From The Old Farmer's Almanac: Sign up to receive a FREE guide (A $4.95 value!) plus updates from Almanac.com.
Print
EmailList of Plants That Attract Butterflies
It's obvious: Butterflies and flowers were made for each other. As the poet pointed out, butterflies are flying flowers, and flowers are tethered butterflies.
In attracting butterflies to your garden, it's important to understand what they want most out of life: nectar. The ancients, who believed that nectar fell directly from heaven, named it after the wines of the gods. A butterfly's wish list also includes sunny open spaces, shelter from the wind, and fresh water.
For a nectar-rich flower border designed to satisfy these requirements, consider the plants listed below. Then invite a few butterflies over for a drink.
| Common Name | Latin Name |
|---|---|
| Allium | Allium |
| Aster | Aster |
| Bee balm | Monarda |
| Butterfly bush | Buddleia |
| Catmint | Nepeta |
| Clove Pink | Dianthus |
| Cornflower | Centaurea |
| Daylily | Hemerocallis |
| False indigo | Baptisia |
| Fleabane | Erigeron |
| Floss flower | Ageratum |
| Globe thistle | Echinops |
| Goldenrod | Solidago |
| Helen's flower | Helenium |
| Hollyhock | Alcea |
| Lavender | Lavendula |
| Lilac | Syringa |
| Lupine | Lupinus |
| Lychnis | Lychnis |
| Mallow | Malva |
| Milkweed | Asclepias |
| Mint | Mentha |
| Pansy | Viola |
| Phlox | Phlox |
| Privet | Ligustrum |
| Purple coneflower | Echinacea |
| Rock cress | Arabis |
| Sage | Salvia |
| Sea holly | Eryngium |
| Shasta daisy | Chrysanthemum |
| Snapdragon | Antirrhinum |
| Stonecrop | Sedum |
| Sweet alyssum | Lobularia |
| Sweet rocket | Hesperis |
| Tickseed | Coreopsis |
| Zinnia | Zinnia |
More Articles:
Comments
I am a wildlife ecologist,
I am a wildlife ecologist, and member of the Board of ALIPC--Alabama Invasive Plant Council. Whenever I visit a site like this one, I nearly always see butterfly bush listed as a good butterfly plant. It is not only an exotic plant, it is an invasive plant in many states. So is Lonicera unless you specify L.flava, or L. sempervirens. To simply say "honeysuckle" is inviting trouble to all our natural ecosystems, which are being blighted by these invaders. The yellow honeysuckles are invaders from Asia.
Thanks for sharing that
Thanks for sharing that information so that we won't inadvertently do something that would be harmful in the long run.
Post new comment