Create a Container Wildlife Habitat for Hummingbirds and Butterflies
Don’t let limited space prevent you from welcoming wildlife into your garden
Noelle Johnson
18 April 2021
The occasional glimpse of a hummingbird or butterfly stopping by for a drink is one of the many reasons people enjoy a garden in flower. But what if you have little or no room to plant a garden, let alone one that attracts butterflies or hummingbirds?
Even if your garden space is limited to a balcony, a patio or simply a windowsill, you can use containers to create a mini habitat filled with nectar-producing plants that are sure to attract your favorite flying visitors. You’ll also be decorating your outdoor space with the color and beauty of flowering plants.
Even if your garden space is limited to a balcony, a patio or simply a windowsill, you can use containers to create a mini habitat filled with nectar-producing plants that are sure to attract your favorite flying visitors. You’ll also be decorating your outdoor space with the color and beauty of flowering plants.
The whirring of hummingbirds’ wings and the sight of their brilliantly colored throat as they hover around flowers is pure delight for those lucky enough to see them. Attracting hummingbirds to the areas surrounding your home (or office), where you can see them close up, is easily done by adding flowering plants that draw them in with the promise of sweet nectar.
Here, a Costa’s hummingbird flies around the purple flower spikes of Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha, USDA zones 8 to 10; find your zone) at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Let’s get started on creating your own container habitat.
Here, a Costa’s hummingbird flies around the purple flower spikes of Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha, USDA zones 8 to 10; find your zone) at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Let’s get started on creating your own container habitat.
Location
One of the primary goals of creating a container wildlife habitat is to be able to view your flying visitors. Choose a location near an entry, a window, a pathway or anywhere you will be likely to catch a glimpse. Most flowering plants do best in the sun, so try to choose a location that receives at least six hours of sunlight.
Although you can attract hummingbirds or butterflies with a single container, grouped containers make a better target — the more flowers, the more likely passing butterflies and hummingbirds will spot them.
Work with a landscape designer on Houzz
One of the primary goals of creating a container wildlife habitat is to be able to view your flying visitors. Choose a location near an entry, a window, a pathway or anywhere you will be likely to catch a glimpse. Most flowering plants do best in the sun, so try to choose a location that receives at least six hours of sunlight.
Although you can attract hummingbirds or butterflies with a single container, grouped containers make a better target — the more flowers, the more likely passing butterflies and hummingbirds will spot them.
Work with a landscape designer on Houzz
Don’t have room for a container? Look up. Window boxes and hanging baskets are great options.
Shop for outdoor pots and planters on Houzz
Shop for outdoor pots and planters on Houzz
Containers and Soil
Larger containers work best because they have a larger capacity for soil and plants. Also, the soil will be slower to dry out and less susceptible to temperature extremes.
Use a high-quality planting mix specially formulated for use in containers. It holds on to just the right amount of moisture, as opposed to potting soil, which can become soggy.
Learn more about how to get the best soil for your containers
Larger containers work best because they have a larger capacity for soil and plants. Also, the soil will be slower to dry out and less susceptible to temperature extremes.
Use a high-quality planting mix specially formulated for use in containers. It holds on to just the right amount of moisture, as opposed to potting soil, which can become soggy.
Learn more about how to get the best soil for your containers
Plants
Native plants make a great choice for container wildlife habitats because they are uniquely suited to attract the local species of butterflies and hummingbirds. In addition, they are low maintenance because they are adapted to the local climate.
Work with a landscape designer in your area to determine which plants are best suited to your garden. Your local cooperative extension office or the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center can also help you find the best native species for your area that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Native plants make a great choice for container wildlife habitats because they are uniquely suited to attract the local species of butterflies and hummingbirds. In addition, they are low maintenance because they are adapted to the local climate.
Work with a landscape designer in your area to determine which plants are best suited to your garden. Your local cooperative extension office or the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center can also help you find the best native species for your area that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Plants to attract hummingbirds. Color and shape play an important part in attracting hummingbirds. Tubular flowers are ideally suited for hummingbirds and their long beaks. Red is their favorite flower color, but they feed from flowers of all colors, from red-orange flowers to the yellow flowers.
Many flowering plants, including shrubs, perennials and annuals, attract hummingbirds. Here are a few favorites suitable for growing in containers:
- Aloe (Aloe spp.)
- Beebalm (Monarda spp.)
- Dianthus (Dianthus spp.)
- Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
- Foxglove (Digitalis spp.)
- Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera, zones 9 to 11)
- Lantana (Lantana spp.)
- Penstemon (Penstemon spp.)
- Petunia (Petunia spp.)
- Salvia (Salvia spp.)
- Phlox (Phlox spp.)
