardinal Flower. Its tall spikes of vibrant red blossoms are ideal for brightening up shaded, moist areas, making it a striking choice that also draws hummingbirds. Perfect for damp, shaded areas where bright colors can liven up the space. |
Spigelia Indian Pink
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Illuminate your garden’s shaded corners with Spigelia Indian Pink. This native wildflower is celebrated for its unique red tubular flowers with a yellow center, adding a vivid burst of color to woodland gardens. Its unique appearance makes it a standout choice for naturalized garden areas. |
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Lily Of The Valley
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Add a touch of classic elegance to your garden with Lily Of The Valley. This charming plant, with its sweetly scented white bells, is perfect for shaded and moist areas, offering a delicate fragrance that lingers in the air. Its timeless beauty makes it a perfect addition to traditional and cottage gardens. |
Water Lily
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Elevate your pond into a serene oasis with Water Lilies. These aquatic plants feature a range of colorful, fragrant blooms, creating a peaceful atmosphere that supports wildlife and adds a sophisticated touch to any water garden. A must-have for water gardens, providing both aesthetic beauty and habitat for pond life. |
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Black Eyed Susan
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Brighten up your garden with the sunny disposition of Black Eyed Susan. This resilient perennial features bright yellow, daisy-like petals surrounding a dark center, bringing a cheerful splash of color that lasts all summer long. Its cheerful blooms are a surefire way to add long-lasting color to any garden space. |
Bloodroot Plant
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Introduce a bit of springtime magic to your woodland garden with the Bloodroot Plant. This ephemeral beauty showcases pure white, daisy-like flowers and distinctive lobed leaves, flourishing in shaded areas and offering a fleeting yet memorable spring display. Its fleeting beauty makes it a treasured addition to any shade garden, especially in the early spring. |
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Painted Trillium
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Enhance the beauty of your shaded garden with the Painted Trillium. This exquisite wildflower features white petals accented with a pink center, adding a touch of elegance and grace to any woodland setting. Its delicate flowers are perfect for adding a touch of natural beauty to shaded areas. |
Hepatica
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Hepatica brings early spring color to your garden with its delicate, star-shaped flowers in shades of blue, pink, or white. This charming wildflower is perfect for shady, moist areas where it can naturalize and spread. A great choice for naturalizing in woodland gardens, adding soft color to the spring landscape. |
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Wild Geranium
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Wild Geranium is a versatile native plant that offers a burst of pink or purple flowers in the spring. This low-maintenance perennial thrives in shade and part shade, making it a perfect choice for woodland gardens and naturalized areas. Its delicate flowers and lush foliage create a soft, natural look in the garden. |
Wood Poppy
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Wood Poppy is a vibrant wildflower that adds a splash of yellow to shaded and moist areas. This hardy plant is perfect for naturalizing in woodland gardens, where its cheerful blooms will brighten even the darkest corners. Ideal for creating a bright, lively atmosphere in shaded garden spaces. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
🌿 How often should I water my plants?
Immediately After Planting: Water the plants thoroughly right after planting to settle the soil around the roots.
First 2 Weeks: Water daily or every other day, depending on the weather conditions. If the soil feels dry an inch below the surface, it's time to water.
Next 4-6 Weeks: Water 2-3 times a week, gradually tapering off as the plant starts to establish itself.
Ongoing: After the initial 6-8 weeks, water the plant once a week, more often in hot, dry weather, and less if there’s sufficient rainfall.
🌿 How do I know if my plant is getting too much or too little sunlight?
Signs of Too Much Sunlight:
- Scorched or Burnt Leaves: Leaves may appear dry, brown, or crispy, particularly around the edges or tips. This is often a sign of sunburn.
- Faded Colors: The leaves may lose their vibrant color, appearing bleached or washed out.
- Wilted or Drooping Leaves: Even with adequate watering, the plant may droop or wilt in response to excessive sunlight.
- Slow Growth: The plant might struggle to grow, as too much sun can stress the plant and stunt its growth.
Signs of Too Little Sunlight:
- Leggy or Spindly Growth: Stems may become elongated and weak as the plant stretches toward the light source, resulting in a "leggy" appearance.
- Pale or Yellowing Leaves: Insufficient light can cause the leaves to turn pale, yellow, or lose their deep green color.
- Slow or Stunted Growth: The plant may not grow as vigorously or produce as many flowers or fruits.
- Leaves Dropping: In some cases, lower leaves may drop off as the plant tries to conserve energy.
- No Flowering or Poor Flower Production: Plants that need more light may not bloom at all, or their flowers may be small and sparse.
Tips to Adjust Light Exposure:
- Too Much Sunlight: Move the plant to a location with partial shade, use sheer curtains to diffuse the light, or provide shade during the hottest part of the day.
- Too Little Sunlight: Relocate the plant to a brighter spot, closer to a window, or consider supplementing with grow lights if natural light is insufficient.
🌿 What should I do to prepare my plants for winter?
Mulching: Apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of plants, particularly perennials, shrubs, and trees, to insulate the roots and soil.
Watering: Water thoroughly before the first frost to ensure plants have enough moisture to withstand the winter.
Pruning: Remove any dead or diseased branches to prevent damage during winter storms, but avoid heavy pruning.
Protecting Sensitive Plants: Use covers or cloches for plants sensitive to frost, and bring potted plants indoors or into a sheltered area.
Insulating Containers: Wrap outdoor potted plants with bubble wrap, burlap, or a blanket to insulate the roots.
Cutting Back Perennials: Cut back spent foliage to prevent pests and diseases from overwintering.
Managing Fallen Leaves: Remove fallen leaves from lawns to prevent fungal diseases and compost them to create rich, organic material for your garden.
Check and Maintain Equipment: Winterize garden tools, hoses, and irrigation systems by draining and storing them properly.
Planting Fall Bulbs: Plant spring-blooming bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and crocuses before the ground freezes.
🌿 How do TN Nursery's plant packages help with garden aesthetics?
Slow or Stunted Growth: Plants not growing as vigorously as they should might be lacking essential nutrients.
Yellowing Leaves (Chlorosis): Older leaves turning yellow can indicate a nitrogen deficiency or lack of other nutrients.
Pale or Faded Leaves: Leaves losing their vibrant color might suggest the plant needs phosphorus or potassium.
Smaller or Fewer Leaves: Smaller new leaves or fewer leaves can be a sign of nutrient deficiency.
Poor Flower or Fruit Production: A decrease in flowering or fruiting can indicate a lack of phosphorus or potassium.
Leaf Drop: Unexplained leaf drop might be due to a lack of nutrients.
Weak or Spindly Growth: Leggy growth with thin stems often occurs when a plant lacks adequate nutrition.
Purplish or Reddish Leaves: A purplish or reddish tint on the leaves can be a sign of phosphorus deficiency.
Overall Lack of Vigor: A generally unhealthy-looking plant with weak stems and dull leaves likely needs more nutrients.
