Best Plants for Attracting Wildlife
There is no “best” plant to attract wildlife, but there are some plants that stand out. Some of these may already be part of your landscape or you may choose to introduce some new plants to your outdoor garden. This article will focus on the top five wildlife-attracting plants and their benefits to wildlife. Most wildlife attracting plants come in a variety of colors, patterns, and textures and have multiple uses.
When planted in well-drained areas of your garden, evergreens provide excellent cover for birds and small animals. You can enjoy the beauty of evergreen foliage as a backdrop to your day, while you watch birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and squirrels make their home. Most evergreen trees also have bark with colorful leaves and can add a unique appearance to your yard.
Sunflowers are easily identifiable by their yellow flowers. Sunflowers provide a great habitat for a variety of butterflies, birds, rodents, and insects and in addition they are an excellent source of food for grazing livestock. These plants can grow in any soil, but they prefer well-drained conditions. You should water them regularly. They should be planted in spring at 18 inches deep, with the lower edge of their stems above the ground. The blooms peak in late spring and early Summer.
Bees are a major food source to many birds and small creatures, so planting flowers to attract bees can also attract both birds and other wildlife. While there are several different species of honeybees, the nectar-producing bee, the European Bee, is the most common and useful for gardeners.
Hummingbirds are beneficial to gardeners, just like bees. If you’re willing to make your garden as attractive as possible to hummingbirds, it is easy to attract them to your garden. They enjoy eating all kinds of fruits but prefer those with an adequate amount of sugar. You should consider planting some marigolds or other type of flower that produces nectar when attracting hummingbirds. They will also enjoy tall flowering plants because they eat the pollen.
Mint is another attractive plant for hummingbirds. Mint, a perennial herb, can grow to approximately three to five feet high. It should be either perennially or annually maintained. Because mint needs moisture to grow properly, it is best to plant it in a well-drained soil near rivers or in the shade.
Lavender is a popular plant because of its attractive foliage, color scheme, and aromatic flowers. It is extremely easy to keep and very forgiving when it comes to pest infestation. A beautiful display of purple blossoms may be all that is required to give a garden a wonderful appearance.
