Terese - Welcome to Florida!
I have a lot of butterflies in my yard constantly during most of the year here on the east coast of central FL. What gets the most use:
Plumbago
Firespike
Firebush
Cape Honeysuckle
Cassia
Alba Incense passiflora vine (I don't know why, but this white blooming one is the MOST popular in my yard for Zebra Longwings and Gulf Fritillaries)
Pipevine (Only 2 species of pipevine seems to be attractors (host plants) to butterflies in my yard): Aristolochia trilobata and Aristolochia fimbriata
Parsley
Dill
Rue
Tropical Milkweed
Pentas
Porterweed
Lantana
Zinnia
I grow the Winter blooming Salvia (because I only get the over-wintering hummingbirds - NO Summer Hummers):
Pineapple Sage
Amistad
Phyllis's Fancy
Lavender Lace
Wendy's Wish
Any of the Salvia coccinea cultivars
Black and Blue
Salvia involucrata 'Hidalgo' (This one is very popular with the hummingbirds during Winter)
Hot Lips (Very popular with hummers and butterflies)
Salvia madrensis
Salvia miniata
Salvia oxyphora
Other hummer plants that bloom in Fall and Spring (and often through mild Winters, too)
Necklace Pod
Coral Honeysuckle
Cape Honeysuckle (Popular with many birds, not just hummingbirds in Winter! This is a Winter Bloomer, too.)
Shrimp Plant
Russelia equisetiformis
Bottlebrush shrubs/trees
These plants are the reason I believe I typically host 3 or 4 hummingbirds every Winter. They like the sugar water feeders, but the plants bring them to my yard and give them variety. And I think that is why these birds stick around for 5-6 months Fall thru Spring. I only get male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. I was told that my yard is considered prime property for hummers because of the plants. The males chase off any females as the boys are very territorial in my yard in Winter. I believe that is true, because before I had all these plants, I had 2 female Ruby-throated hummingbirds for 2 Winters and then the males took over as I added more plants each year. I have more salvia than listed above, but the jury is still out on how much these other salvia attract hummers. I only acquired the newest salvias this Winter, so I won't know how desirable they are to the hummers until next winter. Some of the plants bloom in the Fall, then others take over in Winter with blooms, and then when those fade the Spring plants bloom. So I have lots of variety for those 6 months. I also get a number of hummers passing through on their migration trip. I have actually had a female Rufous for a short time too, but it is almost always Ruby-throated hummingbirds here. No hummers during the late Spring through Summer months. My motto has always been, "Plant it and they will come!"
