According to what I've read, hummingbirds only eat the tiniest of insects, mostly tiny spiders and such. Hummers and butterflies all fly together in my gardens, and I've never seen a hummingbird eat a butterfly, nor has there been any reduction in the numbers of tiny butterflies and moths when they're here. Most of the medium and certainly all the big moths and butterflies are bigger than the hummingbirds, so I would really be shocked if a hummer could even get one of those in its mouth! :)
Go ahead and relocate your butterfly garden to the hummer garden - everything will be fine!
Sherry

Hummingbirds and butterflies coexist in my garden, too. Go for it!

Sherry is right. Hummers will eat the smaller insects.

Hummers will eat the aphids on the asclepias. My hummers use the fluff from the asclepias seed pods to build their nests.

Our little obnoxious Hummingbirds co-exist quite peacefully with the butterflies in my garden. I say 'obnoxious' because we have several 'families' of Hummingbirds and it is quite obvious who the kingpin is! He even squeaks at me when I have let the juice get low in the feeders so I have to quickly get to cooking the stuff in the kitchen for him and his little group! Nah...I wouldn't worry about having the two gardens together. Butterflies DO need to have a sunny spot, though, and by having all that shade you are bound to find that you won't be getting many butterflies so move the plants! Go for it!

They should be fine. :) I'm surprised they aren't already co-mingling, to be honest--I might not have butterflies on my mandevilla or hummingbirds on my lantana, but both of them go crazy for the red pentas, and have many other nectar plants in common. Even with a very large place and two ideal habitats, I'd expect a little curious crossover.

As all said hummingbirds only eat the tiniest of insects not butterflies.Do not worry go for it :)

We don't get too many hummers in my garden in CT, but every year a pair seems to make my garden home. They love the zinnias and cardinal vine.

The only interaction I ever see is in the late summer, when the male monarchs antagonize the hummers by chasing and diving at them.

It's interesting to watch and I've never seen any damage done.

Maryann

Perhaps you could reverse the areas to some extent. I think that in general butterflies and their nectar plants require a sunnier area. However, the two most preferred hummingbird plants in my hummingbird garden - Monarda didyma and Lobelia cardinalis - are both growing extremely well in partial shade with rich, moist soil.

I did see a ruby-throated hummingbird run a Gulf Fritillary out of my yard one time, but soon afterwards a leafcutter bee (Megachile sp.) did the same to a hummingbird. I could see the bee's hind end, yellow with pollen, immediately behind the hummer's rump, and the hummer was traveling at high speed.

Biosparite,

Thanks for the chuckle!