Butterflies and flowers were made for each other, and there are certain flowers that butterflies absolutely love to be around. As a French poet once pointed out, “Butterflies are flying flowers, and flowers are tethered butterflies.” Here are some of the best plants that attract 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.
Keeping Your Garden Butterfly-Friendly
If you want to keep butterflies in your yard (and support these declining pollinators), it’s essential to include host plants where they can lay their eggs (some butterfly species are fussier than others as to what plants are best); once the larvae hatch, the host plants will serve as food for the developing caterpillars.
To encourage butterflies to reside in your garden, it’s best to include food sources in the form of host plants for caterpillars and nectar plants for butterflies.
A butterfly’s wish list also includes sunny open spaces, shelter from the wind, and fresh water.
It’s also crucial to opt for using native plant varieties in your garden, as these will be the most beneficial to the butterflies and caterpillars in your area. Consult your local garden center or Cooperative Extension service for more information on native plants.
Plants That Attract Butterflies
For caterpillars, consider plants like violets, milkweed, and asters. Learn more about milkweed, the only host plant for monarchs.
Did you know: Monarch caterpillars ONLY eat milkweed. In fact, the monarch butterfly is also known as the “milkweed butterfly.” Read more about common milkweed.
For butterflies, Joe-Pye weed, ironweed, yellow coneflowers, goldenrod, and brightly-hued asters are nectar-filled favorites.
See our full butterfly plant list below.
| Common Name | Latin Name |
|---|---|
| Allium | Allium |
| Aromatic Aster | Symphyotrichum oblongifolium |
| Bee balm | Monarda |
| Black Cherry | Prunus serotina |
| Blue Wild Indigo | Baptisia australis |
| Blueberry bushes | Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccomoium angustifolium |
| Buttonbush | Cephalanthus occidentalis |
| 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 |
| Grey Dogwood | Cornus racemosa |
| Helen’s flower | Helenium |
| Hollyhock | Alcea |
| Hoptree | Ptelea trifoliata |
| Joe-Pye weeds | Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus, Eupatoriadelphus maculates, Eupatorium purpureum |
| Lavender | Lavendula |
| Lilac | Syringa |
| Lupine | Lupinus |
| Lychnis | Lychnis |
| Mallow | Malva |
| Milkweed | Asclepias tuberosa |
| Mint | Mentha |
| New York Ironweed | Vernonia noveboracensis |
| Ninebark | Physocarpus opulifolius |
| Northern Spicebush | Lindera benzoin |
| Pansy | Viola |
| Phlox | Phlox |
| Pipevine | Aristolochia macrophylla |
| Privet | Ligustrum |
| Purple coneflower | Echinacea |
| Rock cress | Arabis |
| Sage | Salvia |
| Sea holly | Eryngium |
| Senna, American | Senna hebacarpa |
| Senna, Maryland | Senna marilandica |
| Shasta daisy | Chrysanthemum sp. |
| Snapdragon | Antirrhinum |
| Stonecrop | Sedum |
| Sweet alyssum | Lobularia |
| Sweet rocket | Hesperis |
| Tickseed | Coreopsis |
| Tuliptree | Liriodendron tulipifera |
| Trumpet Vine | Campsis radicans |
| Zinnia | Zinnia |
* now categorized as an invasive plant in many states.
Please let us know if we’re missing any of your favorite butterfly plants! Just comment below.
Butterflies also need a friendly habitat. To learn more, read our article about Butterfly Gardening.
Related Pollinator Articles
- For more plant recommendations, see Plants that Attract Hummingbirds and Easy Ways to Attract Bees to Your Garden.
- Plus, check out Native Bees: The Best Pollinators for Your Garden!
Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
Butterfly bush warning
I would not advise people to plant butterfly bush for pollinator value. It easily spreads by seed, invading riparian areas and displacing native flowering plants that pollinators rely on. It's considered a noxious weed in multiple states.
Butterfly Attracting Bushes
My Lantana bushes attract many butterflies in spring, summer, and into fall. Easy to care for and look pretty.
