Quiz: Hummingbird and Butterfly Plants

Okay, are all you hummingbird and butterfly gardeners ready for a quiz about your favorite subject... Plants?

If you think you are, then go ahead and take the quiz. If not, then study the rest of the lens. It will help you some, but won't give you all of the answers.

Even if you're not a gardener, go ahead and give it a shot. A lot of the questions could be answered by a fifth grade student that was good in science. We all know you're smarter than a fifth grader.

Hummingbirds prefer (mostly) red tubular flowers that are filled with rich nectar. It's best to plant them in large groups. Some of the flowers in our garden that hummingbirds like are members of the Salvia family, Honeysuckle, Bottlebrush, Taiwan Cherry, Redbud, Firebush (Hamellia patens), Mexican Cigar, Indian Pink, Manettias, Lobelias, Vervain and Hibiscus, to mention a few.

Butterflies need two things from plants. Flowers to drink from and leaves on which to lay their eggs. Butterflies like composite flowers and do not require as much nectar as hummingbirds. They will use most of the flowers that Hummingbirds use, but not vice versa.

Each type of butterfly requires a special plant for their larvae to feed on. Giant Swallowtails use Citrus Trees. Gulf Fritillary lay their eggs on Passion Flower vine. Monarch caterpillars feeds on the many members of the Milkweed family.

Jamaican Vervain (shown below) is a tropical flowering shrub that is used by hummingbirds, butterflies and moths. It needs to be protected from freezing. If you have a sheltered place or live in zone 9 this plant will grow quite large and will even reseed. You can also take cuttings and root them in a greenhouse during the winter, if you have freezing weather regularly.