Can your give me a list of plants to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds?
Answer
I am attaching a scan from a few pages of a book in our library, André Viette's Mid-Atlantic Gardener's Guide. The scan consists of lists of plants good for attracting birds, hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden. The plants include annuals, perennials, grasses and trees, shrubs and vines. You can cross check these plants with online plant sources to learn more about them. See also our subject guide on Native Plants of Pennsylvania.
Additionally, here is an article Native Butterfly Garden Plants in Pennsylvania with some suggestions.
Penn State has a factsheet on Attracting Hummingbirds and the plant list indicates which plants are native to Pennsylvania.
Some plants for bees include malus species (particularly wild crab and pears), clovers, dandelion, hollies (Ilex aquifolium, I. opaca, I. glabra), maples, rosemary, thyme and tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica). Late spring flowering: blueberries, borage, hawthorn, lavender, alfalfa and buckwheat. Late blooming; Fuchsia, goldenrod, heather, ivy and sunflower. (source: The Beekeepers Bible)
The PHS McLean library has many books on this topic as well as books on how and what to plant in your landscape. Anyone may use the library here at PHS headquarters, 20th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia. Come visit us! And if you become a PHS member, you may borrow books and DVDs from the library.