Monarch Magnet
When the monarch butterflies arrive in my area (Yarmouth, Nova Scotia) they are most attracted to the verbena bonariensis. They feed there and move to the milkweed to lay eggs. These are a self-sowing annual and occasional perennial in my zone 6B garden and bloom from early summer until winter...a beautiful and beneficial addition to any garden!
What about Honeysuckle?
Honeysuckle came to mind immediately because of its nectar. Any thoughts?
Plants organized by chronological time of blooms
I already have quite a few butterfly host plants, but now I'm attempting to design my butterfly garden by bloom succession, so that I will have butterfly friendly plants blooming from early spring through the fall, for the butterflies to feed on... Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Spring to Fall Blooms
Hi Luis,
That’s a great question! The best way to find flowers that bloom at specific times is to search using your local cooperative extension (https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services), which will give you a list of plants based on your region and gardening zone. But a few good ones that will attract butterflies are anything from the allium family, which will bloom from between early spring to mid summer (depending on the variety), purple coneflower (blooms early to mid summer), anything in the mint family (blooms usually in early summer), black-eyed susan (blooms early to late summer), lupin (blooms early summer), sage (blooms early to mid summer), and zinnias (blooms late summer to ealry fall). Again, these bloom times will be slightly (or drastically) different depending on your region, so use the cooperative extension network to get some more specific information. We hope this helps!
Plants that attract butterflies
The plant that attracts the most butterflies and bees in our garden in southern VA is cosmos. In our area, cosmos begin blooming in early September and continue till frost. It is the place to be even over many other butterfly favorite flowers. It provides food late in the season when many other flowers are spent. The bees love it so much that they will sleep on the plant over night and are slow to wake up in the morning (particularly when the nights and mornings are cool). Cosmos love dry poor soil so do not fertilize or over water them. Because our variety grows 6 feet tall, we plant it next to a tall fence and occasionally, we have to tie them up. The blooms are a brilliant orange. They are an annual but reseed profusely.
Butterflies Love Ligustrum
My husband and I have enjoyed watching Monarchs, Zebra Heliconians, Black Swallowtails and Eastern TIger Swallowtails enjoying the nectar from our flowering Ligustrum trees. The bees love them too and the fragrance is delightful! We moved to our new home near Tampa last July, so this is our first spring and what a nice surprise! We’d planted milkweed, which the Monarchs love, along with Sweet Almond Bush (yummy fragrance) and other pollinator enticing flowers and shrubs, but the mature Ligustrum trees were already here. Little did we know that they would be such a butterfly and bee magnet!
Deer Resistant Butterfly attracting plants
Hi does anyone have a recommendation of a plant that help the butterflies but may be deer resistant? none of these seem to mention this fact.
we are in north east PA with many deer
Thanks!
Pacific Northwest Plants to Attract Butterflies?
Hi, I live in the state of Washington, and I was wondering which ones on your list could attract the most butterflies in my area.
Plants that attract Butterflies
Each year, I plant Red Penta in my garden and it attracts both Butterflies and Hummingbirds. I also plant Parsley in several places in my gardens as the Butterlies like to lay their eggs there. The larvae eats the Parsley.
Butterfly and humming bird plants
Hi a really wonderful plant that isn't on either list is Jewelweed. I absolutely love it and have let it pretty much take over my property which is 4.5 acres, mostly wooded. I see so many butterflies and humming birds all summer! It also attracts tons of bees and other insects. It's a very beautiful plant!
Plants for butterflies
Tithonia is a great plant for attracting bees and butterflies.
General question
I live in jesup GA. I have literally three green thumbs. Is there any plants I should avoid as I am trying to attract pollinators to my veggies.
Pollinator Plants
Generally, pollinators aren’t very picky, so there’s not much you can do to accidentally deter them. However, some say that strongly-scented plants, such as citronella, eucalyptus, or mint, can discourage bees. Avoid planting these and other smelly herbs (basil is fine) near your veggies and the pollinators will be happiest.
