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Nectar Plants

Posts about Nectar Plants.

Purplish-pink flowers of giant ironweed (Vernonia gigantea).

A Comprehensive Guide to Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea)

Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) is a herbaceous perennial that is native to the eastern and mid-western United States and the province of Ontario in Canada. This plant is a host to the American Lady butterfly (Vanessa virginiensis). Growing from 2.5 to 10 feet tall, this species grows in… Read More »A Comprehensive Guide to Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea)

Sweet Joe-Pye Weed at McMullen House Bed & Breakfast Garden

The Tall and Full of Nectar, Sweet Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

Sweet Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) is a herbaceous perennial that grows in open areas such as fields, meadows, gardens, woodland edges, and roadsides, where there is moist soil. The pink flowers bloom in the summer to early fall. It is not a host plant, but is a common nectar plant for many insects. This plant can be purchased in the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast Garden Shop.

Plant of Oval-Leaf Milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia)

Oval-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia), a Comprehensive Guide in 10 Sections

Introduction Oval-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia) is a herbaceous perennial found in the northern parts of the midwest United States and Canada from British Columbia to Ontario. This plant grows in prairies, open woods, and roadsides that have sandy soil and is a host for the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus… Read More »Oval-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia), a Comprehensive Guide in 10 Sections

Flower of Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria) in a field.

Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria), a Comprehensive Guide in 9 Sections

Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria) is a herbaceous perennial that grows in sandy open places that are dry and have full sun. It is a host plant for the Monarch Butterfly and a nectar plant for other insects. The greenish-white flowers bloom from the late spring to early… Read More »Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria), a Comprehensive Guide in 9 Sections

The Magnificent Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a herbaceous perennial that grows in places with full sun or part shade. It is the host plant for three species of butterflies and a nectar source for other insects and the fruits are a food source for birds. The multi-colored flowers bloom in the summer and the fruits mature in the fall. Numerous horticultural varieties of this plant are found in the horticultural trade. This plant can be purchased in the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast Garden shop.

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) at the margin of a pond

The Wet-Footed Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), a Sustaining and Tasty Shrub for Moths

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a shrub that grows on the shores of lakes, ponds, streams and in swamps. It is the host plant for three species of moths and a nectar source for other insects and the fruits are a food source for birds. The white to yellowish… Read More »The Wet-Footed Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), a Sustaining and Tasty Shrub for Moths