• Flowers for a Butterfly Garden

   

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• Yarrow

   

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  Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is tolerant of drought and combats soil erosion.

• Stokes Aster

   

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  Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis) is also attractive as a cut flower.

• Red Buckeye

   

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  The lush, glossy foliage of Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) shows off the spring blossoms.

• Marigolds

   

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  Marigolds (Tagetes sp.) are profusely-blooming annuals and extremely easy to grow.

• Coreopsis Cultivars

   

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  Coreopsis cultivars can be lightly trimmed to encourage repeat blooming.

• Yellow Coneflower

   

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  This unique yellow coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) is native to the Ozarks.

• Verbena

   

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  Trailing varieties of Verbena (Verbena sp.) work well in containers or in the landscape.

• Jupiter's Beard

   

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  Jupiter's Beard (Centranthus Ruber) is another prolific bloomer despite heat or drought.

• Blazing Star

   

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  Blazing Star (Liatris sp.) varieties are both heat and drought-tolerant.

• Black-Eyed Susan

   

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  Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) tolerates neglect and reaches for the sunshine.

• Rose of Sharon

   

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  Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is the national flower of Korea and is heat-tolerant.

• Butterfly Weed

   

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  Bright, hardy Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) adds a splash of orange.

• Butterfly Bush

   

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  The many varieties of Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) make a perfect garden foundation.

• Bee Balm

   

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  Fast-spreading Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) attracts many pollinators.

A butterfly garden is an easy way to bring some beauty and fun to your garden. Many species of plants and flowers attract butterflies – some provide nectar for the adults, and some provide nutritious leaves for the larvae to feed upon. As a bonus, many butterfly-attracting plants are low-maintenance, hardy, and quite possibly native to your area, which means that your butterfly garden may be the easiest patch of flowers you’ll ever grow.

A printable list of butterfly garden plants is at Butterfly Plant List (PDF).

Butterfly Garden Tips

• Butterfly gardens should be planted in full sun.
• In addition to nectar-producing flowers, consider plants that caterpillars like to munch such as fennel and milkweed, and keep in mind that some butterflies lay their eggs in trees.
• Mass-plant single varieties for visual appeal and more butterflies.
• Stagger bloom times to ensure butterfly attraction throughout the warm seasons.
• Keep your garden free of pesticides!
• Butterflies love to sunbathe, so include a few flat, dark stones in your garden.
• Butterflies also need water, and they take minerals from the soil by “puddling,” or sipping from wet soil. Bury a dish of coarse sand (kept wet), or include dishes of water with pebbles or sticks for perching.
• Learn your local butterflies – plant larval host plants to attract your common species.

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