Native species
I have read numerous articles encouraging San Francisco Bay-Area gardeners to NOT plant milkweed. Milkweed isn’t native to our area, and monarchs typically go elsewhere to breed. It could actually hurt the butterflies if they lay eggs out of their normal range.
Are there links to regional recommendations for planting for butterflies? There are probably issues like this throughout the country.
Donna, are you sure they're
Donna, are you sure they're talking about ALL milkweed? There is a variety-- Tropical Milkweed, also known as Mexican Milkweed ( Asclepias Curassavica) --that is not native to the U.S. at all but has been introduced to the warmer areas. Here's a link to milkweed species by area --scroll down because CA is at the bottom of the page.
https: //monarchjointventure.org/images/uploads/documents/MilkweedFactSheetFINAL.pdf
butterfly plants
hi. i absolutely love butterflies was just wondering can I plant them in a pot on my deck
Hi Donna,
Hi Donna,
I believe the Coneflower plants can be kept in pots. If you want to attract the Monarch butterfly caterpillar, (by having butterflies lay eggs on the plant) SWAMP Milkweed (Asclepias Incarnata) is one of the better varieties for pots. Internet may be best place to look because not too many local nurseries carry it--at least in my area. Just make sure the plant hasn't been sprayed with anything otherwise the chemicals will kill the caterpillars.
Butterflies
Last year, I had Vanilla scented Heliotrope in my garden,
I never had so many Butterflies, I don't know if it was just a
coincidence but those plants were attracting more butterflies than all the other flowers
Sunbeam Bidens
I found this plant at Walmart of all places, and has attracted many butterflies. It blooms continually from Spring until mid Fall. I planted only one plant and it's now 2' x 2'. It will definitely be on my to-grow list next Spring.
Milkweed
Do you have to leave the entire milkweed plant over the winter? I bought plants last fall that bloomed and I kept seed. I was told the plants would put back out from the root. Mine didn't so I had to replant from seedlings from the seeds we kept.
Milkweed
Hi Bruce,
Yes, milkweed should come back after the winter on its own, but it’s a slow growing plant and will sometimes be out-grown by faster growing ones.
Butterfly plants
No one mentioned oregano as a butterfly plant. We discovered its attraction to both butterflies and bees quite by accident, having planted a few common oregano plants as ornamentals. The oregano plants themselves are easy to grow - they love the sun, don't require a lot of water, and reseed easily. Since we don't harvest the leaves for cooking (you can consume them, they are just not the Greek variety), we can allow the plants to grow tall and flower into beautiful, purple, butterfly attracting flowers. Oregano will reseed almost anywhere and become invasive, even in the lawn, however, if there is an open corner in the garden needing to be filled, oregano may fit the bill.
Butterfly Garden
Hello. I want to plant a butterfly garden. Can you tell me where I could find seeds and plants that are good for my region? I live in Fremont, Ohio. Thank you.
stores near you
You can find a list of butterfly plants above. As for stores that sell them, we would simply suggest that you consult the major home-goods/building supply chain stores, nurseries, and groceries in your area.
Swallowtail Butterflys Host Plant;
I am happy to see a Swallowtail Butterfly uses "Parsley" as a Host Plant for eggs/caterpillars; I see the occasional Swallowtail here in Conn.; planting parsley is a crop anyone can grow!!! : )
Plants that attract butterflies
Dill (loved by many varieties of caterpillars) particularly Monarchs; also fennel.
Dill
The Butterfly lay the eggs on the Dill; then the eggs hatch; the butterfly eats Dill Parsley or Milkweed; great news; Question; Would I have to keep the Dill plants up in the winter; or are the eggs and caterpillars atched and grown to fly away as Butterflies? the eggs do not overwinter?;
Butterflies in Winter
In colder climates, most butterflies will overwinter as caterpillars or pupae. Unless you’re in a climate where butterflies are active year-round, there’s no need for you to try to maintain your dill through the winter, as caterpillars will be dormant and won’t be feeding. They will awaken in the spring, feast on the dill, and become beautiful butterflies that will start the cycle over again!
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