- Incorporating moss and lichen into your wildlife container is another way to attract hummingbirds; they use those materials to build their nests.
A queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) feeds on butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa, zones 3 to 10).
Plants to attract butterflies. Butterflies, like hummingbirds, are attracted to colorful, nectar-rich plants. In fact, the more colorful plants massed together, the better. They prefer open-faced plants to land on, since they do not hover to feed, as hummingbirds do.
Plants to attract butterflies. Butterflies, like hummingbirds, are attracted to colorful, nectar-rich plants. In fact, the more colorful plants massed together, the better. They prefer open-faced plants to land on, since they do not hover to feed, as hummingbirds do.
Monarch butterflies flock around a container planted with ‘Confetti’ bush lantana (Lantana camara ‘Confetti’, zones 9 to 11).
Flowering plants that attract butterflies and are perfect for a container garden include:
Flowering plants that attract butterflies and are perfect for a container garden include:
- Alyssum (Lobularia maritima, all zones)
- Aster (Symphyotrichum spp.)
- Beebalm (Monarda spp.)
- Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
- Lantana (Lantana spp.)
- Lavender (Lavendula spp.)
- Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, zones 3 to 9)
- Salvia (Salvia spp.)
- Verbena (Verbena spp.)
How to Arrange Plants
While butterflies and hummingbirds aren’t particularly picky about how plants are arranged, it’s best from a design perspective to plant the taller plants in the center of the pot or toward the back of the container. Surround taller plants with medium-sized plants and finish with trailing plants around the outer areas.
Container habitat gardens can be quite versatile, and the possibilities are endless: a container filled with annuals, a mixture of perennials, a single flowering shrub or any combination. When setting out to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, it is important to remember that the more color there is, the better.
The Secret Formula for Grouping Plants in a Pot
While butterflies and hummingbirds aren’t particularly picky about how plants are arranged, it’s best from a design perspective to plant the taller plants in the center of the pot or toward the back of the container. Surround taller plants with medium-sized plants and finish with trailing plants around the outer areas.
Container habitat gardens can be quite versatile, and the possibilities are endless: a container filled with annuals, a mixture of perennials, a single flowering shrub or any combination. When setting out to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, it is important to remember that the more color there is, the better.
The Secret Formula for Grouping Plants in a Pot
Additional Elements
To make your garden even more attractive to hummingbirds, make sure there are places for them to perch, such as a nearby tree. You can also provide convenient perching spots in the container; add certain succulent plants, add some garden art that rises a foot or so above the container, or simply insert a small dead tree branch with multiple places for perching.
Both butterflies and hummingbirds are drawn to water, so selecting a place for containers that is near a water source is a bonus.
Browse outdoor fountains in the Houzz Shop
To make your garden even more attractive to hummingbirds, make sure there are places for them to perch, such as a nearby tree. You can also provide convenient perching spots in the container; add certain succulent plants, add some garden art that rises a foot or so above the container, or simply insert a small dead tree branch with multiple places for perching.
Both butterflies and hummingbirds are drawn to water, so selecting a place for containers that is near a water source is a bonus.
Browse outdoor fountains in the Houzz Shop
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So important to try to limit chemicals from the lawn and garden. Get a cat for rodent control! And now a story. 1978 in the Throgs Neck Section of the Bronx New York a coastal area. Evening dinner time late summer early fall. The sky gets dark suddenly. My three sisters and I my father and my mother go outside. And there in the many canopy oak and maple trees are thousands and thousands of monarch butterflies. A butterfly on every leaf of every tree. We picked them off to play with them and put them back. They were taking a break from their southbound journey to South America. By morning they were gone. My dad had no film and could not take pictures of it. A spectacular sight. A night to remember for four little girls! A once in a lifetime event! Nature rewards if we let it. Please stop cutting down canopy trees.
I love window boxes. Not only are they beautiful from the outside but allows you to watch all the activity from the inside without disturbing the birds and the butterflies. My problem? How do I water a window box without wetting my siding on a continuous basis?
Ironfeather-
if possible use a drip system (less over watering or "flooding the box" and thus watering your siding.
In conjunction with the drip or stand alone without a drip system, also have a drain hole in the bottom of the box in which a plastic drip pipe runs down to the ground much like a down spout from your roof gutter only it is super small in diameter and of course could be painted to match your siding. Flexible too .....not ridged.
Could do two holes as well, better even, - one at either end of your planter box.- cheap fix, flexible piping and drip system makes it easy for you to relax and not have to worry about over watering or under watering. But even without the drip system- use the drip pipes- they can be attached easily to siding as well as many come with brackets to hold them in place.
ya, this was last year when you asked but...maybe someone else might be thinking the same thing as to "how"