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5 Flower Seeds for Spring
Need some ideas on flowers that will attract wildlife?
Check out the flower seeds I'm starting here at the Wildlife Porch.
Most of the following can be started indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost. Unless specified, all can be sown outdoors after the last frost (now, in most places). All, unless specified, like full sun.
1. Marigolds - Tagetes
I'm sowing Tagetes patula 'Lemon Drop', a 5-8" dwarf variety from Botanical Interest. Several suppliers offer other varieties.
Finches love marigold seed, so don't deadhead all the flowers. Hummingbirds like marigold nectar, as do butterflies and other pollinators.
Suppliers offer different kinds of marigolds. In this case, we're talking about marigolds of the Latin genus, Tagetes.
2. Cardinal Climber
I write about Cardinal Climber in my article on 11 Wildlife-Attracting Vines to Grow. It attracts hummingbirds and pollinators including butterflies.
This year I'm seeding Ipomoea x multifida (a 6-20' vine) with scarlet runner bean along a fence where we've (hopefully) removed a very aggressive trumpet vine.
Other varieties of Cardinal Climber are available.
3. Butterfly Weed
Monarch butterflies love Asclepias tuberosa as a food source, both in terms of nectar and as a host plant for caterpillars. Other butterflies and pollinators enjoy it, too.
Asclepias tuberosa grows to 12-36" and tolerates drought.
New hybrids are showier, but they may not perform as well as wildlife attractors.
4. Marigold - Calendula
The "other" kind of marigold, Calendulas self-sow freely and grow 1-2' with a compact bushy habit. They like cooler growing seasons and will tolerate shade in warmer climes.
They attract butterflies, especially sulphur, swallowtail, and skipper. Calendula also has medicinal and culinary uses.
5. Sunflower
Sunflower blooms are attractive to pollinators, and the seed heads attract a variety of birds. Sunflowers make a nice alternative or complement to bird feeders offering black oil or striped sunflower.
Perhaps the easiest annual to grow, sunflowers come in a wide variety of heights and colors. Some examples:
- Sunflower Sunny Smile, suitable for small containers or the garden
- Sunflower Waooh, 2 feet tall, 4-inch blooms
- Sunflower Van Gogh Mix, 6-7 feet tall combo of color and flower types
- Sunflower Giganteus, 10 feet tall, 12 inch blooms
This year I'm trying the sunflower 'Autumn Beauty' from American Seed, an impulse buy at Walmart. I'll also be sowing at least one other sunflower yet to be determined.
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