Hummingbirds And Butterflies Will Flock To Your Garden If You Plant This With Coneflowers

When most gardeners think of flowers that attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, coneflowers (Echinacea) are almost always among the perennials that come to mind. There are nine types of beautiful native coneflowers that grow in North America. Because our favorite colorful garden visitors have evolved alongside natives like coneflowers, they're more likely to recognize these bright blooms as a food source. Once bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds find your coneflowers, the rich nectar and pollen are sure to keep them coming back for future feeding visits. While coneflowers are iconic on their own, adding other pollinator favorites is a surefire way to keep your garden buzzing all season long. One of the best plants to pair with Echinacea is hummingbird mint (Agastache).

Hummingbird mint is another breathtakingly beautiful native that pollinators can't get enough of. In summer, it produces showy flower spikes made up of small, tubular blooms. With so many colorful varieties to choose from, you have your pick of shades like blue, lavender, red, pink, and orange. To add to its charm, this plant releases a delicious, licorice-like aroma. As a member of the mint family, this herbaceous perennial is just as valuable in the kitchen as it is in the garden. The leaves can be mixed into salads or brewed into tea, and the seeds are also edible. Much like coneflower, hummingbird mint is incredibly easy to grow. Even better, this pair of pollinator magnets will return year after year in zones 5 to 9.

You can start hummingbird mint seeds indoors six to eight weeks before your area's final frost date, and they typically flower their first year.  Bury the tiny seeds about ¼ inch into well-drained soil and keep the soil moist as they germinate. If you don't have a sunny windowsill, a grow light works just as well. However, avoid incandescent bulbs, as they can burn the plants. As the transplant date approaches, you can begin hardening off the seedlings by placing the containers outside during the day. Once they're ready, transplant them to a sunny part of your garden. Space them at least 16 inches apart to give each plant plenty of room to grow.

Coneflowers can also be started indoors, though they can take a couple of years to reach maturity. Luckily, growing coneflowers with hummingbird mint is relatively easy, as they have the same needs: well-drained soil, full sun, and about an inch of water each week. As far as landscaping your flower bed, both plants will grow to up to 5 feet tall, so you have plenty of flexibility when choosing your layout. The daisy-like coneflower blooms create a stunning contrast against the textured Agastache spikes, so they'll make a statement no matter how you arrange them. That said, if you want to layer your plantings with a shorter pollinator favorite, you can add another companion, like sage (Salvia officinalis), to the front row.